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Meet 

Memo. 

He’s a 31-year old creative director living in Mexico City 

(where these Polaroid was taken). Memo is wearing the 

Summer Shirt with our new Poplin Short, available in stores. 

To learn more about our company, to shop online, 

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91 OctOber 2005 

30 chicago rocks! 

32 Pitchfork Media 

34 Pit er Pat 

36 rik Shaw 

38 Steve Albini 

40 Syndrome 

41 Dante carfagna 

42 Pelican 

44 Marc Hellner 

45 Meiotic and Kontrol 

46 chocolate Industries 

47 Struggle Inc. 

48 Sonotheque 

50 Lumpen 

51 Danny the Wildchild & Phantom 45 

52 Africa Hi-Fi 

54 DJ Funk 

56 the eternals 

57 Gramaphone 

58 Style: Good Looks 

64 chicago city Guide 

70 consumers research & Development 

72 the Pacifics 

73 Groove Distribution 

74 Hefty 

75 Watchers 

76 Quantazelle 

78 History of House Music 

80 Galapagos 4 

81 Drag city 

82 Numero Group 

83 Deeper Soul 

84 chicago DJs 

86 chicago After Dark: A Photo essay 

93 reviews 

118 Lucky 13 

120 In the Studio: eight Frozen Modules 

122 Machines: components 

128 tbc: White Sox vs. the cubs 

Seven from Chocolate Industries shows his Chicago pride. 

Photo: Chris Eichenseer at Someoddpilot, Co. 

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ED’S RANT my chicAgo 

XLR8R Editor Vivian Host raving in a 

Midwestern field with 34” Grind pants 

from Untitled (Even Further, 1997). 

Grinnell, Iowa. Northfield, Minnesota. It was May of 1995 and I was on a 

tour of Midwest liberal arts colleges with my mom. After mile after mile of 

cornfields, sullen cows and Cracker Barrel restaurants, Chicago finally rose 

out of the prairie like an oasis. I heaved a sigh of relief when our rental car 

finally rounded the corner onto Lakeshore Drive, Navy Pier twinkling on 

the right and over 1,700 feet of Sears Tower looming on the left. 

I’d like to say I fell in love with Chicago then and there but it actually happened 

the next night. After looking around Northwestern (the “Midwest ivy 

league”) in the beautiful suburb of Evanston, then perusing the selection of 

fat pants at Untitled–renowned at the time for having the largest leg openings 

in rave pants, at 45”inches–I stumbled across a flyer for a party with 

Danny Breaks and AK1200. I remember being amazed that one of the top 

producers in the British jungle scene would be playing in Chicago instead of 

Los Angeles. The party raged all night in the best setting possible: an abandoned 

factory; as a harsh dawn broke and my cab sped past the supertowers 

of the Cabrini Green projects, I was convinced of the Midwest’s magic. 

I didn’t get into Northwestern. I didn’t get into Grinnell or Carleton 

College either–although spending four years in a one-Dairy-Queen town was, 

by that point, totally out of the question. I ended up in Berkeley, California, 

but I still visited Chicago at least twice a year to DJ. It never got any less awesome, 

from the mundane–combing through the racks at Gramaphone, eating 

massive quantities of lasagna with techno DJ Acidman, late-night stoner runs 

with junglists Snuggles and Slak to the White Hen Pantry–to the extraordinary, 

like the breathtaking underwater views of the Shedd Aquarium and 

being able to see Paul Johnson, Traxx, Funk, Milton and Deeon all DJ on the 

same night at the now-legendary Route 66 roller rink. In two days there, I 

once saw MF Doom play at The Metro, went to a banging BassByThePound 

drum & bass party at Big Wig, saw Derrick Carter spin and pounded cheap 

beers with Slug and Kathryn from Biz 3 at the Rainbo, an indie rock dive bar 

that looks like something out of Laverne & Shirley. 

I always look forward to visiting Chicago. It’s like an old friend–no matter 

how much it changes on the exterior, it always feels familiar. And the 

people I know I there are refreshingly down-to-earth. They’re not out for 

fame–truth be told, there’s not much to be had–so there’s little left to concentrate 

on besides music, friends and having fun. 

In the decision-making process for our fourth annual city issue, Chicago 

won by a landslide over cities in Europe and Canada–and putting together 

this issue was exciting. Everything except the reviews section is Chicagofocused, 

and art director Brianna Pope pulled off an amazing feat by using 

only Chicago-based graphic designers and nearly all Chicago photographers. 

I dare say the look and content of this issue will be enough to convince even 

the most hardened coastal cynic that the Midwest rocks. Don’t sleep. 

- Vivian Host, Editor

STAFF BoX 

Editor in ChiEf Andrew Smith (andrew@xlr8r.com) 

Editor Vivian Host (vivian@xlr8r.com) 

managing Editor Tomas A. Palermo (tomas@xlr8r.com) 

SEnior WritEr Toph One (redwine@xlr8r.com) 

CoPY Editor Elka Karl 

Editorial intErn Fred Miketa 

Staff WritErS Eric K. Arnold, Pete Babb, Mike Battaglia, Sarah Bentley, Susanna Bolle, Roy Dank, 

Rob Geary, Alexis Georgopoulos, Ross Hogg, Christine Hsieh, David Katz, Luciana Lopez, Cameron 

Macdonald, Mark McNeill, Stacy Meyn, Peter Nicholson, Brion Paul, Brock Phillips, Dave Segal, Philip 

Sherburne, Scott Thill, Josh Tonnissen, Martin Turenne, Janet Tzou, Tony Ware 

Contributing WritErS Anna Balkrishna, Derek Beres, Ben Bush, Araya Crosskill, Martin DeLeon II, 

Stacey Dugan, Scott Edmonds, Ben Fasman, Josh P. Ferguson, Morgan Harris, David Hemingway, Max 

Herman, Jessica Hopper, Justin Hopper, Marc Kate, James Lee, David Ma, Steve Marchese, James 

Mayo, Doug Morton, J.R. Nelson, Alex Posell, Mark Pytlik, Bettina Richards, Ryan Romana, Maria Tessa 

Sciarrino, Jesse Serwer, Evan Shamoon, Sara Sherr, Rachel Shrimp, Patrick Sisson, Daniel Siwek, Ryan 

Sommer, Dave Stenton, Velanche Stewart, Rico Washington, Brolin Winning, Jonathan Zwickel 

art dirECtor Brianna Pope (brianna@xlr8r.com) 

dESign/ProduCtion David Clark (davidc@xlr8r.com) 

guESt dESignEr Chuck Anderson/NoPattern (www.nopattern.com) 

ProduCtion intErn Beryl Fine 

Staff PhotograPhErS Kareem Black, Jessica Miller, Paul O’Valle, Zen Sekizawa, Christopher 

Woodcock 

Contributing PhotograPhErS Mireya Acierto, David Black, Calbee Booth, Georgina Cook, 

Aubrey Edwards, Chris Eichenseer at Someoddpilot, Co., Marc Nesium, Chuck Przybyl, Drew 

Reynolds, Jason Frank Rothenberg, Matthew Taplinger 

Staff illuStratorS Chuck Anderson for NoPattern, Derek Morris for Trophy 

Contributing illuStratorS Donnie Bauer, Nigel Dennis, Ethan D’Ercole, Joshua Grotto, Cody 

Hudson, Damon Locks, Ray Noland 

PubliShEr Andrew Smith (andrew@amalgam.us) 

buSinESS dEvEloPmEnt Michael Prommer (michael@amalgam.us) 

marKEting and SPECial ProjECtS managEr Jennifer Marston (jenn@amalgam.us) 

EaSt CoaSt advErtiSing SalES Roy Dank (roy@amalgam.us) 

WESt CoaSt advErtiSing dirECtor Sue Kim (sue@amalgam.us) 

aCCounting managEr Jamie Kochan (jamie@amalgam.us) 

SubSCriPtionS and onlinE ProduCtion Bryant Rugledge (bryant@amalgam.us) 

advErtiSing intErn Shane Heiman 

Co-PubliShEr Arias Hung 

advErtiSing: Dial 415.861.7583, fax 415. 861.7584, email advertising@xlr8r.com, or mail XLR8R 

Magazine, 1388 Haight St. #105, San Francisco, CA 94117. 

SubSCriPtionS: Domestic subscriptions are $16 (one year, 10 issues) and $32 (two years, 20 

issues), Canada $40 (one year) and $80 (two year), all other international are $50 (one year) and $100 

(two year). Subscribe by credit card online (www.xlr8r.com) or send payment to XLR8R Subscriptions, 

1388 Haight St. #105, San Francisco, CA 94117. Payment made out to “XLR8R Magazine,” US funds 

only. International orders must be paid by credit card or international money order. Questions? Email 

subscribe@xlr8r.com or subscribe online at www.xlr8r.com. 

CirCulation: Newsstand distribution through Curtis Circulation. For direct retail sales contact 

Bryant at 415.861.7583 x25 or bryant@amalgam.us. 

big thanKS to ... Jamie and Bettina from Thrill Jockey, Chiko and Justin Long, Rees Urban for the 

DJ Funk reconnaissance mission, Dominick Volini at Gravis, Tracy at Happy Owl, Shawn of Shawnimals, 

Peter Bittenbender at Decon, Gaia from Maestro, Chad from Touch and Go, Jessica Parker, Cody Hudson, 

Steve Albini, Sarah Chambliss, Birdy Nam Nam, Morgan Howland, Noah Singer from Imperfect Articles, 

Pamela McCracken at Logitech, Anker Halden at Ortofon and all of Chicago for letting us feel the love. 

on thE CovEr: Design by Chuck Anderson/NoPattern (www.nopattern.com); original photos of little people 

by Mireya Acierto and Chris Eichenseer. 

ContaCt uS: San Francisco Main HQ: 1388 Haight St. #105, San Francisco, CA 94117; 

New York Office: 350 Seventh Ave. #1504, New York, NY 10001; 

letters@xlr8r.com, Fax 415.861.7584 

XLR8R Magazine is published ten times a year by Amalgam Media, Inc. All writing, photographs and artwork printed within the pages of XLR8R Magazine are 

copyright and property of Amalgam Media, Inc. and may only be reprinted with permission from the “Brianna’s hero and salt and pepper chip providin’” publisher. 

Please mail letters, charts, complaints, submissions, general information and review material to XLR8R Magazine, 1388 Haight St. #105, San Francisco, CA 94117 

or fax us at 415.861.7584 or e-mail us at letters@xlr8r.com. XLR8R is a trademark of Amalgam Media, Inc. 

ISSN # 1526-4246 CSA # 1741454 

TM TM TM

coNTRiBuToRS 

chuck ANDERSoN 

Chuck has been turning out amazing 

work for XLR8R since he was a wee 

lad, under the name NoPattern. He 

is, hands-down, Brianna’s favorite 

contributor. It’s about time he rocks 

a cover, and it is quite fitting since he 

hails from the Chicago area. Chuck’s 

recent clients have included Fifty24, 

Audi, JB Classics, Absolut and lots of 

magazines throughout the country. 

This led to his first speaking gig at 

the Semi-Permanent design conference 

in New York in September. 

www.nopattern.com 

J.R. NElSoN 

J.R. Nelson is a writer from Chicago, 

Illinois. His work has appeared in 

XLR8R, Punk Planet and the Village 

Voice. He is really hoping the 

Chicago White Sox can somehow 

win the World Series. He could then 

fulfill his lifelong ambition of driving 

around the nation resplendent 

in Sox gear, booming out Westside 

Connection’s “Bow Down” for the 

entire next year. 

12 

STAcEy DugAN 

Stacey Dugan resides in Chicago, 

where she edits a local arts and entertainment 

magazine that only wishes 

it could be as cool as XLR8R. When 

not sacrificing her nights and weekends 

to the seemingly endless task of 

fixing up other people’s words and 

making them sound pretty, she tries 

to go to as many art, music and film 

events as is humanly possible. 

RAy NolAND / c.R.o. 

Ray is one of those individuals who 

keeps creeping up. His tenacious 

attitude and style are impossible to 

ignore. He lives in Chicago and is the 

mastermind behind BLACKLIST®, an 

online magazine devoted to underthe-radar 

talent in music, art and 

design. He’s also an avid backcountry 

camper, spending his extra time during 

the summer kickin’ it in national 

parks all over Michigan and Wisconsin. 

Blueberry pancakes anyone? 

www.theblacklistmag.com 

chRiS EichENSEER / 

SomEoDDpiloT, co. 

Chris is a thin man with a belly full 

of aspirin. He does push-ups while 

opening large computer files. He has 

a bike with a basket, which many consider 

not tough. He shoots pictures, 

designs and plays the drums. He is 

surrounded within Someoddpilot’s 

Chicago office by mysterious friends 

who paint, code and run record 

labels. “You should come over sometime. 

It will be awesome,” he says. 

www.someoddpilot.com 

pATRick SiSSoN 

Patrick Sisson, who wrote the city 

guide for this issue, is a Chicagobased 

writer and editor who is 

always down to distribute some pro- 

Windy City propaganda, especially 

if it involves “researching” dozens 

of cheap bars. Let’s just say it was a 

marathon he has been training for 

most of his life. 

moRgAN hARRiS 

A year and a half ago, Morgan discovered 

that she had neither the 

skills for nor inclination towards a 

full-time, grown-up job and hightailed 

it back to sweet home Chicago 

from Brooklyn. When she’s not customizing 

SweetAction t-shirts, she’s 

counting on the use of her middle 

initial K to break the children’s 

book market wide open (after Ms. 

Rowling finishes her opus next year, 

that is). Check out more of her stuff 

in art/craft magazines like FiberArts, 

and at www.of-the-sea.com. 

mATThEw TApliNgER 

Matthew Taplinger is a 28-year-old 

photographer based in Chicago, 

where he’s been living for over three 

years now. Much of his spare time is 

spent banging on the drums, riding 

bikes, sampling bourbon and avoiding 

SUVs. 

www.nonformat.org

LETTERS 

Save The Summit 

I have really been feelin XLR8R for years now–y’all 

are holding it down! That said, I have a strong 

request to make: please don’t advertise the Soul 

Summit in NYC anymore! It’s so pristine and pure 

of cultural gentrification. I have rasta friends that 

lament not feeling safe when they take their children 

to reggae shows, cuz there are white folks there who 

wanna take pictures of the “exotic” rasta family. And 

we all know what’s happening to the hip-hop scene. 

I got mad love for y’all, but if you think you can 

back me up as white allies, and not help culturally 

14 

lETTERS To ThE EDiToR 

Like us? Hate us? Write us! Email letters to letters@xlr8r.com or send mail to 

XLR8R Magazine 1388 Haight Street #105 San Francisco, CA 94117. 

gentrify this event, that would be awesome. 

Malcolm W, Oakland, CA 

Gary Powell from Soul Summit responds: 

We seek to provide an event that is inclusive of 

everyone, which is the case with the Soul Summit 

Music Festival. We agree, it’s a pristine event and 

remains so because of its very hip and well mannered 

attendees who are diverse in age, race, beliefs, 

sexual orientation and class. That’s what house 

music is all about. I would ask attendees not to be 

concerned about a mention of Soul Summit Music 

Festival in XLR8R compromising the integrity of the 

event, but be more concerned about the preservation 

of the event, so others have an opportunity to 

experience what you have and get an opportunity to 

develop equally passionate feelings about the event. 

Vinyl Hunter 

Do you guys still produce vinyl records, ‘cause I 

have a couple of old ones by astral matrix and proffeser 

smith and they’re tight. Would like to get my 

hands on more. 

Darfnagle 

Andrew Smith responds: 

The days of XLR8R putting out tunes on vinyl have 

come and gone. Our last release was in 1996 called 

Big Shots, consisting of up-and-coming San Francisco 

XlR8R’S “chicAgo FiRE” coNTEST 

Win limited edition t-shirts and books from Imperfect 

Articles plus a CD and videogame from Decon and 2K Games. 

Fine art meets hip-hop in XLR8R’s Chicago Fire contest. Founded by Chicago’s Noah Singer 

and Mike Andrews, imperfect articles makes the coolest handmade 100% cotton t-shirts. 

They work with a ton of artists including Gabe Fowler, Surabhi Ghosh, Maya Hayuk, Cody 

Hudson and Johanna Winter-Harper. XLR8R will send a couple of lucky winners a shirt and 

two limited edition books (Robots and Rainbow) designed by artist Chris Uphues. Art Institute 

of Chicago graduate Uphues’ work is an oddball visual tableau that features Japanese toys, 

robots, popular and anonymous objects, graffiti, videogames, comics and fireworks. We’ll 

also throw in the dopest basketball videogame ever created, NBA 2K6, plus the soundtrack 

to the game (featuring The Roots, Common, Redman, Lyrics Born, Aceyalone, Jean Grae, 

RJD2, Little Brother, Blackalicious, Hieroglyphics, Zion I and Aesop Rock) and a shirt, all from 

2K Sports and decon. How to win? Tell us why Chicago is the greatest city ever. The most 

creative short answer (three-six sentences only) will win the grand prize! So get out your pens 

and keyboards and get to praising Chi-Town! 

grand Prize: One male winner and one female winner will receive an Imperfect Articles t-shirt 

and book by Chris Uphues, and an NBA 2K6 videogame, CD and shirt from Decon and 2K. 

four runners-up will receive: an NBA 2K6 videogame, CD and shirt from Decon and 2K. 

Entries will be accepted via mail and email. Entries must be received by Oct 21, 2005. Send your answers to XLR8R’s “Chicago 

Fire” contest, 1388 Haight St. #105, San Francisco, CA 94117 or email contest@xlr8r.com with “Chicago Fire” in the subject line. 

www.imperfectarticles.com, www.2ksports.com, www.deconmedia.com 

drum & bass producers. We’ve discovered the internet 

since then, and you can find our newest releases on 

iTunes with a compilation series called Wanted. Just 

type “XLR8R” into the iTunes search field. 

Monika Magic 

I just wanted to say thank you for the reeeeeally nice 

artwork on our Monika feature! Who’s the guy who 

made it? Is he a fan? It looks fantastic! 

Uta, Berlin, MarkeB 05 

Brianna responds: 

Nigel Dennis did the artwork; see more of his work at 

www.electricheat.org. Check out his six-page spread 

in this issue (page 58), where he kills it yet again. Oh, 

and I’m sure he’s a fan of your music–I certainly am! 

Corrections: 

In The Studio with Madlib (issue #88) was written 

by Brolin Winning. In issue #89’s Track City piece, 

we incorrectly identified the Montreal location. It 

should read Place D’Armes, Montreal. Soul Summit 

(Spin Cycle, issue #89) takes place in Fort Greene 

Park, not Prospect Park and the resident DJs are Jeff 

Mendoza, Sadiq and Tabu. In issue #90’s Spin Cycle 

we incorrectly stated that Ghostly International has 

a digital download store; they have an online CD 

and vinyl store. 

Swiss made 

Swatch stores nationwide 

swatch.com

iTTER baSTaRd 

BJ “BiTTER” BASTARD’S chicAgo iNSTiTuTioNS 

Cold as a bitch in winter. Winner of 

America’s second fattest city in 2003. 

Sometimes called the “Mudhole of 

the Prarie.” We know this issue is supposed 

to celebrate Chicago, but the truth is that 

people there complain about how lame it 

is all the time. BJ “Bitter” Bastard–never 

one to let a chance to insult fall by the wayside–gives 

you this guide to Chicago’s nonetoo-savory 

institutions. 

1. Chicago hot dogs Chicago hot dogs are 

a perversion of the pig by-product’s finest 

hour. First, they estrange the dog from its 

soul mate, ketchup, then they mar it by 

putting yellow mustard, relish, chopped 

onion, sport peppers, a kosher dill pickle, 

a cucumber spear, tomato slices and celery 

salt on top. It’s basically Chicago’s version 

of a salad. 

2. Chicago “Cows on Parade” Five years 

ago, the City of Chicago came up with this 

nifty idea to allow “artists” to paint life-sized 

fiberglass cows. You couldn’t go anywhere 

without seeing one of these visual eyesores, 

which had names like “Mooooonnwalk” (a 

space-themed cow) and “Chi-COW-Go.” 

16 

5 

1 

The worst part is that they inspired other cities: 

Cincinnati presented big pigs, Toronto painted 

moose statues and the hippies of Chicanum, 

Washington proposed the “Soul Salmon” project. 

3. Wicker Park All the macramé brooches and 

pierced girls riding granny bikes you can stand, 

plus hipper-than-thou indie rock bars and yuppies 

crowding the Starbucks. To most Chicagoans, the 

worst in gentrification. And Liz Phair and Wesley 

Willis are the area’s celebrities. 

4. Chicago accents Chicagoans are hands down 

the most nasal people in America, which they then 

combine with Eastern European-derived vocal tics 

(some of you will remember the Mike Ditka/”Da 

Bears” skit on SNL). Further proof that American 

English is not a romance language. 

5. Chicago water tower Oscar Wilde called it “a 

monstrosity with pepper boxes stuck all over it.” 

Surprising he didn’t like this monument–located at 

Michigan and Chicago Avenues–especially since it 

looks like a giant penis stuck in the middle of a ton 

of highrises. 

6. Talk shows Some really terrific movies have 

been filmed in Chicago: My Best Friend’s Wedding, 

Soul Food…and who could forget the droll My Big 

Fat Greek Wedding. But talk shows are really where 

Chicago shines, as it’s home to the inspirational rot 

of Oprah, America’s think tank Jerry Springer and 

washed up MILF/hag Jenny Jones, who really needs 

to stop shopping at Forever 21. 

8 

2 

6 3 

7. Racial segregation Once home to Cabrini Green, 

the most insidious housing projects in the US, 

Chicago is still racially divided thanks to the Chicago 

Housing Authority, who are pushing predominately 

black Section 8 residents out of the city. By the way, 

there’s a Southside neighborhood called Marynook 

populated predominately by light-skinned black 

people; this is a leftover from the 1950s, when white 

residents would only sell their houses to people who 

were lighter than a brown paper bag. 

8. Chicago parking Chicago does have the El–it’s as 

rickety as a wooden rollercoaster–but most people 

prefer to drive, even when that means intense traffic 

jams on Lakeshore Drive and cruising Damen for 45 

minutes praying for a spot. 

9. ATA Airlines If you’re looking for a cheap flight 

to Chicago, you will end up on ATA. Don’t let its 

Mayan pyramid-esque logo dupe you–riding an 

ATA plane makes you feel like a research chimp 

packed into a cage that hasn’t been cleaned since 

the 1970s. Arriving at Midway Airport is scarcely 

better, although they do have two Gold Coast hot 

dog stands. 

10. Cubs fans Cubs fans, a superstitious people, 

believe their team was cursed in 1945 when 

the stadium refused to admit a tavern proprietor 

named Billy Goat Sianis with his pet goat, Murphy. 

Oooookay. 

9 

STARRING 

LARENZ TATE 

NOEL G GUERILLA BLACK 

DRIVE. BLAST. RULE. 

Blood 

Strong Language 

Violence 

“…looks incredibly detailed and dynamic with 

relentless and over-the-top car acrobatics.” 

-1Up.com 

© 2005 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. 187 Ride or Die, Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered 

trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online play requires internet connection, Network Adaptor (for PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (8MB) (for PlayStation 2) (each sold separately). The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer 

Entertainment America Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, the Live logo, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. 

VIDEO GAME 

AVAILABLE 

SEPTEMBER 2005 

WWW.187GAME.COM

PREFiX 

ElEmENTS 

Just for you, fall’s most wanted accessories 

Chicago’s got it all, from handmade pins to crafty clutches 

the forgotten City dvd (Chicago graffiti documentary) 

($20) www.hotheadz.org, www.thenativesoul.com 

Pink jacket by gsus 

($187) Gsus is available at Untitled, 2705 N. Clark St., Chicago. 

www.g-sus.com 

heritage mirage ii shoe by Puma 

($85) Puma is available at the Puma Store, 1051 N. Rush St., Chicago. 

www.puma.com 

drinky Crow jack-in-the-box by tony millionaire 

($25) Available at Rotofugi, 1953 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. 

www.rotofugi.com 

Creature badges by happy owl glasswork 

($7 each) www.happyowlglass.com 

Wallace Whale clutch by Qylaar 

($25) www.qylaar.com, www.etsy.com 

($73) www.evil-eye-emporium.com 

Skull ring by Evil Eye Emporium 

the lonely dollop by Shawnimals 

($25) www.shawnimals.com 

midi Cuffs by Zelle 

($35-$45) www.zellestyle.com 

bird brooch from frauliebe 

($6.50) www.frauliebe.de 

($30) www.imperfectarticles.com 

Chicago t-shirt by john Parot 

Carlton shoe by gravis 

dC incase Skatebag 90$ 

www,dcshoes.com 

($85) Gravis is available at Sole, 2120 N. Halsted St., Chicago. 

www.gravisfootwear.com 

18 19

PREFiX 

20 

BlAzE oF gloRy 

Indie bands play torch songs 

for abandoned buildings 

Take one white-shingled bungalow, add the best indie rock names, then douse 

in gasoline and you get the blaze known as Burn To Shine (Trixie DVD, $12). The 

second in this DVD series–which originated January 25th of this year in Washington 

D.C.–finds producer Brendan Canty (of Fugazi fame) and filmmaker Christoph 

Green traveling to Chicago to film nine of the city’s bands–including Wilco, Shellac, 

Freakwater, Tortoise and The Ponys–rocking out in an about-to-be-demolished 

house. The bands turn in inspired performances in this temporal setting, and the 

crisp, clean footage gets turned into a 45-minute DVD. Included is footage of the 

Tight Phantomz banging out the classic rock-inflected “Ninja Talk,” Jeremy “The 

Lonesome Organist” Jacobsen doing his vaudevillian one-man show and, of course, 

elegiac shots of the house falling to the ground. Burn To Shine is hot shit, and a must 

for indie rock completists. Tyra Bangs 

Burn to Shine 02: Chicago is available through touch & go; Burn To Shine 03: Portland will be avail- 

able soon. www.trixiedvd.com 

Clockwise from top left: The 

Ponys performing live; Wilco 

on the steps of the condemned 

house; Freakwater performing 

live; Burn to Shine cover 

Edan The Shines, DJ, Boston Portland 

new 

hardcover 

Edtion 

9/17: Boston 

adidas Originals Store 

1270 Massachusetts Ave 

Cambridge, MA 

Where DJs Call Home 

XLR8R Magazine and adidas Originals are proud to announce the limited 

edition hardcover re-issue of Bedroom Rockers: Where DJs Call Home. 

Celebrate with us at our final two book release events: 

10/22: Berkeley 

adidas Originals Store 

2333 Telegraph Ave 

Berkeley, CA 

This limited edition book, featuring photography by Christopher Woodcock, 

is available for sale at all adidas Originals Stores and at adidas.com.

PREFiX 

22 

iT’S cRAFTy 

DEPART-ment is not your 

mother’s craft fair. 

The phrase “Midwestern art/craft fair” brings to 

mind an endless parade of stalls selling earnest, 

homely little items like plastic Southern belle 

dolls in crocheted hoopskirts. Not so dEPartment, 

the brainchild of Marshall Preheim and an 

equally dedicated squadron of volunteers. Any 

kind of handmade item can be submitted to this 

egalitarian, non-juried craft fair. Buyers can peruse 

ethically produced goods that are more likely to 

be found in the bag of someone on their way 

to an Animal Collective show than in grandma’s 

house. Volunteers set up on-site and market items 

BEAT hAppENiNg 

The City of Chicago brings the party to the public. 

Imagine legendary DJs spinning free of charge, outdoors, in the 

middle of a bustling metropolis. Last year, Chicago’s Department 

of Cultural Affairs made this utopia a reality. With a DJ series called 

Chicago Summerdance, the city invited big names like Bad Boy 

Bill, Derrick Carter and Frankie Knuckles to spin for capacity crowds 

every Wednesday for 10 weeks. Located in the tranquil Spirit of Music 

Garden right off of Michigan Avenue, this year’s series continued to 

showcase Chicago house and its rich history (Farley “Jackmaster” 

Funk, Marshall Jefferson, Ron Carroll) while also bringing in outof-town 

heavy-hitters like Superpitcher and Rich Medina. “There’s 

really no method to the madness–it’s just good DJs,” explains Brian 

Keigher, a program coordinator for the Department of Cultural Affairs. 

Though the crowd largely consists of club kids and DJs, Keigher says 

Summerdance also serves as a history lesson for the uninitiated. 

“Some older folks are like, ‘Oh, I listen to this at the gym. I didn’t 

realize that this was Chicago house music,’” he says. “I just want to 

educate the masses one step at a time and give some DJs a break 

and some recognition in their own backyard.” Max Herman 

www.cityofchicago.org/Culturalaffairs/Summerdance 

Chicago SummerDance 2004 

An aerial view of 

the DEPART-ment 

craft fair 

for a mere 10% of the sales–the craftspersons 

range from Chicago-based lines (including clothing 

designers Glean Design and greeting card makers 

Tennis Anyone?) to participants from as far away 

as Tokyo. So far, DEPART-ment is just a Chicago 

thing, but the crew is devising a computerized 

template that will allow this model to be duplicated 

anywhere by anyone with internet access. 

Meanwhile, we can all rest easier knowing that a 

backlash to Wal-Mart-style consumerism is well in 

effect. Morgan Harris 

www.depart-ment.com

PREFiX 

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and the Stylized M logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Offi ce. All other product or service names 

are the property of their respective owners. © Motorola, Inc. 2005. 

whiTE oR wRoNg? 

Exploring the new face of hip-hop 

Hip-hop journalist Bakari Kitwana’s latest book digs painstakingly deep into the relationship 

between race and hip-hop, encouraging honest dialogue in the process. Why 

White Kids Love Hip-Hop: Wankstas, Wiggers, Wannabes, and the New Reality 

of Race In America (hardcover; Basic Civitas Books, $23) may be academic in tone, 

but it’s surprisingly accessible. Kitwana draws upon the voices of various white hiphop 

listeners and even Hollywood comedies to help dismantle the ever-altering, and 

increasingly white face, of hip-hop’s fan base and to explore how this culture may be 

the last hope for our generation. XLR8R caught up with Kitwana to discuss his ambitious 

inquiries. Max Herman 

www.basiccivitasbooks.com 

When did you first notice that hip-hop was starting to infiltrate suburbia and 

white america? It’s been clear for close to a decade. I don’t think that it’s something 

new. What was [disconcerting] to me was that it wasn’t being discussed. It was 

almost like people were afraid to talk about it. 

Why is it especially crucial in 2005 to address it? Because it’s gotten so mainstream, 

and because you have so many media outlets weighing in on hip-hop who don’t really 

know the culture; we’re at a point where the power and the possibility for what it 

really means is gonna be lost if we don’t start talking about it. 

as hip-hop continues to globalize and everyone becomes welcome to participate, 

whose responsibility is it to remind future hip-hop fans of its foundation 

in the black experience? I think that it’s the responsibility of the listener. I think the 

listener has a responsibility to hip-hop to understand its cultural roots. One of the 

things that I see happening with hip-hop now and with this book is that hip-hop is 

forcing a different conversation about race among young people. It’s forcing young 

people to think about the origins of the country. 

MOTOFREEDOM 

TM 

RAZRWIRE 

Author Bakari Kitwana 

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wATch ThiS SpAcE 

Chicago’s groundbreaking Foundation Gallery goes west 

In 2003, curators Elizabeth Cline and Michael Coleman 

brought Chicago’s foundation gallery to life; their 

concept was to create a space for “artmaking within 

social environments that are often overlooked by the 

mainstream art community.” Cline’s on-target experience 

with the business side of running a gallery and 

Coleman’s years overseeing the graphic content of Punk 

Planet and Bail magazines combined with circumstances 

that “just made us think that we had this really good 

opportunity to really support cultures that we’ve been 

inspired by,” says Cline. Foundation’s expected street 

art focus is tempered by presenting a range of artists, 

from those with an established body of commercial 

work (Cody Hudson, Ben Loiz, Justin Fines/Demo) to 

a hidden cache of unsung fine art heroes like Chicagobased 

artist Jay Ryan, who Cline says is “part of the new 

wave of [venue] postermaking.” Cline and Coleman plan 

to continue repping Chicago’s finest young talent, even 

after they move the gallery to Los Angeles this month. 

By spring of next year, the to-be-determined space will 

be open for viewing art that “definitely has this youthful 

quality about it, but [is presented in an] atmosphere 

[that] makes people take it seriously.” Morgan Harris 

www.foundation-gallery.org 

Michael Coleman and Elizabeth Cline [Photo: Calbee Booth] 

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PREFiX 

SpiN 

cyclE 

News and gossip 

from the music world 

26 

1 

giant Step continues its 15-year anniversary celebrations by partnering 

with Ki-Bi to release the Ki-bi mobile content card; it will allow 

users to download exclusive ring tones and wallpapers, listen to music 

and win tickets to events. The technology, which is already popular in 

Europe, has not been used in the US yet. www.giantstep.net time 

out guides and Deaf Dumb & Blind Communications will launch The 

Other Side, a combination CD mixtape and DVD guide to the “other 

side” of cities around the world. The first round is out October 25, 

with The Other Side of New York featuring Fischerspooner, The Other 

Side of London featuring Damian Lazarus and The Other Side of Paris 

featuring Black Strobe. Acid house pioneer dj Pierre’s Afro Acid 

Project will pay homage to his roots while showing his innovative 

perspective on music today. “I am very excited about being head 

of my own label (DJP) and [to have] the opportunity to make my 

first full album due out in January,” said DJ Pierre. Dancehall singjay 

Sizzla, riding high on the charts with songs like “Ain’t Gonna See 

Us Fall” and “Dem Vex,” has signed with the damon dash music 

group (DDMG). Expect an early 2006 release from the veteran 

reggae artist. inertia records is readying two new albums from 

hefner and the Electones. Hefner’s release was recorded in Berlin, 

London and Vancouver and will feature frazey ford, lead singer of 

the Canadian rootsy/Americana band The Be Good Tanyas. This fall, 

German/American future jazz concern obliq Sound will release 

Grand Pianoramax’s “Freestyle Figures” 12” featuring remixes by 

atjazz and Yam Who? That’s followed by Obliqsound Remixes Vol. 

2 CD in February 2006 with the likes of Riton, Matthew Herbert, 

Waiwan, Domu and Nu Spirit Helsinki contributing. Dope Danish 

exports owusu & hannibal have a new Ubiquity 12” that’ll be turning 

heads and moving hips! “Delirium” and “Blue Jay” are already 

3 

4 

2 

getting serious nods on CD-r. Think Moodymann meets Steely Dan 

meets Scritti Politti meets J-Dilla meets Jorge Ben meets Spacek 

and you’re getting kinda close. roland’s got an awesome new 

battery-powered mini-sampler. The new SP-404’s sleek look is complimented 

by offering a CompactFlash slot, a built-in microphone for 

quick sampling sessions,12 large pads, three control knobs, jumbo 

display and 29 effects, including new Subsonic, BPM Looper and 

more. www.rolandusa.com gravis footwear is offering an exclusive 

collector’s edition shoe constructed from three original canvases 

painted by marok, delta and matt Sewell. Commissioned in 

February for Manchester’s contemporary streetwear tradeshow The 

Park, the three 2mx2m canvas panels were cut up to become part of 

the Comet Mid shoe. Only 36 shoes were made from each canvas. 

mhi has teamed up with the anti nazi league and its love music 

hate racism campaign to release a t-shirt for AW05, with proceeds 

going directly to the charity. The Anti Nazi League is dedicated to halting 

the growth of the British National Party (BNP) and other neo-Nazi 

groups such as the National Front and Combat 18. www.dpmhi.com 

danny rampling–remixer of everyone from Gypsy Kings to Erasure 

to Big Audio Dynamite–retires from DJing this New Year’s Eve and 

goes into the restaurant business, serving modern eclectic cuisine. 

No jokes about the food being “cheesy,” please. Be checking for the 

new douglas greed 12”, “Construction Time Again” (Combination). 

With remixes from Lopez and Robag Wruhme, it’s a sleazy techno 

gem! iPod users can now download the excellent future jazz/new 

music broadcast offtrack radioshow, hosted by Dirk Rumpff. 

In your iTunes program window go to the Advanced menu, click 

“Subscribe to podcast” and submit this url: feeds.feedburner.com/ 

Offtrack. RIP Robert Moog, the creator of the Moog synthesizer 

popular with everyone from Stereolab to ALR to Tangerine Dream 

died Sunday August 21 in Ashville, N.C. He was 71. 

1. Frazey Ford; 2. Sizzla; 3. SP-404; 

4. Erasure; 5. Damon Dash; 6. Anti 

Nazi League 

5 

6 

DON’T PANIC 

* Title on sale 9/13–10/10/05. Price may differ online @ virginmega.com. 

Savings based on manufacturer's suggested retail price. 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide 

to the Galaxy 

ON SALE 

NOW * 

Grab your towel (Trust Us) and head over to Virgin 

Megastore for the release of The Hitchhiker’s Guide 

to the Galaxy; a cosmic odyssey based on the best 

selling novel by Douglas Adams. 

Hollywood • Times Square • Union Square • San Francisco • Orlando Walt Disney ® World Resort • Chicago 

New Orleans • Denver • Miami • Sacramento • Costa Mesa • Ontario Mills • Arizona Mills • Orange 

Dallas Mockingbird Station • Dallas Grapevine Mills • Boston • Salt Lake City 

Cosmic Comedy. Part of The Complete Collection.

ChiCago RoCks! 

Words: Bettina richards illustration: chuck anderson/nopattern 

Some say Chicago is the Windy City. Okay, first things first–it is not 

windy. It is damn cold at times, but not windy. It was thusly named for 

the blowhard politicians who took up residence here in the late 1800s. 

Which is odd, since Chicago is known for being a city where people 

don’t sit around talking about what they’re going to do–they just do it. 

Rather than talk about what Chicago isn’t, how about what it is? 

Sprouting up from the seeds of early industry, the Midwest’s largest 

metropolis was fed and built by workers who came from near and far; 

its vast expanses of flat prairie allowed them to create numerous cities 

within the city. As I sit in Pilsen on the near Southside and write this, 

I’m surrounded by the wonders of Mexican culture: beautiful murals, 

amazing eats and, in the summer, wandering mariachis. Chicago also 

has the biggest Polish population next to Warsaw, meaning that later 

I can pick up some pierogi and drift over to the Baby Doll Polka 

Lounge, where the over-60 set kicks up fierce accordion dance music 

and the moves to go with it. 

In the early 1900s, the great African-American newspaper The Chicago 

Defender (the spark of the black empowerment movement) drew tons 

of opportunity seekers from the Deep South to Chicago; they brought 

with them legacies, recipes and music. Since the 1920s, the City of Big 

Shoulders has been famous for its great bluesmen and jazzmen, including 

AACM (Association for the Advancement of the Creative Musician) 

founder Fred Anderson and the mighty octogenarian Von Freeman. 

These two horn players have mentored the free jazz community for 

nearly 40 years. Like so many Chicagoans, they’re wood-shedders, working 

technique and tone while searching for a new sound. They’re not as 

focused on taking the music somewhere as about being willing to go where 

the music takes them 

Plenty of manufacturing goes on here–as you read this, workers at the 

Ferrara Pan candy company (started in 1908 by Italian immigrant Salvatore 

Ferrara) are breaking a sweat making Lemonheads and Red Hots. Plenty of 

industry has also moved away (bye, bye to most of the hog butchers!), meaning 

all the empty warehouses and industrial spaces not captured by loft/condo 

developers are ripe for artist studios, silk screening set-ups, starting record 

labels–and home to many a practice and performance space. Affordable space 

to live/play supports a vast number of labels and clubs and musicians here. 

The lower the overhead, the higher the creative risks you can take. 

After living in Chicago for 10 years, I have not yet run out of new areas 

to explore. Let’s go on a treasure hunt for all the Frank Lloyd Wright, 

Louis Sullivan and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe works. We could bike the 

path along the lake all the way to Milwaukee–a trip that changes with the 

seasons, presenting an expanse of frozen waves and frozen flags in the winter 

and a paradise of boaters and birds in the summer. Let’s take pictures 

of all the wonderful hand-painted signs on tire repair shops, barbershops 

and churches. Perhaps it is a sari you crave, a good curry or the delights of 

Ethiopia or Iran. Or we could hop on the El, throw back some soul food 

and explore a Southside village built as a worker’s utopia by the Pullman 

train car company. Then again, we could just play pinball and order up a 

Leinenkugel from one of the members of Tortoise or Wilco who bartend 

at the Rainbo. I’ll meet you at the corner of N. Damen and Division, okay? 

Bettina Richards 

Bettina Richards is the owner of Chicago indie powerhouse Thrill Jockey. www.thrilljockey.com 

28 29

PitChfoRk Media 

ryan schreiber leads the online music criticism movement. 

Words: cameron macdonald photo & illustration: chris eichenseer at someoddpilot, co. 

Ryan Schreiber claims that the worst traffic in Chicago is outside his Logan 

Square office. 

“It’s probably the worst intersection in the city for driving,” he explains. 

“It’s a huge circle and the lanes are splitting off in 20 different directions. 

Nobody has ever seen a huge traffic circle like it anywhere so no one really 

knows what to do.” 

Logan’s overly trafficked roundabout is an apt metaphor for the daily commotion 

of the record industry, especially since the internet blew a dam for 

music. And standing over that teeming circle with a fishing net is Schreiber’s 

online music zine, Pitchfork Media. Averaging 125,000 hits a day and with its 

critical influence rivaling that of many print music magazines, the 10-year-old 

site is quickly rising to the top of the music journalism pack. 

While indie rock is PFM’s staple, its writers also review hip-hop, jazz, 

funk, electronic and experimental music, along with running features on 

everything from the avant-garde nature of videogame sounds to the “lost 

generation” of late ‘90s bands that critics loved but nobody heard. Matmos’ 

Drew Daniel reviews singles, while XLR8R’s own Philip Sherburne writes a 

monthly column on techno. 

Boosters laud PFM for its writers’ honesty–reportedly causing some 

record shops to piously stock their recommendations. Haters accuse PFM of 

being elitists or hacks who mainly delight in watering art from the bladder. 

“I think the appeal of Pitchfork is that we’re not bullshitting anyone,” 

Schreiber says. “When we love an artist, we do the best we can to evangelize 

them, sing their praises and hopefully get them heard by people who might 

share our interest in them. And when we hate an artist or a record, we’re 

very blunt and forthcoming about that.” 

As for the future, Schreiber plans to bring PFM into internet radio, along 

with beefing up the site and organizing another large concert like last July’s 

successful Intonation Festival at Chicago’s Union Park. 

“I still feel completely optimistic about the state of music and where it’s 

headed,” Schreiber declares. “I mean, there’s a lot of great shit buried out 

there in history, but I’ve also heard a lot of it and don’t feel the need to 

pore over the same records a billion times for the sake of nostalgia or some 

sugar-coated fictionalization of a better time.” 

www.pitchforkmedia.com 

What’s youR favoRite ChiCago institution? Ryan Schreiber: Jazz Record Mart. It’s this twisted labyrinth of old jazz. 

30 

Pitchfork Media’s Ryan Schreiber

Pit eR Pat 

magic and mystery follow chicago’s rhythmic rock ingénues around. 

Words: ViVian host illustration: struggle inc. 

Pit er Pat’s music achieves a strange kind of 

alchemy. Their new album, Shakey–which follows 

last winter’s mostly instrumental “Emergency” EP 

(Overcoat)–pieces layers of bass, drums and keyboards 

into a skittering tableau that flits between 

post-rock, free jazz and indie rock influences 

without pledging allegiance to one. The effect is 

calming and frenetic at once, and at times somber, 

thanks to the plaintive vocals of keyboardist Fay 

Davis-Jeffers. How this bizarre rhythmic puzzle gels 

together is a mystery, but supernatural forces follow 

the band around, says bassist/vocalist Rob Doran. 

“We’re seeing so many weird hauntings and 

having different awesome experiences,” Doran 

explains when I track the band down on tour 

with Need New Body in Texas. Pit er Pat had 

already run into a tow truck driver talking about 

the fifth dimension and a strangely powerful 

museum docent when they had to stay overnight 

in a haunted motel room 130 miles outside 

of Albuquerque, New Mexico. “We rolled into 

this town Truth Or Consequences at three in 

the morning; none of the places had vacancies 

except for this one motel. Jamie from Need New 

Body took a shower in [his room] and then all 

of a sudden he was like ‘Guys come here!’ When 

you looked in the bathroom mirror it was totally 

fogged up, and the only thing you could see was 

your eyes glowing with rings around them. All 

three of us were looking in the mirror together 

and you could only see your own eyes–you 

couldn’t see the other people at all. It was far out.” 

The band surmises that they are more receptive 

to such surreal experiences than most adults, 

Pit er Pat: FayDavis-Jeffers, Rob Doran and Butchy Fuego 

and this openness, this childlike sense of unlimited 

possibility, is reflected in their work. And 

not just music–all three bandmembers also make 

visual art (from Doran’s printed materials and 

textiles to Davis-Jeffers’ drawings and drummer/ 

vocalist Butchy Fuego’s sound installations); they 

say the boundary between the two activities is, 

more often than not, a blurry one. 

More than anything, Pit er Pat is interested in 

immediacy, in being able to capture the feeling 

of an exact moment in time. Most of Shakey was 

written within a month of recording it, and the 

actual recording of the album only took six days. 

“Recording the song when it’s really fresh gives it 

kind of an urgency,” says Fuego. “It kind of comes 

out easier because you’re not overthinking it. 

www.piterpat.com, www.thrilljockey.com 

What’s youR favoRite ChiCago institution? Butchy: The AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians); Rob: The Mansion for 

Psychedelic Research and Day Spa; Fay: I don’t like institutions. 

32

Rik shaW 

this dragon dJ continues to sculpt his unique reggae party sound. 

Words: stacey dugan illustration: damon locks 

34 

Many people have tried to steal the Deadly 

Dragon Sound System name, and a few have 

succeeded. But DJ Rik Shaw wants to set the 

record straight. 

Rik Shaw, born Richard Warfield Smith, 

founded the DJ collective and dub night, 

Deadly Dragon Sound System, in 1993. Smith 

and four “compatriots”–John Herndon, 

Bundy K. Brown and Casey Rice of Tortoise, 

as well as a DJ by the name of Jeremy 

Freeman–hosted the weekly event at a shopworn 

Chicago venue called the Empty Bottle, 

playing a unique blend of reggae classics, 

dancehall hits, jungle and hip-hop. 

When Tortoise began demanding more of 

Herndon, Brown and Rice in 1998, the collective 

disbanded. Smith continued selecting 

on the Chicago circuit, holding well-attended 

residencies at some of the city’s most esteemed 

nightclubs. But Freeman moved to New York 

City, where he continued to play under the 

Deadly Dragon moniker without Smith’s 

permission. Now, to Smith’s dismay, Freeman 

runs a Deadly Dragon website and record 

store, although he’s not the first to co-opt the 

name for his own purposes. 

“Shit’s gotten surreal,” says Smith. “I’ve 

walked into clothing [boutiques] and seen 

Deadly Dragon jackets and clothing that I’m 

not making a cent off. I think what people 

really want is the Deadly Dragon vibe and 

that’s something I hold way too tight for anyone 

to have.” 

Seated in the corner of his studio amid milk 

crates and shoeboxes overflowing with rare 

45s and LPs, it is clear that Shaw has a lifelong 

What’s youR favoRite ChiCago institution? Rik Shaw: The institute of dubology. 

romance with the reggae, and he’s intent on 

sharing his impeccable tastes with the masses. 

“In the States, because of hip-hop culture, 

there’s a lot of stigma placed on turntables 

and turntablism,” says Smith. “[People] expect 

you to scratch or cut, because they watch 

MTV and this is what’s projected to them. 

But [I’ve been to parties where] one dreadlock 

with one turntable and a microphone is 

just mashing it up—mashing the whole room 

up. For me it’s purely about the vibe, which 

is something you’re sculpting out of nothing. 

Every time I DJ I feel like I have to approach 

it in a different way, and I don’t want to 

repeat myself. I have enough records that I 

don’t have to do that.” 

Catch Rik Shaw weekly Sundays at Tomohawk at Sonotheque 

in Chicago.

BlaCk MagiC 

shellac spokesman and rock super-producer steve albini recalls Big Black’s 

incendiary chicago era. 

Words: cameron macdonald photo & illustration: chris eichenseer at someoddpilot, co. 

If ‘80s punk was about finding nothing sacred and everything profane, Chicago’s Big Black was it. Steve Albini and Santiago 

Durango’s guitar swordplay imitated the symphonies of the city’s meatpacking houses, while bassist Dave Riley broke bones with 

each pluck. Their heartbeat was inhuman, with the locked rhythms of Roland drum machines igniting each salvo. And what 

really punctured the skin was Albini. His verses were snapshots of the Middle American wasteland: a bored slacker igniting himself 

for kicks, a dog trained to attack blacks, a Minnesota town running a child sex ring. 

After the band ended in ’87, Albini went on to form Shellac and to become one of rock’s great studio engineers, leaving his 

fingerprints on records by Nirvana, PJ Harvey, The Pixies and countless other bands. XLR8R recently spoke to Albini about the 

Big Black era in Chicago and their 1986 classic Atomizer. 

Did Big Black start as a reaction against what was happening in the 

Chicago rock scene? 

It was more a reaction against the softer, less challenging elements 

of the post-punk environment (REM, The Replacements, the beginnings 

of the disco/dance music, etc). It was also a reaction against 

the conformity and simplicity–especially the simplicity of ideas–in 

the hardcore scene, which had become hidebound and irrelevant in 

a very short period of time. 

Please describe the Chicago rock scene when BB started. I read 

that Naked Raygun blew you away. 

Naked Raygun was one of a few bands (not just in Chicago, but 

anywhere) that defied easy comprehension. They were cryptic and 

aggressive and stylish and perverse and funny and powerful. Their 

music didn’t seem to be “received,” in the sense that it sounded like 

they brewed it up themselves, rather than taking it from somewhere 

else. I felt less compelled by their music once it crystallized into a 

“style,” but early on they were awesome. 

As for other influences, I’ve read that they were heavily post-punk 

(Gang of Four, Wire, The Pop Group). What were the main ideas 

you drew from them for Big Black? 

I appreciated the abstraction they all used, and the distinct personalities 

implied by each unique sound. They all seemed to be out on 

a limb, and there was nothing conventionally “pretty” about any of 

them. I admired that, as a retreat into prettiness (conventionalism, I 

guess) is the first sign of failed ideas. 

I read that when BB started, you walked around the Northwestern 

campus listening to a drum machine on headphones. Out of curiosity, 

what were the rhythms you played? 

I was just using the machine in place of a Walkman, which I couldn’t 

afford at the time. I appreciated the drum machine as a unique instrument. 

It has a capacity for things that people playing the drums can’t 

do: uncomfortably slow or fast tempos and intricate rhythms, for 

example. I am sad to say that the instrument never got its due, and it 

was seldom used elsewhere as anything other than a metronome or 

drummer mimic. That’s a shame. 

Looking back, what mark do you believe that the band made on 

Chicago’s indie rock scene? 

We were part of an explosive era of growth, and I think that era is 

more important than any individual band. Specific to Big Black, I’d 

say we were very good at keeping our band’s efforts under our own 

control. We operated cheaply and efficiently, so we made money, 

and we had a self-sufficiency that many bands at the time thought 

was impossible. The DiY ethic was proving itself to be a tool for a 

viable, thriving counterculture, and we were part of it. 

Any regrets? 

I regret being duped by all the brouhaha around the Jordan Minnesota 

case, and I regret writing a song (“Jordan, Minnesota”) about it. I 

bought into the conventional news media coverage like everyone else, 

and I was wrong. I feel quite foolish (gullible is probably a better word) 

for believing that there could be a large child sex ring in a small town. I 

wish I had seen through the obvious bullshit the prosecutor was laying 

down. And I hope she roasts in whatever there is for hell these days. 

What stage do you believe the band’s sound evolved into during the 

Atomizer era? The record is somewhat sandwiched between hardcore 

punk’s fascination with old-school metal and the emergence of what 

many would deem “college rock.” 

We were determined not to sound like anyone else. Early on, Big 

Black incorporated my fanboy mimicry of some of my heroes 

(Stranglers, The Cure, Gang of Four, Killing Joke, Wire, Public 

Image Ltd), but by the time Atomizer came around, we had developed 

our own vocabulary and we were pretty confident. 

After Atomizer was released, what direction did the band go? 

We were on a trajectory, and I think we were about at the natural end 

of it when we recorded our last album. The only thing that bothered 

me toward the end of the band was that we had picked up a few 

hitchhiker fans that weren’t there for the same reasons as us. In the 

beginning, anybody at one of our shows was someone I would invite 

into my house. I felt like the band and the audiences were basically 

the same kind of people. Toward the end, I felt that less and less. 

There were people at our shows who were there for conventional 

entertainment reasons, and I was put off by that. I thought the distinction 

between what we were doing and “entertainment” was obvious, 

and I was disappointed that it could be missed. 

Do you believe that Big Black could be end up as a retro favorite? 

Christ in a basket, I hope not. Please smother me in my sleep if that 

ever happens. 

Big Black’s catalog is available on Touch & Go. www.tgrec.com 

A full transcript of this interview is available at www.xlr8r.com 

36 37

syndRoMe 

luke cho and adam rajcevich have the cure for what ails your wardrobe. 

Words: morgan harris 

I’ve spent more weekends than I’d like to admit aimlessly wandering city 

streets, searching for the item that will both affirm my connection to and 

set me apart from the masses. It’s part of the culture of the urban hunter/ 

gatherer; it’s as significant, in its own way, as whittling fertility figurines of 

soapstone may have once been. 

Certain brands, once discovered, can keep you forever one-upping your 

friends in the cool clothing department–Syndrome is one of them. Since 

2001, the Chicago-based line has been making inroads in an industry 

dominated by the two coasts, shocking underground fashion heads with 

eye-catching graphics and close attention to fit and cut. The finished products 

subtly speak of a commitment to keeping tongue firmly in cheek, be it 

through smirking slogans (tees have read “I Love You In A Real Bad Way” 

and “Air. Help Yourself ”) or color palettes chosen according to instincts 

rather than trend reports. 

Syndrome founder Luke Cho and his right-hand man Adam Rajcevich 

have a full-on, vertically integrated studio set up in the River West neigh- 

borhood; they’re able to do everything from custom mixing screenprint colors 

to cutting and sewing garments from scratch. “It seems like we import 

everything these days,” says Cho, a staunch believer in doing it yourself. “I 

think it’s time to look for the ‘Made in the USA’ label and help our domestic 

economy.” To that end, Syndrome’s recent collections have used world-class 

Chicago designers including Creative Rescue Organization’s Ray Noland, 

Kelly Marie Breslin (Melk) and Cody Hudson. 

Even with distribution in more than 100 stores worldwide and a women’s 

line on the way, Syndrome is still somewhat under the radar. But Rajcevich 

says he prefers a slow build to a meteoric rise: “We’ve been able to do really 

well [that way], whereas some brands come in real fast and die out real 

hard,” he explains. 

www.syndrome.us 

What’s youR favoRite ChiCago institution? Luke Cho: Untitled clothing store (I’m a part-owner) and Gramaphone Records. 

dante CaRfagna 

a 45 collector keeps funk alive with a magic touch. 

Words: patrick sisson photo: mireya acierto 

Dante Carfagna (right) with Sheer Magic’s Courtland Green 

A dimly lit bar tucked into a Chicago side street, 

Danny’s Tavern normally draws a laid-back bohemian 

crowd. But on the first Wednesday of each 

month, Dante Carfagna and the Sheer Magic 

crew dust off some old vinyl and create a bassheavy, 

funk-fueled ruckus. 

“I’ve never considered myself a DJ,” says the 

modest-to-a-fault Carfagna. “I have some interesting 

records that people want to hear, so I’m 

a DJ by default.” Yet his sets aren’t your average 

musical history lessons. Carfagna could be called 

the Indiana Jones of vinyl archeology due to the 

amount of rare funk and soul records he’s rescued 

from obscurity. 

The Sheer Magic nights–started in Kansas City 

by Carfagna’s friend Courtland Green before 

both of them moved up to Chicago–provide the 

public with a chance to sample some of the gems 

of Carfagna’s massive collection. Though many 

may boast it, Sheer Magic really does play stuff 

that won’t be heard anywhere else. 

In addition to the typical record collector 

m.o. of scouting record fairs and gabbing with 

other music fans, Carfagna’s passion has gotten 

him involved in almost every aspect of recorded 

music–he’s a guest editor for collecting bible Wax 

Poetics, he’s released instrumental hip-hop under 

the Express Rising moniker and he’s helped 

put together reissue albums for labels like the 

Quannum-affiliated Cali-Tex. Currently, he’s in 

the process of assembling a massive book about 

funk 45s with fellow record fetishist Josh Davis, 

better known as DJ Shadow. “Josh and I discussed 

the fact that some would consider this task a 

What is youR favoRite ChiCago institution? Dante Carfagna: Steve Batinich, owner of the Record Dugout. 

lifetime’s work,” said Carfagna, “and here we are 

trying to fit it into our normal schedules.” 

Born in 1974 in Columbus, Ohio, Carfagna 

started feeding his crate-digging habit as a kid 

with money he made delivering newspapers. By 

the time he was a teenager and living in Miami, 

he was spinning obscure, rarified records. One 

day, Public Enemy’s Professor Griff happened to 

be walking by the apartment building Carfagna 

was living in, and Griff was so intrigued by the 

music Carfagna was playing that he had to knock 

on the door to discover what they were (two Ruth 

Copeland LPs). 

“It was not a snake charmer moment, though 

I’d like to think of it that way,” says Carfagna. 

www.ohiosoulrecordings.com 

38 39

PeliCan 

chicago band pelican marches heavy metal into the new millennium. 

Words: stacey dugan 

Lets get this out of the way: Pelican is a heavy 

metal band without a singer. 

This has prompted journalists to create clever 

labels like “instrumetal” to describe them–and 

while such words aptly acknowledge broad 

themes in the music, they overlook the unique 

and defining characteristics of this band. 

Pelican does subscribe to the high-decibel, 

aggressive performance ethos of the heavy metal 

canon, but the band members also concern themselves 

with structural concepts atypical to much 

contemporary music in general–like orchestral 

composition. The band’s two lead guitarists 

(Laurent Lebec and Trevor de Brauw) employ 

varied harmonic techniques, while the group’s 

non-standard song structure yields 10-minute 

tracks that are astoundingly intricate tapestries of 

sound. 

What’s youR favoRite ChiCago institution? Laurent Lebec: The lake. 

40 

But in the beginning Pelican was just a grindcore 

band, only it went by the name of Tusk. 

Lebec, de Brauw and drummer Larry Herweg 

met in 1996, while Lebec was an undergrad at 

Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. All 

three were involved in the punk and hardcore 

scene and had similar influences, so it wasn’t 

long before Tusk was born. Independently, Lebec 

began writing acoustic songs of a very different 

nature, and although his bandmates showed 

enthusiasm for the new music, it didn’t really fit 

with Tusk’s style. So they formed a new band, 

Pelican, and invited Herweg’s brother Bryan to 

join them as their bassist. 

“At first I think that there was definitely an 

affinity with Isis and bands that are heavier but 

slower and have a more plodding nature to 

them,” Lebec says. “I think that as time went by 

Pelican: Trevor DeBrauw, Larry Herweg, Bryan Herweg and Laurent Lebec 

we ended up going further back in time for the 

inspiration that’s moving us now.” 

Now, with the release of their second fulllength, 

The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw 

(Hydra Head)–which is not as categorically heavy 

as their 2003 debut, Australasia–Pelican is steadily 

accruing a base of fans from across music genres. 

“We noticed right away, even playing in 

Chicago, that a really wide variety of people were 

coming–it wasn’t all metal heads,” says Lebec, 

happy that Pelican has avoided being pigeonholed. 

“Now that people have so many options 

for downloading music you’re really aware, as 

a band, that how you get categorized really has 

a repercussion on how your music will be interpreted 

by people who aren’t familiar with it. 

Especially as an instrumental band.” 

www.hydrahead.com 

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MaRC hellneR 

pulseprogramming’s heartbeat goes solo. 

Words: mark pytlik 

What’s youR favoRite ChiCago institution? Mark Hellner: Millenium Park. It’s a big beautiful park 

in the middle of downtown on the lake, with a pavilion designed by Frank Gehry. 

Few North American cities can cop to having a 

musical support system like Chicago’s. Just ask 

Marc Hellner, a wandering solo artist who’s made a 

career out of collaborating with the city’s numerous 

fireflies. Formerly of L’Altra, and one of the founding 

members of the waylaid Pulseprogramming, 

Hellner’s currently preparing for the release of his 

new full-length Marriages (Peacefrog), which–despite 

being a solo record–relies heavily on collaborations 

with members of bands like Tortoise and Telefon 

Tel Aviv. “There’s a lot of musicians on it from the 

jazz scene around here,” he says. “It’s a little more 

composition-oriented. I wrote string arrangements, 

so it’s much more live and string-oriented, but 

there’s a lot of programming and processing as 

well. If you’re familiar with the Pulse stuff, you’ll 

hear a bit of that in it.” 

Indeed, Marriages might be the closest we get to 

a proper Pulseprogramming follow-up for quite 

some time. Although the Aesthetics label is releasing 

a remix record (with contributions from Nudge, 

Laub and Ghislain Poirer) this month, Hellner says 

the multimedia collective has been on hold for a 

couple of years now with no immediate reunion 

in sight. “We’re not completely finished but we’re 

not working together, and we haven’t since [2003’s] 

Tulsa For One Second,” he says. “Everyone’s doing 

their own thing. It was a collaborative group and 

my own work kind of took over.” 

In keeping with his contemporaries’ herculean 

output levels, Hellner’s got a number of other 

plates in the air. In addition to assembling a touring 

band for an imminent Marriages tour, he’s 

recording with a local classical pianist, engineering 

a solo album for L’Altra’s Lindsay Anderson 

and working on another solo record of contemporary 

classical string music. It’s an energy and 

work ethic that the former Oregonian attributes 

to his current surroundings. “Oregon is really 

beautiful, but it’s a bit sleepy and hard to get 

things done. In Chicago, there’s a wide-ranging, 

hard-working array of musicians and talent and 

labels. It’s really unique in that you can just ask 

people to play and they’ll play. It’s not competitive 

like other cities can be.” 

www.peacefrog.com, www.aesthetics-usa.com 

konCePt and MeiotiC 

two promoters make sure techno has a home in house city. 

Words: tomas palermo photo: auBrey edWards 

Marc Martin (middle left) and George Moreira (middle right) with friends Albert and Matthew 

Frankie Knuckles and Marshall Jefferson. Green 

Velvet and DJ Heather. Trax and Dust Traxx. If 

you like electronic music and didn’t know that 

Chicago is House City you’ve been living under 

a rock or had amnesia for the past 20 years. But 

Ol’ Mama Disco begat two children to the modern 

dance era: house and techno. While the latter 

is more commonly associated with the city of 

Detroit, the entire Midwest shares a passion for 

pounding drums, and Chi-town is no exception. 

For the past six years, two Windy City club production 

pillars have made sure the techno scene 

is properly represented: Koncept Promo’s George 

Moreira and Meiotic’s Marc Martin. But how easy 

is it to promote techno in such a house- and hiphop-dominated 

city? “We have a very strong, loyal 

fan base,” says Moreira. “That’s something we’re 

very grateful for.” Martin concurs: “[Compared] 

to the respective scenes throughout the United 

States, [it’s not out of line to say] that Chicago’s got 

one of the strongest communities Stateside.” 

The communal strength is reflected in Koncept 

and Meiotic’s close working relationship. The two 

run the bi-monthly Your Formula Life event at 

Tini Martini, which has featured DJs like Todd 

Sines, DJ Shift and bootymaster DJ Funk. And 

the word has spread far and wide. “We have kids 

regularly coming in from Iowa, Wisconsin and 

Detroit to check out our events,” beams Moreira. 

“It does seem like more electronic music 

enthusiasts–be it house, IDM or even the new 

dance rock kids–are discovering techno/house 

tracks,” says Martin of the music’s expanding fanbase. 

“People are finding out that these Kompakt, 

Perlon, Playhouse, Spectral and UR tracks are 

beautiful…I love that!” 

Koncept and Meiotic’s strong community has 

also helped them weather the ups and downs of 

nightlife–from The Station fire disaster in February 

2003 that killed 21 people to 9/11’s effects on booking 

DJs to more mundane things. “We booked 

amazing three-deck DJ Cristian Varela from Spain 

[and he] became friendly with the club’s attractive 

bartender, who challenged him to keep up with her 

in the shot department,” relates Moreira. “When 

it was his turn to get on the decks, he played three 

records, [threw up] and proceeded to fall in and 

out of consciousness. We laughed about it after, but 

quite a few fans were left disappointed.” 

The disappointment doesn’t seem to last long 

with their audiences. “Our crowd is so damn supportive,” 

explains Martin. “It’s [that] Midwestern 

soul–Chicago gets down!” 

www.konceptpromo.com, www.meioticpromotions.com 

What’s youR favoRite ChiCago institution? George Moreira: Barney’s one-stop, Ray Barney’s record store and the headquarters for his legendary 

label, Dance Mania.; Marc Martin: Chicago loft parties and Harold’s Chicken Shack. 

42 43

chocolate industries 

off-kilter rhythms find kindred spirits at label owner seven’s eclectic imprint. 

words: mark pyTlik 

IDM kids think of Chocolate Industries as one of 

glitch-hop’s first homes, indie hip-hop heads rate it 

for bridging the styles between Warp and Def Jux 

and crate diggers know it as the label that recently 

reissued McNeal & Niles’ 1979 pearl, Thrust. But 

ask CI founder Seven for the parameters of his 

label and he’ll come up one buzz phrase short. “I 

think at one point people were able to link what 

was on the label aesthetically,” he says. “But for me 

now, I guess it’s all linked by emotion.” 

Glitch-hop, hip-hop, digital soul, dusty 

groove–over the course of Chocolate’s six-plus 

years, Seven’s touched ‘em all. Spun out of Miami 

imprint Schematic Records in 1998 and relocated 

to Chicago late the following year, Chocolate 

insinuated itself into backpacks everywhere with 

An old Polaroid from the Chocolate Industries vaults. Seven had just had belts custom-made for himself and arstists on the label. 

instrumental electronic music from outfits like East 

Flatbush Project and Push Button Objects and the 

digitally contoured hip-hop of Chicago rhymesayer 

Diverse and the Urban Renewal Program series. 

But for every straight-up electronic or hip-hop 

record in its discography, there’s another that’s 

more difficult to categorize, like Caural’s organic, 

post-rocky clatter, Via Tania’s refracted nu-soul 

or Ghislain Poirier’s off-kilter, syncopated cut-up 

act. In the course of cataloguing Seven’s passions, 

sometimes the label even taps into something bigger. 

“The Neptunes’ production now is kinda no 

different than what we were doing back [in 2001],” 

he observes. “It’s just more geared towards the 

commercial [market]. That said, there are a lot 

of people that were making an identical kind of 

music in different parts of the country that we 

never knew about. Three Six Mafia was doing shit 

in ‘94 that Prefuse is doing now!” 

With a new label manager affording him the 

opportunity to focus solely on the creative side of 

the business, Seven is working on a project with 

London’s Lady Sovereign and prepping new releases 

from Diverse, Poirer, Tania, Scott Herren (as 

Piano Overlord) and Cannibal Ox alum Vast Aire. 

Also in the works, alongside fellow Chicagoan Dante 

Carfagna, is Personal Space, a collection of black 

electronic music from the ‘60s and ‘70s. “It’s urban 

archeology,” he says. “No one even knows about it. 

Some of it sounds like Aphex Twin could’ve made 

it, some of it sounds like Andre 3000.” 

www.chocolateindustries.com 

cody hudson 

This prolific artist creates things that make you go hmmm. 

words: Ben Fasman phoTo: chris eichenseer aT someoddpiloT, co. 

In the ever-growing pool of “street” artists making names for themselves, 

it’s hard to stay ahead of the curve. It’s even harder when 

you’re not on either coast. “I like the fact that things here are a 

bit slower paced and everything isn’t so overhyped,” says Midwest 

design champion Cody Hudson. “Chicago allows me to focus more 

on the work and less on all the social scene stuff that surrounds us.” 

Focused is just what Hudson’s hustle has become. With his ubiquitous 

design company, Struggle Inc., Cody continues to work for 

Chocolate Industries (he’s the unofficial art director of the Chicago 

label) and is currently designing a series of books for graffiti magazine 

12 Oz. Prophet, all the while churning out hot graphics for 

Burton, Gravis and a host of others. More importantly, this past 

year has seen Hudson’s painting career take off with solo shows in 

Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York and one in Paris scheduled 

for November. 

In terms of both his design and personal work, you’re as likely to 

find him influenced by BDP and Ghostface as Milton Glaser or Paul 

Rand. “As far as music, if you look deep, what I’ve been listening 

to always translates into the painting,” he asserts. “It’s almost like a 

form of sampling because a lot of the stuff I do is based off of music 

lyrics or song titles. I like taking an interpretation of a lyric or a lyric 

[itself] and changing the context and putting it on a piece of art and 

having people wonder, ‘What is that from?’ or ‘What is he trying to 

say?’ and it’ll all go back to that song.” Whether it’s a quote from a 

song, an arched swath of color cutting across a wooden canvas, or 

a hilarious conversation between between talking bottles, Hudson’s 

work always manages to draw some sort of emotional reaction, while 

simultaneously being visually appealing to even the most shrewd 

design heads. 

“I think people appreciate that the work is coming from here 

so they want to support it,” says Hudson of the art coming out of 

Chicago right now. According to the trajectory of his career, he may 

just be the living proof of that. 

www.struggleinc.com 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Seven: Humble Park. It represents every place I’ve grown up. Living in the Bronx, Haiti and Miami, I 

always grew up around Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Haitians, Jamaicans–it’s good to be in a neighborhood where that’s around you. What’s your favorite chicago institution? Cody Hudson: Hip-house, hot dogs and Old Style beer. 

44 45

sonotheque 

This chicago club boasts more than just a monster soundsystem. 

words: Joshua p. Ferguson phoTo: maTThew Taplinger 

46 

It doesn’t take long to realize that Joe Bryl is a 

seasoned veteran of the Chicago music scene. 

Having divvied up the last 25 years working 

with many of Chicago’s premier night spots, 

he now has a new home at Sonotheque, a 

Chicago lounge that boasts line-ups as diverse 

as Lady Sovereign, Marcus Intalex and DJ 

Spinna in the same weekend. 

The brainchild of Bryl and partners Donnie 

Madia and Terry Alexander, the now threeyear-old 

venue was born out of a desire to 

have more control over a club of their own. 

“We did the [construction of the space] 

according to our needs, which were to make 

it a great place for listening…[and to have 

something] that reflected our own aesthetics,” 

explains Bryl. “It’s a really great sounding 

room, and most DJs who come here are really 

amazed at how much thought and effort has 

gone into the process.” 

Sonotheque’s formula is a fluid one, equal 

parts musical ingenuity and positive vibrations 

at a reasonable price. “It’s an ongoing project,” 

explains Bryl of the space and its programming. 

“Before it had more of a Straight 

No Chaser-magazine vibe, and there were only 

six or seven DJs or collaborators. It’s transformed 

from that into a space that has 25 different 

events a month.” 

Sonotheque’s diverse amalgam of sound 

ranges from DJ Rik Shaw’s Jamaican music 

night Cool & Deadly Digital to Bombay Beat 

Box, an Asian and world music night sponsored 

by Six Degrees Records. Bass By The 

Pound drops drum & bass there, Chicago 

DJs Ron Trent and Anthony Nicholson throw 

down house vibrations and internationallyknown 

names like Aesop Rock, Diplo, DJ 

Premier, Kyoto Jazz Massive and Quantic have 

all graced the stage. Bryl says the vibe of the 

venue has just as much to do with the artists 

who roll through as it does the lights, sound 

and décor. “There are always those types of 

people who we work with locally and globally 

who give accent to what we’re doing here,” he 

declares. 

www.sonotheque.net 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Joe Bryl: Joe Shanahan over at The Metro because he’s been doing it for 25 years, and I’ve 

always been impressed with the people at the Green Mill.

lumpen 

an arts agitator goes to work for america’s ignored proles. 

words: scoTT Thill 

Some people turn off the television in disgust, 

bitch about it for hours on end, then turn it 

right back on again. Ed Marszewski, the mover 

behind the Lumpen Media Group’s outstanding 

muckraking, does something about it. For 

15 years solid, Lumpen has dedicated itself to 

speaking truth to power, and it’s armed itself with 

a variety of imaginative ways to do it, including 

the long-running magazine of the same name, 

a gripload of video and art festivals, DVD and 

CD compilations from its own Lumptronic label 

and much more. The Lumpen faithful are antsy 

activists, and they’re not afraid to call bullshit on 

what they see as a world crawling slowly toward 

conformity. 

“We believe what A.J. Liebling said, ‘Freedom 

of the press belongs to those who own one,’” 

explains Marszewski. “And it’s a good thing we 

do–we’re using it to defeat mediocrity in all of its 

forms while celebrating the vibrancy of emerging 

cultures. Our projects seek to widen the discourse 

and explore new cultural forms.” 

They’ve done that specifically by launching 

some of the city’s most compelling thoughtswaps, 

including the Select Media and Version 

Convergence festivals–the former interrogates the 

interdisciplinary uses (and abuses) of technology, 

while the latter promotes the work of local media 

artists not yet immortalized in Chicago’s Museum 

of Contemporary Art. 

More importantly, Lumpen has planted their 

progressive flag in the community by creating 

the aptly named cultural center Buddy (although 

the name is scheduled for a change). The facility, 

located on N. Milwaukee Avenue, is equal parts 

gallery, social space and party central for the 

various artists and activists who meet there. All 

of which brings new meaning to Carl Sandburg’s 

City of Big Shoulders. 

“Chicago is the best place to be 10 years ago 

and right now,” enthuses Marszewski. “The countercultures 

are thriving, and the attitude and 

generosity of its inhabitants keeps us endlessly 

charged, inspired and active. Our goal is to highlight 

the real shit happening in town and abroad, 

and reject the corporate hype and propaganda 

machines defining culture for us.” 

www.lumpen.com 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Ed Marszewski: Highschool, Heaven gallery and Buddy–three spaces that are connected physically to each 

other. Without this configuration I would never have been able to do those aforementioned festivals. 

danny the Wildchild & phantom 45 

serious d&b dJs who don’t take themselves too seriously. 

words: ViVian hosT phoTo: mireya acierTo 

Danny the Wildchild and Phantom 45 

Phantom 45 (Brian Sarpalius) and Danny The Wildchild (Daniel Garcia) are 

both in love with Maxwell Street Polish. “It’s our equivalent to Philly’s cheesesteak 

spots like Pat’s and Geno’s,” explains Danny of the sausage stand. “It’s all 

outdoors. People are there at five or six in the morning, eating on top of their 

cars.” It’s not surprising the pair frequent Maxwell’s–it espouses many of the 

values they hold dear: it’s unpretentious, it’s fun and it stays up all night long. 

Phantom and Danny have been nearly inseparable since they met in 1992 

at Hot Jams. Phantom, who was doing the ordering for the record store, 

turned Danny, an avid turntablist, onto the breakbeat hardcore sounds 

coming from UK acts like Acen and 2 Bad Mice–both were instantly smitten 

by the so-called ‘ardkore sound (drum & bass’s predecessor). When the 

Chicago drum & bass scene blew up in 1994–with warehouse parties like 

Ripe drawing 2,000 to 4,000 champagne-swilling, lighter-waving ravers per 

weekend–Danny and Phantom were playing nearly every event. 

Though US rave fever has cooled considerably, the duo still plays around 

the country regularly. Their styles complement each other–both play dance- 

floor-ready tracks from the likes of True Playaz and Ram Records, but where 

Phantom goes with smooth, house-style mixing, Danny layers fierce scratch 

routines over the beats. “You see DJs and they’re a dime a dozen,” declares 

Danny. “They’re smoking a cigarette, talking to someone in the booth–it’s really 

not exciting. Even if there’s a little string breakdown, I tend to add scratches to 

it to let [the crowd] know that I’m behind the decks and I’m ready.” 

Those who know Phantom and Danny know that mixing is about the 

only thing they take seriously. Phantom is known for his Southside Chicago 

pride and his fondness for Mexican beer, while Danny’s famous for his easy 

laugh and his fondness for the sticky greens. 

Not surprisingly, these jokesters say that they have never had a fight 

with each other; in fact, they’ve learned a lot from hanging out. “Brian has 

taught me how to have fun on the road,” says Danny. “From Danny, I’ve 

learned that you should put a towel underneath the hotel door if you’re 

going to be smoking,” adds Brian. “And also a shower cap goes right over 

the smoke detector.” 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Danny The Wildchild: Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox. Phantom 45: Maxwell Street Polish, right 

off the Kennedy Expressway; 24 hours a day Polish sausage and pork chop sandwiches. 

48 49

africa hi-fi 

ron Trent’s afrobeat monthly seeks to educate and elevate. 

words: Joshua p. Ferguson illusTraTion: ray noland 

50 

Ron Trent recently relocated back to his 

hometown of Chicago after absorbing the New 

York City music scene for the past several 

years. Upon his return, Trent immediately 

set to the task of applying the Big Apple’s 

enthusiasm to a club night of his own. “My 

whole thing was to come back to Chicago and 

bring that energy back home,” explains Trent. 

With the help of his partner, the beautiful and 

entrepreneurial Sonia Hassan, Trent created 

Africa Hi-Fi, a third-Friday-of-the-month party 

that explores African-influenced dance music. 

While African music became more visible 

after Fela Kuti’s passing, Hassan stresses that 

Africa Hi-Fi is not just an Afrobeat party. “The 

concept of the night is that we pay respect to 

Africa as a mother, we pay respect to Africa as 

a culture and an influence to music in general,” 

she says. 

In addition to raising funds for Next Aid, 

an AIDS orphan charity operating in South 

Africa, Africa Hi-Fi’s purpose is to bring conscious 

people together: “We’re using music 

to build consciousness from a visible aspect 

as well as an audible aspect,” says Trent. 

“Make them feel good, leave an impression 

and while you have their attention give ’em a 

little education.” Hassan adds: “We’re bringing 

together house heads, hip-hop heads, jazz 

heads, whatever. Being able to bring all those 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Ron Trent: My home and my records. 

people together, all races, all ages too–we have 

a range from, like, 21-year-olds to people 50- 

55 and that’s beautiful. How wonderful is it 

that you can have a 21-year-old and a 70-year 

old together listening to the same music and 

enjoying it and vibing off it together? When 

these people come and they realize that they 

can be in the same room together and enjoy 

the same things together it breaches the spectrum 

of race, religion and identity–it speaks 

more than just music.” 

“We’re building our own world basically,” 

Trent reckons. And what a sweet world it is. 

www.prescriptionworld.org

pump it, Work it 

dJ Funk talks about ghetto house…and super coochie. 

words: ViVian hosT phoTo: auBrey edwards 

Before ghetto tech and Lil’ Jon and juke, there was ghetto house. Originating on the predominately black Westside and 

Southside of Chicago, the music jacked house, added even lower 808s and 909s to it, then commanded the dancefloor to “Pump 

it,” “Work it” and other, dirtier things. DJ Funk (born Charles Chambers) has been at the center of this maelstrom since day 

one, releasing for Dance Mania and his own Funk Records imprint. His music–along with that of cohorts like Deeon, Sluggo 

and Milton– spread like a virus from booty clubs to Midwest raves, and eventually overseas, with Basement Jaxx commissioning 

remixes and European promoters knocking at the door. We recently tracked down the elusive DJ Funk and asked him to tell us 

a ghetto house story. 

www.djfunk.net 

“[I grew up] on the Westside of Chicago. A ghetto, hardcore, 

rough neighborhood. [In Chicago], black folks stay out on the 

Westside, the Southside, the hundreds and the suburbs. When I 

was 12, I used to DJ with 8-tracks and old-school record players 

that didn’t even have pitches or anything, but I used to put tapes 

together. You could use the pause button on cassette players and 

get an edit just like in a professional studio. It was shitty but my 

heart was there. 

“[When I was DJing], I was behind a hip-hop group called 

Do Or Die–they was with Tung Twista when their first album 

came out. I was the DJ of the group but when they got signed I 

didn’t want to do hip-hop because I saw where it was going. I sat 

down and thought to myself ‘Which way do you really want to 

go if you’re successful?’ And I was like ‘I can’t really do hip-hop 

because I don’t really want to hang out at bars and still be getting 

shot up.’ Instead, I [would rather] go out to a booty club and see 

nice, hot, sexy, beautiful women shaking that ass. 

“Ghetto house started at this club called The Factory with me, 

Jammin Gerald and Houz’ Mon. We didn’t have a record deal at 

the time so we used 4-tracks, drum machines and samplers live. I 

saw that people really loved when the tracks was really simple and 

broke down. They went crazy–lots of sexual energy! So I started 

to make mixtapes and CDs. [Me and the other ghetto house guys] 

Deeon, Sluggo, Milton all met through Ray Barney [from Dance 

Mania]. Then we started hooking up on our own doing mixtapes 

and records. One place [you could always find all the ghetto DJs] 

was [his record store], Barney’s Records. 

“When I was coming up, I admired guys like Lil’ Louis and 

Farley [Jackmaster Funk]. [House and hip-house] was a phenomenon. 

It was the shit! When the ghetto house came along black 

folks would listen to it but they would never listen to the techno 

stuff. The only way it ever came through the hood was with the 

lyrics, ‘cos people really like you to tell them what to do. If you at 

a party and you say ‘Shake that ass, bitch!’ You know…motherfuckers 

gotta shake that ass!! And the techno stuff, for black folks, 

it’s not enough words. They don’t know what to do to the music. 

“[As far as the lyrics being offensive], some of these records are made for 

certain women. Certain women are hoes. But everybody not a ho. That’s 

just how we party at our house–if you want to come and join us then you 

welcome to. As far as me, I can call a girl a bitch on that DJ Funk shit and get 

away with it. I use it all the way up; I ain’t even gonna front. But I don’t try 

to diss women, I just talk from where I came and how I feel. I love women. 

“What kind of girls I like? Awww shit! All of them. I started DJing so I 

could get girls. I wanted to get with black girls, white girls, Asian girls. I was 

just kind of wondering how the coochie was. And actually, it ain’t that much 

different. I thought I was onto something. I thought it was like, if I had 

an Asian girl it would have been some exotic coochie. Some sparks and a 

cape would have been like…super coochie. But it was just regular old good 

coochie. Some women are really freaky, and some are not. I just really like 

beautiful, sexy, gorgeous women. You see them at raves too….they might 

have big pants on but they still look cute. And when they take them big 

pants off, that ass drop like Pow! 

“If I was doing the music for the money, I would have been out the game 

‘cos it’s not like I’m rich. I don’t trip so much on the music getting out. The 

music is for free. The music is for people to enjoy themselves and have a good 

time. I just got to make sure that I can eat. And that’s why [the scene fell apart]! 

‘Cos we ain’t fucking get no fucking money off the shit! All of us has basically 

been dealing with shitty labels and it don’t encourage you to make new music. 

“I’ve been out of tune for the last few years. I had a real bad relationship 

and it went off into my music and my friendships. But the last six months 

I’ve been getting back out. I just finished my new album and all I got to do 

is negotiate a distribution deal. There’s a new Chicago sound that came out 

called juke. It’s just like the stuff that we did but it’s more 808 bass-y. It’s 

really more ghetto. I don’t think its really going to pop off really popular 

because they’re not really riding on a 4/4 beat real hard–it’s way more like 

hip-hop. I’m combining the juke sound with the ghetto house sound. 

“[As far as my DJ Funk hat], hell yeah I still have it! And I’m getting it 

fixed and I’m starting to wear it in a minute. That was a hood hat, for real. 

Some of my rhinestones fell off but that’s alright. I’ll get me a couple of 

bucks and some glue.”

the eternals 

sonic manipulators jack into the outer limits of sound. 

words: scoTT Thill illusTraTion: damon locks 

Damon Locks and Wayne Montana spent the ‘90s in the underrated 

Trenchmouth, helping push the post-rock juggernaut built by pals like 

Tortoise and others forward into the new millennium. So far, they’ve spent 

the 21st century tearing down cozy genre classifications altogether as the 

brains behind The Eternals. 

“By the time Trenchmouth finished,” confesses Locks, “we had already 

become disinterested in playing rock-based music. When The Eternals 

started, it was our chance to create something different, something we had 

not heard before.” 

Montana agrees. “Concepts of sound manipulation and arrangement 

needed to change. So we changed them for ourselves.” 

That’s for sure. So far, The Eternals have released two mind-fucking 

full-lengths–including their palindrome-rich 2004 effort Rawar Style–as 

well as a flurry of singles on outer-sound giant Thrill Jockey. Up next is an 

international tour (including a coveted slot on the All Tomorrow’s Parties’ 

UK installment), a remix EP featuring badasses like Prefuse 73 and A Grape 

Dope and a new full-length, not to mention a new 7” courtesy of Gold 

Standard Labs, the Cali-based indie label started by Mars Volta’s Omar 

Rodriguez-Lopez. 

The incest of the whole thing is enough to make you sweat, but that’s 

the way Locks and Montana like it. They’ve got friends left and right in 

Chicago’s insanely fertile experimental scene, and they’ve got nothing but 

love for them all. 

“Chicago is definitely the brain-drain of the Midwest,” explains Locks. 

“The best from all around end up here, and I try to interact with every last 

one of them. The musicians I’ve met from Chicago have a hard-working 

aesthetic like no other.” 

www.aesthetics-usa.com 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Wayne Montana: All the great cheap restaurants: Hot Doug’s, El Patosi, Jim’s Grill, Furama, Matsuya, Lula, 

Rodan, Podalahnka Damon Locks: The Gene Siskel Theatre, The Logan Theatre (our second run theatre) and Hi Fi Records on Clark Street. 

54

gramaphone records 

chicago’s vinyl mecca is still standing strong. 

words: max herman phoTos: mireya acierTo 

56 

Longevity. No word better describes 

Gramaphone Records, which has been selling 

quality vinyl on Chicago’s Northside since1969. 

The store has embraced the city’s love of jazz 

and blues and has played an integral part in the 

explosion of house and hip-hop music thereafter. 

And even with vinyl sales steadily declining 

these days, 12”s remain the store’s staple 

product. “We’ll stick with it as long as we can 

and it’ll be probably be 2020 in Gramaphone 

and you’ll still see a majority of vinyl,” says store 

manager Andy Moy, who’s been with the outfit 

since 1984. 

While Gramaphone has recently moved 

a few blocks north of its original location to 

a more spacious site at 2843 N. Clark, the 

essence of the store hasn’t changed a bit. “It’s 

a meeting place, kind of like the barbershop,” 

says Moy. “You have everybody in the music 

business coming over to meet people, give 

each other a hug, ask them what’s going on 

this week, what’s happening. And that’s what 

the store is all about: it’s a community. That’s 

what we’ve always billed the store as–35 years 

later it still has the same feeling.” 

The barbershop-like atmosphere has 

attracted world-renowned talent over the 

years–both workers (e.g. Derrick Carter and 

DJ PNS) and shoppers (e.g. Daft Punk and 

Paul Oakenfold). Moy, who introduced house 

music to the store, cites the arrival of Derrick 

Carter as helping spark this phenomenon. “In 

this business you meet people who come and 

go, but people like him–this man had music in 

his blood, just pouring out of his pores,” says 

Moy. “And I recognized it right away.” 

Reaching out to up-and-coming talent 

has been a regular occurrence with the 

Gramaphone family, whether it’s employing 

well-known DJs or stocking albums from an 

unsigned act. “We like to try to make artists 

out of whoever we can,” says Moy. “You got 

talent? It’s our job to try to get you up there. 

‘Cause that’s what the music business or any 

art is all about. And that’s what we pride ourselves 

on.” 

www.gramaphonerecords.com 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Andy Moy: The dance music community in general. That’s an institution in itself—the nightlife, 

the nightclubbing, the music, the people.

good looks 

eight of chicago’s most intriguing people discuss style. 

phoTos: mireya acierTo, daVid Black (Jc gaBel), 

chrisTopher woodcock (maTT clark) 

illusTraTion: nigel dennis www.elecTricheaT.org 

Jessica Hopper, 29 

Zine publisher, writer, publicist, artist, feminist 

one article of clothing you can’t live without: My 

sleeveless Vision Street Wear shirt held together by 

safety pins. I bought it off a kid for $6 at a show in 

2001. 

style icon: Nancy Reagan 

What were you listening to when you put on this 

outfit? The songs I have to learn to play for the Nedelle 

tour. 

Besides yourself, who is the most stylish person in 

Chicago? I would be bummed if I was Chicago’s mostanything. 

Mayor Daley, he is working some hot-todeath 

business casual these days. 

Jessica’s bloggerstein: tiny.abstractdynamics.org 

Vakill, ageless 

Flagship Mc for hip-hop crew The Molemen 

one article of clothing you can’t live without: I 

couldn’t do without a crispy pair of Jordans. 

style icon: Big Daddy Kane; I have never seen BDK 

bumming. He always has something brand new or 

custom made. 


outfit? Actually, I was listening to my album, Worst 

Fears Confirmed. 


Chicago? That’s a tough one because everyone is their 

own island with their style. Maybe R. Kelly. 

www.molemen.com

60 

aMy scHroeder, 29 

editor & publisher of Venus Magazine 

anna Joyce, 28 

Fashion editor at Venus and a designer of one-of-a-kind tops and 

home accesories 

one article of clothing you can’t live without: 

Amy: Flip-flops–I have loads of them; Anna: My 

wedding rings 

style icon: Amy: Gloria Steinem; Anna: My dad–he 

was the most incredible thrift shopper I have ever 

known. His scores are legendary. 


outfit? Amy: Electrelane; Anna: Stevie Wonder 

Besides yourself, who is the most stylish person 

in Chicago? Amy & Anna: Becca Mann, our other 

fashion editor. She’s a natural beauty and she always 

looks comfortable, even if she’s wearing heels and 

tight jeans. That girl can rock a pair of vintage heels 

like you have never seen. 

www.venuszine.com, www.annajoycedesign.com 

J.c. GaBel, 29 

editor-in-chief of Stop Smiling 


boxer shorts–then at least I can keep working no matter 

who is around. 

style icon: Is this a trick question? 


outfit? Right now I’m listening to the Neil Young 

Decade collection, the new Super Furry Animals, the 

Baby Huey reissue, the Les McCann and Eddie Harris 

Swiss Movement record, the latest Keren Ann, the new 

Prefuse 73, early Cliff Burton-fueled Metallica, Andrew 

Hill and Eric Dolphy. 


Chicago? Studs Terkel: oral historian, old school disc 

jockey and author. He’s 93, active as hell, smokes cigars, 

drinks martinis, writes books, speaks around town 

frequently, rides the bus and never drives, always seems 

to have his trademark cardigan sweater on (even when 

it’s hot) and he still loves to wear bright red socks. 

www.stopsmilingonline.com

62 

JereMy leMos, 29 

one half of White/light, runs semaphore recording, sound engineer 

MaTTHeW Hale clark, 30 

one half of White/light and guitarist and composer for Bella lea 

one article of clothing you can’t live without: Jeremy: 

A tie between a black fedora I bought in Italy and a 30year-old 

Levi’s jacket from my Dad; Matt: A two-way 

tie between a Cubs batting helmet with cup holders and 

long straws and edible underwear. 

style icon: Jeremy: Kim Gordon; Matt: Ditka–he 

inspired millions of moustaches long past the moustache 

golden age. 

What were you listening to when you put on this outfit? 

Jeremy: Tubeway Army’s “Bombers” and Merzbow’s 

Tree of Kusukusu; Matt: The voice in my head cursing me 

for leaving all of my cool clothes in the tour van on the 

other side of town. 


Chicago? Jeremy: Gwen Gubanich–she’s always foxy and 

in all ways hip; Matt: Steve “Plastic Crimewave” Krakow. 

He’s like a psychedelic Raggedy Andy or a dosed James 

Bond circa Goldfinger. 

www.jeremylemos.com, www.bellalea.com 

JoHnny loVe, 22 

corruptor of youth, promoter of bacchanalian loft parties and all- 

around good looker. 


Gucci belt 

style icon: Every Italian man worth his handmade italian 

leather shoes. 


outfit? Danny Boy and The Serious Party Gods’ “Castro 

Boy” 

Besides yourself, who is the most stylish person 

in Chicago? There’s not just one person who’s more 

stylish than me, though most every girl in my circle of 

friends puts me to shame. 

www.theopaqueproject.com

the chicago guide 

The best places to eat, shop 

and wild out in the windy city 

words: paTrick sisson 

phoTos: auBrey edwards 

Bodybuilder & Sportsman 

Myopic Books 

art galleries 

Bodybuilder & Sportsman 119 N. Peoria St. #2C, 

312.492.7261 A former sporting goods store that’s gotten a 

decidedly non-jock makeover, this spot features emerging artists. 

www.bodybuilderandsportsman.com 

Bucket Rider Gallery 119 N. Peoria St. #3D, 312.421.6993 

Uniquely arranged space serves as an exhibition hall for experi- 

mental artists. www.bucketridergallery.com 

Kavi Gupta 835 W. Washington Ave., 312.432.0708 

A spotlessly clean gallery, decked in hardwood floors, that focuses on 

traditional and video art from around the globe. www.kavigupta.com 

Open End 2000 W. Fulton, 312.738.2140 

The warehouse aesthetic is strong in this multi-use facility, 

which presents art and the occasional intimate concert. Also 

look out for DEPART-ment, the venue’s semi-regular craft fair. 

www.ideotech.net/open-end 

Polvo 1458 W. 18th St., 773.344.1940 This long-standing 

exhibition space in the Pilsen neighborhood concentrates on 

emerging artists and multimedia. www.polvo.org 

Three-Walls Gallery 119 N. Peoria St. #2A, 312.432.3972 

This non-profit gallery brings in top-notch artists with its exem- 

plary residency program. Occasionally, speakers like author Jeff 

Chang also stop by. www.three-walls.org 

Western Exhibitions 1648 W. Kinzie Ave., 312.307.4685 

Once a portable gallery that shuffled around the city, Western 

Exhibitions puts on intimate shows featuring local artists. 

www.westernexhibitions.com 

audio gear 

123 DJ 6 S. Michigan Ave., 312.553.4441 

A favorite for local DJs looking for deals on turntables and 

speakers. www.123dj.com 

Saturday Audio Exchange 1021 W. Belmont Ave., 773- 

935-4434 Hyperbolic ads aside, this place has a wide selection of 

equipment and plenty of deals. www.saturdayaudio.com 

Sensaphonics 660 N. Milwaukee Ave., 877.848.1714 

This small shop manufactures custom, state-of-the-art hearing 

protection that any DJ will appreciate. www.sensaphonics.com 

Stereo Exchange 4743 N. Western Ave., 773.784.0004 

Audiophiles looking for vintage gear or repairs should check this 

store out. 

Tweeter Home Entertainment 900 N. Michigan Ave., 

312.664.3100 

Stop in for top-notch advice and assistance buying stereos and 

speakers. www.tweeter.com 

Bars 

Big Chicks 5024 N. Sheridan Ave., 773.728.5511 

Gay- and straight-friendly bar in Uptown that serves great pub 

food. The interior is decorated with an array of woman-themed 

art. www.bigchicks.com 

Café Lura 3184 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.736.3033 

Despite the Gothic décor and out-of-the-way location, this Polish 

bar hosts great local DJs. Check out Thursday night drum & 

bass party Rotation. 

Cal’s Bar 400 S. Wells Chicago Ave., 312.922.6392 

A funky crowd gathers at this grungy watering hole in the city’s busi- 

ness district for cheap booze and bands. www.drinkatcalsbar.com 

Danny’s Tavern 1951 W. Dickens Ave., 773.489.6457 

Hidden hipster bar (it’s inside the converted first floor of a house) 

hosts cutting-edge electronic artists on Mondays. 

Darkroom 2110 W. Chicago Ave., 773.276.1411 

Strike a pose at this bohemian bar with a photography theme. 

Work by local photographers hangs on the wall, red light per- 

meates the room and photos are mounted below the glass bar. 

www.darkroombar.com 

Delilah’s 2771 N. Lincoln Ave., 773.472.2771 

Ascend to punk rock nirvana to hear loud music, drink cheap 

whiskey, play pool and watch B-movies. DJ duties are handled by 

a rotating cast of local musicians. 

Hopleaf 5148 N. Clark St., 773.334.9851 

Binge on savory bar food and hundreds of Belgian beers and 

domestic micro-brews at this upscale Andersonville nightspot. 

Lakeview Lounge 5110 N. Broadway, 773.769.0994 

A typical ratty dive bar that shines due to the surreal house 

band, a trio of old-timers that breeze through covers on a stage 

set behind the bar. 

Liar’s Club 1665 W. Fullerton Ave., 773.665.1110 

Leather and tattoos are welcome at this punk rock bar. Knock back 

some cheap drinks and check out the KISS pinball machine. 

Morseland 1218 W. Morse Ave., 773.764.8900 

Slick supper club that serves up gourmet grub and live music in 

equal measure. The weekly hip-hop residents are excellent. 

www.morseland.com 

Rainbo Club 1150 N. Damen Ave., 773.489.5999 

A converted antique bar that’s a hot spot for the bohemians that 

still hover around this quickly gentrifying hood. 

Rodan 1530 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.276.7036 

Video art and DJ culture coexist at this laid-back restaurant and 

bar. Come for the excellent Asian food and stay for the superb 

cocktails, like the lychee martini. www.rodan.ws 

Skylark 2149 S. Halsted St., 312.948.5275 

Dig the old-school photo booth, cheap beers and tater tot obsession 

at this artist-friendly Pilsen dive. 

Tini Martini 2169 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.269.2900 

Get shaken, not stirred, at this swank, party-friendly neighbor- 

hood nightspot. Local DJs get top billing. www.tinimartini.com 

Vintage Wine Bar1942 W. Division St., 773.772.3400 

Vintage serves rare vintages in a welcoming, non-elitist environ- 

ment. www.vintage-chicago.com 

Y-Bar 224 W. Ontario Ave., 312.274.1880 

An heiress would feel right at home at this exclusive lounge that caters 

to the VIP set with bodacious bottle service. www.ychicago.com 

Bookstores 

57th Street Books 1301 E. 57th St., 773.684.1300 

A densely packed subterranean dungeon of amazing books awaits 

at this Hyde Park institution. semcoop.booksense.com 

Chicago Comics 3244 N. Clark St., 773.528.1983 

This store offers a big selection of comics and graphic novels and 

also allows aspiring artists to sell their work on consignment. 

www.chicagocomics.com 

Myopic Books 1564 M. Milwaukee Ave., 773.862.4882 

Rickety Wicker Park bookstore hosts an occasional concert and poetry 

reading and plenty of cheap used books. www.myopicbookstore.com 

Quimby’s 1854 W. North Ave., 773.342.0910 

Quirky, offbeat retailer that specializes in zines, comic books, local 

authors and vintage erotica. www.quimbys.com 

Women & Children First 5233 N. Clark St., 773.769.9299 

This independently-owned shop is one of the nation’s largest 

feminist bookstores. www.womenandchildrenfirst.com 

cheap eats 

Earwax Café 1561 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.772.4019 

This carnival-themed diner, just a few storefronts from Wicker Park’s 

busiest intersection, also rents rare films. www.earwaxcafe.com 

Handlebar 2311 W. North Ave., 773.384.9546 

Vegetarian-friendly bike messenger bar that serves up grub to 

both the cyclists and cool kids. Grab a pint of locally brewed 312 

Urban Wheat ale. www.handlebarchicago.com 

Hema’s Kitchen 6406 N. Oakley Ave., 773.338.1627; 

2411 N. Clark St., 773.529.1705 

You’ll feel a fire in the belly after eating the amazing home-cooked 

Indian food served at these two restaurants. 

Hot Doug’s 3324 N. California Ave., 773.279.9550 

Representing the city’s hog-butcher heritage, this self-described 

“encased meat emporium” serves up stylish dogs, Chicago-style 

and otherwise. www.hotdougs.com 

Irazu 1865 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.252.5687 

This intimate Costa Rican restaurant offers giant burritos and 

authentic dishes. The delicious shakes are worth every penny. 

Leo’s Lunchroom 1890 W. Division St., 773.276.6509 

Get your greasy spoon fix at this kitsch-filled diner that serves 

solid cuisine on the cheap. 

Pick Me Up Cafe 3408 N. Clark St., 773.248.6613 

This late-night coffee shop attracts night owls and caffeine fiends 

from the Northside. It’s open until three a.m. on weekdays and 

goes 24-hour on weekends. 

Sultan’s Market 2057 W. North Ave., 773.235.3072 

This laid-back Mediterranean joint becomes a falafel sandwich 

assembly line on weekends. The massive salad bar and specialty 

sandwiches are also delicious. www.chicagofalafel.com 

Weiners Circle 2622 N. Clark St., 773.477.7444 

This infamous hot dog stand becomes a drunk tank after hours 

when sauced customers come to be served and heckled by the 

incredibly profane staff. 

chicago oddities 

American Science and Surplus 5316 N. Milwaukee Ave., 

773.763.0313 

Kooky collection of spare science parts perfect for wayward inven- 

tors. www.sciplus.com 

Baha’i Temple 100 Linden Ave., Wilmette, 847.853.2300 

A massive stone temple celebrating the extremely tolerant Baha’i 

faith, this is the only structure of its kind in North America. 

www.us.bahai.org 

Chicagoland Ghost Tours Afterlife expert Richard T. Crowe 

will take you on a haunted tour of Chicago by land or by sea. 

www.ghosttours.com 

Grizzly’s Lodge 3832 N. Lincoln Ave., 773.281.5112 

Vegetarians should steer clear of this sports bar and hunting lodge, 

which specializes in exotic meats like crocodile. www.grizzlyslodge.com 

Uncle Fun 1338 W. Belmont Ave., 773.477.8223 

Old-fashioned toy store filled with novelties and old gadgets from 

decades ago. www.unclefunchicago.com 

cluBs 

Crobar 1543 N. Kingsbury, 312.266.1900 

Get dirty and debaucherous at the Chicago edition of this world- 

wide chain of dance clubs. Felix Da Housecat spins here on a 

semi-regular basis. www.crobar.com 

Funky Buddha Lounge 728 W. Grand Ave., 312.666.1695 

Part Moroccan nightclub, part international gallery, this urban oasis 

has been a favorite of city clubbers for years. Non-smokers should 

check out the huge non-smoking room. www.funkybuddha.com 

64 65 

Hot Doug’s 

Funky Buddha Lounge 

Uncle Fun


Filter 

Spring 

Café con Leche 

Lava Lounge 859 N. Damen Ave., 773.772.3355 

This intimate Wicker Park DJ bar hosts popular electro, drum 

& bass and hip-hop nights with such DJs as Jesse De La Peña, 

Johnny Love and Phantom 45, who also does the bookings. 

Slick’s Lounge 1115 N. Branch St., 312.932.0006 

Intimate venue attracts serious dancers for below-the-radar dance 

parties and joyous house music. The food isn’t too shabby, either. 

Smartbar 3730 N. Clark St., 773.549.0203 

Basement lounge brings out the best Chicago house DJs along 

with plenty of jet-setting national and international selectors. 

www.smartbarchicago.com 

Sonotheque 1444 W. Chicago Ave., 312.226.7600 

Unparalleled artistic diversity, otherworldly design and a sublime 

sound system make this bar the city’s premier place to hear DJs. 

www.sonotheque.net 

Sound-bar 226 W. Ontario Ave., 312.787.4480 

A mega-club filled with multiple bars, multi-hued rooms and 

glassed-off VIP areas. They even made room for a smoke-filled, 

state-of-the-art dancefloor. www.sound-bar.com 

Spin 800 W. Belmont Ave., 773.327.7711 

Straight, gay and bisexual melting pot famous for cheap drinks, video 

jockeys and Friday night shower contests. www.spin-nightclub.com 

Zentra 923 W. Weed St., 312.787.0400 

Expansive Hindi-themed club has an outdoor garden perfect for 

escaping the sweaty club floor. www.zentranightclub.com 

coffee shops 

Bourgeois Pig 738 W. Fullerton Ave., 773.883.5282 

A scholarly refuge with an antique feel, this quiet coffee shop 

fights the good fight against the capitalistic oppression of the 

Starbucks empire. 

Café con Leche 2714 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.289.4274 

Chill Logan Square spot offers strong coffee and Mexican break- 

fast specials like huevos con chorizo. 

Filter 1585 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.227.4850 

Bustling bohemian coffee shop near Wicker Park’s busiest inter- 

section. Offers cheap internet access and a sizable menu. 

Jinx Cafe 1928 W. Division St., 773.645.3667 

Loud and proud coffee shop serves up suitable coffee and cranks 

up the stereo. Smoke them if you’ve got them inside. 

Intelligentsia 3123 N. Broadway St., 773.348.8058 

The retail outlet of Chicago’s premier coffee roasters, Intelligentsia 

serves up a serious cup of joe. www.intelligentsiacoffee.com 

A Taste of Heaven 5401 N. Clark St., 773.989.0151 

Another excellent Andersonville hang, this bakery/cafe offers 

intense coffee, fresh-baked goods and deli sandwiches. 

concert venues 

Abbey Pub 3420 W. Grace St., 773.478.4408 

An Irish bar by day, Abbey Pub ditches the drinking songs and 

hosts hip-hop and rock shows at night. Get there early and grab a 

balcony seat. www.abbeypub.com 

Congress Theater 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.252.4000 

Cavernous antique movie palace that plays host to an eclectic array of 

events from big-name rock concerts to raves and Mexican wrestling. 

Double Door 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.489.3160 

This unpolished club, a Wicker Park mainstay with an old-fash- 

ioned marquee, has a punk rock edge. www.doubledoor.com 

Empty Bottle 1035 N. Western Ave., 773.276.3600 

Ukrainian Village club is a sparsely furnished dive, but it still 

books the most consistent lineup of exciting, cutting-edge bands 

in Chicago. www.emptybottle.com 

Hideout 1354 W. Wabansia Ave., 773.227.4433 

An indie kid clubhouse hidden in the middle of old warehouses, 

the Hideout hosts alt-country concerts and a kick-ass annual 

block party. www.hideoutchicago.com 

HotHouse 31 E. Balbo St., 312.362.9707 

Perched just above surrounding train tracks, this gorgeous venue 

presents a multi-cultural mash-up of jazz, hip-hop and world 

music. www.hothouse.net 

Metro 3730 N. Clark St., 773.549.0203 

Chicago’s most famous rock club has been a rock ‘n’ roll haven since 

the early ‘80s. Everyone from New Order and REM to present-day 

favorites has graced Metro’s stage. www.metrochicago.com 

Schubas 3159 N. Southport Ave., 773.525.2508 

A former Schlitz public house, this old-fashioned bar boasts an inti- 

mate back music hall that presents rock and folk. www.schubas.com 

Texas Ballroom 3012 S. Archer Ave. 

A recently opened Bridgeport venue, the Texas Ballroom hosts 

occasional concerts and special events. www.texasballroom.com 

Wild Hare 3530 N. Clark St., 773.327.4273 

Catch plenty of rhythm and Red Stripe at this bar, the self-pro- 

claimed reggae capital of the U.S.A. www.wildharereggae.com 

cutting-edge cuisine 

Alinea 1723 N. Halsted, 312.687.0110 

The brainchild of culinary whiz Grant Achatz, this new restau- 

rant has gotten national hype for its innovative multi-course 

meals. www.alinearestaurant.com 

Green Zebra 1460 W. Chicago Ave., 312.243.7100 

This hip restaurant’s rich vegetarian food is complimented by a sleek 

minimalist décor and friendly waitstaff. www.greenzebrachicago.com 

Hot Chocolate 1747 N. Damen Ave., 773.489.1747 

Pastry chef Mindy Segal has created a trendy, cozy cave that 

serves up some seriously mood-altering chocolate treats. 

Moto 945 W. Fulton Market, 312.428.0058 

Sushi printed on paper and laser-cooked fish? All this and more is 

available at this kitchen/laboratory. www.motorestaurant.com 

Spring 2039 W. North Ave., 773.395.7100 

Focusing on American cuisine with Asian accents, this upscale 

restaurant, located in a former bathhouse, exudes a Zen-like cool. 

www.springrestaurant.net 

fashionaBle stores 

City Soles 2001 W. North Ave., 773.489.2001 

Satiate that shoe fetish, at least for a little while, as you check out 

this store’s outstanding selection of goods. www.citysoles.com 

Hollywood Mirror 812 W. Belmont Ave., 773.404.4510 

A mix of Hairspray-style kitsch and punk rock panache at this huge 

vintage store. Look for a wide selection of useless but amusing toys. 

Jake 3740 N. Southport Ave., 773.929.5253 

Update his wardrobe and metrosexualize your man at this hip 

Northside boutique. 

Orange Skin 1429 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.394.4500 

Savor the furniture you wish you could afford at this high-end, 

cutting-edge interior design store, arranged to look like the show- 

room of the future. www.orangeskin.com 

p.45 1643 North Damen Ave., 773.862.4523 

Ultra-cool and urbane Chicago original also champions the work 

of hip, undiscovered designers. It’s gotten props from mags like 

Lucky and Wallpaper. www.p45.com 

Penelope’s 1913 W. Division Ave., 773.395.2351 

Cute, quirky storefront that stocks brands like Ben Sherman and Fred 

Perry. It’s the one-stop shop for any aspiring indie girl or boy. 

Rotofugi 1953 W. Chicago Ave., 312.491.9501 

The Windy City’s own island of misfit toys, Rotofugi sells hip vinyl 

goodies for the collector or kid in everybody. www.rotofugi.com 

Silver Moon 3337 N. Halsted St., 773.883.0222 

This vintage store specializes in pre-’60s goods. Steven Tyler from 

Aerosmith gives it his personal seal of approval. 

Untitled 2707 N. Clark St., 773.404.9225; 

1941 W. North Ave., 773.342.0500; Stock up on club gear, 

slick threads and cool kicks at these trendy urban fashion bou- 

tiques. Each location doubles as a flyer distribution center. 

movie houses 

Brew & View 3145 N. Sheffield Ave., 773.929.6713 

Leave art-house pretensions and subtitles to the film geeks. Brew 

& View wisely combines the latest in low-brow comedy with low- 

cost beer. www.brewview.com 

Dirty Movies Aspiring adult film auteurs can sign up for 

semester-long studies in the art of erotic film at this website. 

www.artvamp.com/dirtymovies 

Doc Films 1212 East 59th St., 773.702.8575 

The nation’s longest run student film society shows an impressive 

docket of domestic rarities and foreign flicks. docfilms.uchicago.edu 

Facets Multi-Media 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., 773.281.9075 

This full-service theater and video store makes Blockbuster’s selec- 

tion look like a stack of Betamax tapes.www.facets.org 

Music Box 3733 N. Southport Ave., 773.871.6604 

See films as they were originally meant to be seen at this immense, 

well-preserved movie house. Check the schedule for special mid- 

night showings. www.musicboxtheatre.com 

Odd Obsession 1659 N. Halsted St., 312.573.9910 

Independent movie store that stocks rare films and cult clas- 

sics. Check the owner’s blog for updates and recommendations. 

www.oddobsession.com 

Gene Siskel Film Center 164 North State St., 312.846.2600 

This stately, well-designed theater, boasting some seriously lush 

seats, pays tribute to the film critic’s legacy. And it sells beer and 

wine. www.artic.edu/webspaces/siskelfilmcenter 

museums 

Art Institute of Chicago 111 S. Michigan Ave., 312.443.3600 

Even Ferris Bueller visited the world-renowned collection at this 

granddaddy of Chicago cultural institutions. The Impressionism 

collection is worth a serious time investment. www.artic.edu 

Chicago Cultural Center 78 E. Washington St., 312.744.6630 

This cultural gem hosts all manner of exhibits, performances and 

lectures, most of which are free. It’s a great example of tax dollars 

at work. www.ci.chi.il.us/Tourism/CultureCenterTour 

International Museum of Surgical Science 1524 N. Lake 

Shore Drive, 312.642.6502; Gain a newfound appreciation 

for health insurance when you gaze upon this collection of medi- 

cal oddities, including an iron lung. www.imss.org 

Intuit 756 W. Milwaukee Ave., 312.243.9088 

See unorthodox exhibits at this institution dedicated to celebrating 

outsider contributions to the art world. www.outsider.art.org 

Mexican Fine Arts Center 1852 W. 19th St., 312.738.1503 

This institution, the largest Latino cultural center in the United 

States, also supports a community radio station, Radio Arte. 

www.mfacmchicago.org 

Museum of Contemporary Art 220 E. Chicago Ave., 

312.280.2660; 

Chicago’s premier contemporary collection contains works by over 

6,000 artists and rotating international exhibitions. Tuesdays are 

free. www.mcachicago.org 

Museum of Contemporary Photography 600 S. Michigan 

Ave., 312.633.5554 

Shutterbugs and art fans will marvel at the Midwest’s largest 

collection of modern photography. www.mocp.org 

Facets Multi-Media 

Orange Skin 

Museum of Contemporary Art 

66 67


Millennium Park 

Dusty Groove 

68 

Museum of Holography 1134 W. Washington Blvd., 

312.226.1007; This unique collection of multi-colored art has 

attracted a handful of hologram enthusiasts and many more kids 

tripping balls. www.holographiccenter.com 

Peace Museum 100 North Central Park Ave., 773.368.6450 

Indulge that inner hippie and find solace at this large-scale trib- 

ute to non-violence and love. www.peacemuseum.org 

puBlic spaces 

Garfield Park Conservatory 300 North Central Park Ave., 

312.746.5100 

Chicago’s cold and depressing winters can’t penetrate this massive 

greenhouse, filled with exotic plants and stunning landscapes. 

www.garfield-conservatory.org 

Millennium Park Near Randolph St. and Michigan Ave. 

Award-winning urban park that contains a huge bike parking 

and rental facility, a Frank Gehry-designed bandshell, contempo- 

rary sculpture and more. www.millenniumpark.org 

Promontory Point 5491 South Lake Shore Dr. 

This vista on Lake Michigan boasts a panoramic view of the sur- 

rounding water; it’s a soothing escape from the city. 

Washington Park 5531 S. Martin Luther King Dr. 

An expansive park with a large lagoon and towering trees, it’s 

easy to wander inside and forget you’re still in a large city. 

radio stations 

WLUW 88.7 www.wluw.org 

WHPK 88.5 FM whpk.uchicago.edu 

WZRD 88.3 FM www.zap.to/wizard_wzrd 

WNUR 89.3 FM www.wnur.org 

WBEZ (NPR) 91.5 FM www.wbez.org 

WCPT 850 AM www.shows.airamericaradio.com/stations 

record laBels 

Bloodshot Records www.bloodshotrecords.com 

Brilliante www.brilliante.tv 

Chocolate Industries www.chocolateindustries.com 

Drag City www.dragcity.com 

Delmark www.delmark.com 

Dust Traxx www.dusttraxx.com 

EV Productions www.evproductions.net 

File 13 www.file-13.com 

Fresca Recordings www.frescarecordings.com 

Galapagos4 www.galapagos4.com 

Gravel Records www.gravelhiphop.com 

Groove Distribution www.groovedis.com 

Hefty www.heftyrecords.com 

Modsquare www.modsquare.com 

Thrill Jockey www.thrilljockey.com 

Shit Sandwich www.shitsandwichrecords.com 

The Consumers Research and Development Label 

www.consumerslabel.net 

Touch and Go www.tgrec.com 

record stores 

Beverly Rare Records 11612 S. Western Ave., 773.779.0066 

A quaint store near the southern tip of the city that specializes in 

ultra-rare vinyl. www.beverlyrecords.com 

Dusty Groove 1120 N. Ashland Ave., 773.342.5800 

The retail outlet of a massive mail-order store–specializing in 

jazz, rare groove, hip-hop, Brazilian and more–attracts all types 

of vinyl junkies. www.dustygroove.com 

Gramaphone 2843 N. Clark Ave., 773.472.3683 

This Chicago music institution stocks the latest vinyl, CDs 

and mixtapes from around the world along with those of local 

producers, many of whom worked here at one time or another. 

www.gramaphonerecords.com 

Hi-Fi Records 2568 N. Clark St., 773-880-1002 

Small storefront that stocks bins and bins of new and used vinyl. 

www.hifirecords.com 

Hot Jams 4814 S. Pulaski St., 773.581.5267 

A Southside institution that regularly gets top-notch R&B and 

rap stars in for signings and performances. 

Jazz Record Mart 25 E. Illinois, 312.222.1467 

The world’s largest selection of blues and jazz, including rare 78s 

and music from the avant-garde, are inside this massive store. 

www.jazzmart.com 

Reckless Records 3161 N. BroadwayAve., 773.404.5080; 

1532 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.235.3727; Twin outposts of indie 

rock heaven stock everything an elitist record clerk could ever want. 

Be on the lookout for in-store performances. www.reckless.com 

Wax Addict 1014 N. Ashland Ave., 773.772.9930 

House jams, breaks and more at this DJ-friendly store. Ever- 

changing art decorates the interior. www.waxaddict.com 

skate spots 

31st Street Beach 31st Street and Lake Shore Drive 

Large outdoor, city-sponsored skate park to keep the kids out of 

trouble. 

Grind Gear Skate Shop 1820 Glenview Rd., Glenview, 

847.998.9405 

Suburban stop for extreme sport enthusiasts. www.grindgear.net 

Push 40 E. Chicago Ave., 312.573.9996 

Skateboard and skate culture shop located just a few grinds away 

from the Magnificent Mile. 

Uprise Skateboard Shop 1820 N. Milwaukee Ave., 

773.342.7763 

This headquarters for downtown skaters sells all sorts of top-notch 

gear. www.upriseskateshop.com 

Windy City Rollers 

New all-female roller derby league rules the track, hosting events 

around the city. www.windycityrollers.com

consumers research & development 

From dreamy idm to underground hip-hop, this label curates the best of the midwest. 

words: Brion paul phoTo: chris eichenseer aT someoddpiloT, co. 

Consumers Resarch and Development: Geoffrey Wilson and Chris Eichenseer Consumer Research and Development’s Geoffrey Wilson and Chris Eichenseer 

The right and left coasts may regard the Midwest 

as a cattle parking lot, but the curatorial lasso of 

Chicago’s Consumers Research and Development 

Label cuts a wide swathe through this foolish chimera, 

rounding up an eclectic aural assemblage 

of the Midwest’s finest audio individualists. 

Formed in 2001 by Jodi Williams and Geoffrey 

Wilson, the label–very much a sum of its divergent 

parts–boasts adventurous electronic material 

by Alder and Elius, String Theory, Miles Tilmann 

and The Timeout Drawer, usually lusciously 

packaged on colored vinyl and limited edition 

CD. “Factory, Skam, Schematic, Matador, Mo’ 

Wax–these were labels blurring the lines, combining 

art and music in a way that it didn’t matter 

what [they released], you’d pick it up,” says avid 

record collector Wilson. “Nobody had a problem 

with Mo’ Wax putting out Money Mark, no one 

cared when Matador put out Large Professor.” 

And yet, people seem to really care when 

Consumers puts out a record, whether it’s 

Signaldrift’s twisted electronic dancefloor elegies, 

The Timeout Drawer’s ethereal instrumental 

epics or Single Minded Pros’ sturdy underground 

hip-hop. The imprint’s blindingly effective 

manifesto is best summed up with the recently 

released Hazardous Materials compilation, which 

features back catalog treasures buttressed by new 

tracks and remixes, all packaged with that distinctive 

Consumers designer sheen. 

“One of the first labels for me was Def Jam, 

and if you look at [them], basically the label is 

the logo,” explains Wilson. “The label reflects 

the aesthetic.” Similarly, Consumers defines its 

aesthetic by working local designers and artists, 

including Safety Orange Type, Marshall Preheim 

and Someoddpilot, an outfit run by The Timeout 

Drawer drummer Christopher Eichenseer. “All 

this is because of a domino action,” says Wilson. 

“It’s definitely a small town scene here with a 

good community. This person leads to that person...” 

And that person leads right to you. 

www.consumerslabel.net 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Geoffrey Wilson: As a bartender, I’d have to say the bars. I like Map Room, Empty Bottle and The Metro 

for music, and Underbar, where I work. 

70

the pacifics 

chicago’s most tight-knit hip-hop trio keeps it universal. 

words: max herman phoTo: chuck przyByl 

“Even if we weren’t doing music, we’d still be 

eating chicken.” These are the words of KP 

(MC/producer) from The Pacifics, who cooks up 

a fresh batch of fried chicken for himself and 

his longtime crewmates, MC Strike3 and MC/DJ 

Norman Rockwell, to enjoy every Sunday. While 

each of these MCs holds down nine-to-fives (some 

working six days a week), as true friends they 

keep their schedules clear at least once a week to 

kick back, get their eat on, and create their thoroughly 

enjoyable hip-hop. 

In celebration of their weekly tradition and 

kinship, this Chicago hip-hop trio aptly named 

their latest album Sunday’s Chicken (All Natural 

Inc.). The follow-up to their self-released 2002 

debut, The September First Project: Long Overdue 

(Propaganda Movement), Chicken is the upshot 

of eight-plus years of paying dues in the Chicago 

underground. With its party-ready beats, tagteam 

rhymes and intriguing concepts, the record 

simply showcases what can be accomplished when 

talented artists actually get along. 

“By getting together all the time, it just keeps 

everything more tight-knit,” explains Strike3. 

“We knock out a lot of ideas when we’re together,” 

adds Norman Rockwell. “A lot of times we’ll 

just ask each other for help,” adds KP. “So you 

can find a little bit of everybody in each of us. We 

play off each other a lot and I think it shows.” 

The Pacifics rap about more than just fried 

chicken–their rhymes have detailed everything 

from their shared love for their hometown 

(“Hold It Down”) to their need to get tipsy after 

a hard day’s work (“Nobody”). While they also 

all share a Filipino nationality, this trio chooses 

to not let their Asian background become a gimmick. 

“We don’t use our race as a crutch,” says 

KP. “It is important to know your heritage, but 

at the same time, once you get over-indulged in 

that, I think people would just get turned away.” 

Thus The Pacifics opt to deliver hip-hop universally, 

one song and one concept at a time. As Strike3 

clarifies, “A lot of people like to label it Asian hiphop 

(but) there’s no label on it–it’s just hip-hop.” 

www.thepacifics.com 

The Pacifics: Norman Rockwell, KP and Strike 3 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Strike3: SubT (Subterranean)—that’s the only place I go. KP: Pizzaman’s Chicago pizza. Out of all the 

places we’ve traveled you can’t beat it. It even goes beyond pizza—food, period. Norman Rockwell: Buffalo Joe’s. 

groove distriBution 

The warehouse crew who bring all the best vinyl to your record crates. 

words: peTer nicholson arTwork: mireya acierTo 

Groove Distribution staff: Steve Schoener, Julian Carow, Josh Ferguson, Dirk van den Heuvel, Henderick 

Mitchell, Thomas (Thaione Davis) Martin, Tobias Berblinger and (not pictured) Jeff Johns and Chuck Roder 

How do obscure underground 12” singles–red-hot mash-ups from London, 

broken bossanova from Rome, drum & bass from Stockholm–find their way 

onto the shelves of your local record emporium? There’s a good chance 

they come from Chicago’s Groove Distribution, fine purveyor of “music 

with soul and music that falls through the cracks,” as founder and president 

Dirk van den Heuvel puts it. 

Van den Heuvel worked at Cargo Distribution for nine years; when they 

went out of business in 1995 he founded Groove Dis, which has become a 

vital link between forward-thinking labels and listeners. If you run a record 

shop and want to make sure you have the latest soulful house 12” from 

Paris’ Q-Tape Records or an upcoming nu-jazz CD from Japanese compilation 

experts KSR, you better be in touch with van den Heuvel. 

But unlike a DJ whose only concern is having the freshest sounds, van 

den Heuvel has to make sure these records are going to sell. “There’s 

records that get written up in magazines, that people love and whatever, 

and then you cut through the bull and you find out, ‘Well, shit, they only 

sold 300 copies!’” van den Heuvel explains with more than a note of exasperation. 

Besides the paucity of consumers with good taste, another challenge 

Groove Dis is currently tackling is the general decline of DJ culture. 

“We’re in the business of selling dance music to people who like dance 

music and not in the business of selling 12” singles to DJs,” he explains. 

“If your business model is based on selling vinyl records to DJs, you’re 

doomed. That’s just a teeny part of the market out there and it’s getting 

smaller every day.” 

To that end, Groove Dis expends much effort scouting out CDs and 

keeping an eye on digital music developments. With 10 employees devoted 

to finding the kind of music “Gilles [Peterson] might play,” the company 

does an amazing job of staying abreast of the latest movements, but van 

den Heuvel is well aware that he’s not about to challenge the Virgin Mega’s 

of the world for revenue. “I’m sure if I liked stuff that was a little bit more 

popular we’d be a bigger company,” he laughs. 

www.groovedis.com 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Dirk van den Heuvel: Edwardo’s Pizza. 

72 73

hefty records 

at 10 years and counting, an eclectic chicago label looks towards the future. 

words: peTer nicholson phoTo: daVid Black 

What’s not to love about a label bold enough to 

release records by jazz trombonist Phil Ranelin 

and dirty techno-meister T. Raumschmiere? 

Despite, or perhaps because of, brash eclecticism, 

John Hughes III’s Hefty Records has cultivated 

a dedicated following in the fickle world of independent 

labels. This year, Hefty celebrates 10 

years of releasing records by bands like Telefon 

Tel Aviv, Savath & Savalas and Hughes himself as 

Slicker. 

A self-described “studio rat,” Hughes has to 

find a quiet room to talk on the phone so as not 

to wake his one-week-old baby boy. When he settles 

down, he explains that he founded Hefty as a 

way to release his own music; it has since grown 

into a home for music that shares a common 

headspace, if not an instantly recognizable sound. 

Growing up, Hughes relied on labels like Def 

Jam, Mo’ Wax, and early Warp Records for consistently 

good releases, but he doesn’t necessarily 

see modern-day parallels. “[Labels with a specific 

sound are] kinda missing right now, I think,” he 

says. “[But] for me personally, it’s all about longevity. 

It’d be very easy to make the direction of 

Hefty genre-driven and work on a specific sound, 

but I feel like if you do that you’ve got maybe five 

years and then you’re dried up.” 

Still, there are sonic similarities (and shared 

band members) between Hefty artists like Telefon 

Tel Aviv, L’altra and Hughes’ new project with 

Shin Tasaki (Spanova), Some Water and Sun– 

namely, an obvious appreciation of hip-hop, a 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? John Hughes: White Sox and Vienna beef. 

near-obsessive attention to instrumental detail, 

and a fractured love of melody. 

It’s clear that, despite an ambitious schedule 

that will see four records released in early 2006, 

Hefty isn’t just churning records out as fast as 

possible; instead, they’re thinking about the long 

haul, something Hughes partly attributes to his 

hometown. 

“Chicago is a pretty impressive city just to 

visit and I definitely think it brings something 

to Hefty, just knowing what sort of history there 

is to music here–it’s always in the back of your 

mind. I think it’s a hard city to impress anyone 

in, so it keeps you fighting.” 

www.heftyrecords.com 

Watchers 

an angular quintet spreads the punk funk gospel from rooftop to rooftop. 

words: sTeVe marchese arTwork: eThan d’ercole 

Original artwork by Watchers’ Ethan D’Ercole 

While New Yorkers boast about the excess of talented bands coming from 

their metropolis, it wasn’t that long ago that Chicago represented the heliocentric 

center of the indie rock universe. And even though labels like Touch 

& Go, Thrill Jockey and Kranky are still releasing urgent and challenging 

music, ironically it’s New Jersey label Gern Blandsten that’s home to 

Watchers, one of Chicago’s most compelling and genre-killing quintets. 

Formed in Chicago in the fall of 2000 by lead singer/keyboardist Michael 

Guarrine and guitarist Ethan D’Ercole, Watchers expands the borders of 

danceable, funk-informed rock. Their propulsive, intellectual angularity 

recalls Talking Heads, The Minutemen and perhaps most directly 

Trenchmouth, an influential yet largely unknown Chicago quartet that 

included Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live) and Damon Locks and Wayne 

Montana of The Eternals. “We all love to listen to music,” says Guarrine of 

their influences, “[and] we’re always trying to freak each other out by finding 

a ‘new’ amazing band and bringing it to practice for everyone to hear. 

It’s a lot of fun.” 

On 2003’s full-length To The Rooftops (Gern Blandsten) and this year’s 

“Dunes Phase” EP, Watchers successfully merge an entire dusty crate of 

styles–rock, dub, soul, Afrobeat, funk, disco and punk–into a successful and 

sometimes unexpectedly minimal creation. In the hands of a lesser band, a 

balancing act like this would certainly explode in overzealous cacophony. 

It’s probably no coincidence that a visible superhero theme seems to be 

developing parallel to the four-piece’s growing audience admiration. From 

their LP title–which suggests a superhuman mode of urban locomotion– to 

The Hideout, one of their favorite places to play in Chicago, Watchers are 

about to undertake one of their most perilous and unlikely assignments 

yet: swinging the rock spotlight away from the East Coast and back onto 

the Windy City. “Being from Chicago is about being an underdog,” quips 

D’Ercole. “A lot of our friends that are making music are all over the map. 

There is no Chicago sound, just really tasteful people doing really tasteful 

things...and being supportive of your endeavors as well.” 

www.watchersmusic.com 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Michael Guarrine: Finkl & Sons Steel Co., Marc Chagall Mosiac at Bank One Plaza, Vintage Vinyl 

(Evanston, IL). Ethan D’Ercole: Out of the Past Records for record archaeology, then down the street to Mac Arthur’s for some serious grub. 

74 75

quantazelle 

a one-woman powerhouse fashions her own computer world. 

words: Tyra Bangs phoTo: mireya acierTo 

“I had a Commodore 64 computer when I was 

six and haven’t gone more than four months 

without a computer since then,” says 27-year-old 

Liz McLean Knight, who says she spends anywhere 

between seven and 16 hours a day behind 

the gleaming silver keys of her laptop. 

But Knight is not just wasting time on Myspace 

or feverishly trading on eBay–truly a product of 

the computer age, her work is entirely predicated 

on technology. She runs an online magazine 

called Modsquare, dedicated to profiling the IDM/ 

experimental techno scene via interviews and 

event reviews. Under the name Zelle, she designs 

jewelry made from MIDI cables, diodes and 

microprocessors. Knight also runs a record label 

called subVariant, for which she has released sev- 

eral albums of minimal techno and lush, melodic 

IDM tracks (inspired by Autechre and early 

Aphex Twin) under the name Quantazelle. 

“My first songs were done in Impulse Tracker– 

this sequencer [program] where you had to learn 

hexadecimal just to put reverb on a few notes,” 

says Knight, who started making techno tracks four 

years ago. “[It’s] the sort of thing that people would 

have used to score early videogames. It had a bit of 

a learning curve but it’s awesome.” Knight has since 

moved on to sequencing in Cubase VST with a keyboard 

nearby for sketching out quick melodies. 

Somehow, in between circuit bending and 

stringing together capacitors, Knight has also 

found time to DJ at Chicago techno events, produce 

more 4/4 tracks to play in her DJ set and 

assemble a compilation for subVariant, featuring 

beat surgery from the likes of Kero, edit and 

Quench. What makes all this possible? Knight 

says she couldn’t do it anywhere but Chicago. 

“[In Chicago], I can really focus on my work 

without being overly stressed about the basic 

standard of living costs, and there are a lot of 

great people here doing things–from holding 

software workshops to festivals and fashion 

shows. People from other labels based here (like 

Hefty, Consumers and Chocolate Industries) have 

been helpful with their advice and experience. 

And the city is big enough that we get a lot of 

great acts coming through–there’s pretty much 

always something to do.” 

www.quantazelle.com, www.modsquare.com 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Quantazelle: Sonotheque–it’s got a great interior and one of the best sound systems in Chicago. Rodan is 

also nice in the vibe it has managed to create and its willingness to host more experimental multimedia events, as well as their excellent vegetarian dumplings, 

swank couches and trippy video mirrors in the bathrooms. 

76 

FOLIE 

Eyepennies CD/LP 

Folie’s first CD, Misspass, was ranked #2 in the yearend 

album poll by esteemed German paper De:Bug. 

Now Mr. Stefan Thor returns with the anticipated followup, 

Eyepennies. The latest tip from Sweden, Folie 

shares his country’s love of pop music. In his harmonies 

there’s a little Annie and a little Abba, but his 

production is like Andreas Tilliander with Stina 

Nordenstam. While you’re enraptured with Sweden’s 

pop music, their electronica is taking over. Folie is 

helping the cause. 

CYNE 

Evolution Flight CD/2LP 

From the Miami hothouse of Beta Bodega, Rice & 

Beans and Botanica Del Jibaro comes Cyne. Lyrics of 

revolt, revenge and justice bounce over stonking J. 

Dilla/Prefuse style-beats. Your MCs: Akin and Cise 

Star, who roll like Common with a conscience. All this 

from the label that brought you Boy Robot, I am Not a 

Gun and Ulrich Schnauss. A new advancement in hiphop. 

ANDREW PEKLER 

Strings + Feedback CD/LP 

After two albums for ~Scape, California’s Andrew 

Pekler’s distorted dub meets Morton Feldman’s strings 

for his first release on Staubgold. It is called Strings + 

Feedback and it takes you inside the mixer for an 

intimate look. Listen to the transistors, the wires and the 

processors as they hum with the avant-garde harmonics 

of one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. A 

crucial conversation between experiments past and 

present. And future. 

ARPANET 

Quantum Transposition CD/2LP 

Quantum Transposition is the second LP from Arpanet. 

From the Dataphysix laboratory in Detroit, where the 

Dopplereffekt project resides. Arpanet is one of the 

strangest and most mysterious units of the 

contemporary electronic music scene. A strange mixture 

of scientific and sexually explicit political allusion; highly 

eclectic and unusual. Sonic research in a similar field to 

Kraftwerk, Aphex Twin, Derrick May. 

The Arpanet debut was released on Air’s 

label. This one is on AFX’s. Sleep not. 

BERTRAND BURGALAT 

Portrait-Robot CD/2LP 

Mssr. Burgalat is a producer (April March), a labelowner 

(Tricatel), a touring bassist (Air), a remixer 

(Depeche Mode, Soul II Soul), and a solo artist. This 

is his second album, a follow-up to his criticallyacclaimed 

debut The Sssound of Mmmusic and the 

talented auteur empties his bag of tricks for you. This is 

the official Hit Thing release with a 24-page 

insert/double-digipak design, 2 bonus tracks, a video 

and of course special double-vinyl. Portrait-Robot 

is a personal masterpiece of elegant complexity. 

SAFETY SCISSORS 

Tainted Lunch CD/2LP 

Springing from San Francisco, Safety Scissors is a 

new kind of electronic music: smart, hip and clever. 

Matthew Patterson Curry joins friends like Erlend Øye 

(from Kings of Convenience), Kevin Blechdom, and 

Franoise Cactus of Stereo Total in the confectionary 

kitchen. Curry (Force Tracks, Plug Research) moves 

to Pole’s label ~scape for his finest album yet. Mixed 

by Vladislav Delay, too, so the talent on this disc just 

hit the redline. Tainted Lunch is a stupendous 

achievement. 

New Releases distributed by FORCED EXPOSURE 

SEÑOR COCONUT 

Coconut FM CD 

Prepare thyself. Señor Coconut (aka Uwe Schmidt 

aka Atom Heart) has compiled his favorite Latin club 

tunes and it is a top-shelf smasher: a 17-track tour of 9 

genres. Reggaeton reborn, Cumbiaton exposed, 

Acidton introduced. The label that brought you Rio 

Baile Funk does it again. An unparralled success, 

CFM can not and will not be imitated. Liners by Philip 

Sherburne: “Coconut FM kills snobs dead: it’s the 

populist avant-garde.” 

DJ KOZE 

Kosi Comes Around CD/2LP 

DJ Koze (pronounced Kot-Ze) is Kompakt’s secret 

weapon. A good friend of the chic Koln label, Koze 

(aka Stefan Kozalla) makes music from the soul. See 

also Adolf Noise, and his International Pony groop 

(Playhouse, Zomba). His sound is fluid and funky, 

careful with vocals and cautious with melody but 

always spot on. After the mix CD All People Is My 

Friends, countless remixes and releases for the 

Speicher label, now finally the LP. Enjoy. 

HAUSCHKA 

The Prepared Piano CD/LP 

Volker Bertelmann, aka Hauschka has been preparing 

his piano for years: clamping leather, felt or rubber 

between the strings, aluminum and corks on 

hammers, weaving guitar strings within, etc. Now he 

plays it for you. With a childlike wonder and a Fluxus 

passion, Bertelmann draws lovely minimal music from 

his art instrument, East-Asian harmonies 

emanate, curling notes and delicate lines 

that shadow Satie or Ravel. Avant-garde 

that is pretty like a flower. 

BAIKONOUR 

For The Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos CD/LP 

Exceeding DJ Shadow in depth and RJD2 in 

eclecticism, Jean-Emmanuel Krieger (aka Baikonour) 

draws sounds and inspirations from all corners of the 

musical map. Growing up in Versailles with “Pink Floyd 

from Dad and Marvin Gaye from Mum,” he soon moved 

onto MBV, Cocteau Twins and Sonic Youth. Throw in 

Krautrock, Os Mutantes, psychedelia, Indian Music and 

more, stir with a steady hand and scope the sonic 

spread of immaculate earfood. 

ASWEFALL 

Bleed. CD/12" 

This CD is buzzing like a hive. The latest from überclass 

Tigersushi Records, aswefall is what they call 

digitalfolk, so: folk songwriting, new wave basslines and 

instrumental interludes done in the computerized studio. 

The two legendary Parisians behind aswefall have a 

aesthetic well a mile-deep. Jump on in. Aswefall plays 

North Six in NYC on September 15th along with the rest 

of the Tigersushi family: Panico, Sir Alice, Principles 

of Geometry and Poni Hoax. Not to miss. 

(Kill The DJ) 

These titles available at fine independent record stores 

or online at www.forcedexposure.com 

Retailers: request wholesale information from fe@forcedexposure.com

testify! 

an oral history of three of house music’s most seminal clubs 

words: peTer nicholson illusTraTion: ray noland 

Three Chicago clubs loom large over the history of dance music: The Warehouse, The Power Plant 

and The Music Box. The Warehouse was the first–from 1977 until he left to open The Power Plant 

in 1982, Frankie Knuckles was its king, turning dancers inside out with his New York-style mixing 

skills. When Knuckles left, The Warehouse’s owners opened The Music Box and hired the late Ron 

Hardy, whose thirst for innovation was matched only by his penchant for excess. Though few in the 

crowd would have said they were dancing to “house music,” the blend of disco, New Wave, R&B and 

soul heard at The Warehouse, The Power Plant and The Music Box would go on to define the genre 

until the present day. We asked some folks who were there to tell us what they remember. 

Frankie Knuckles on the songs of The 

Warehouse and The Power Plant: 

“If there was any song that signified 

The Warehouse experience it would 

be ‘Let No Man Put Asunder’ by First 

Choice. It spoke of everything–the 

relationship I had with the folks that 

frequented The Warehouse weekly. It 

was a happy wedding/marriage that 

occurred every Saturday night/Sunday 

morning, religiously. And that one song 

is at the root of what all house music 

is about–its backbeat and strong vocal 

delivery of faith and devotion is what 

kept folks coming back for me. 

“For The Power Plant, it had to be 

the introduction of Jamie Principle and 

his anthems ‘Your Love,’ ‘Baby Wants 

To Ride’ and ‘I’m Gonna Make You 

Scream’ that ushered in a whole new 

way for the kids in Chicago to recognize 

their own homegrown talent. Living in 

this world during that period, none of 

us could’ve ever imagined that what we 

were doing would blossom into what it 

has [or] spawned as much as it has. And 

no matter how many ways from Sunday 

that someone new comes along trying to 

reinvent the wheel, the core of what this 

music is will always be traced right back 

to these few songs and these two artists.” 

Chip E on The Warehouse: 

“I’d never seen so many beautiful 

people enjoy music so freely.” 

DJ Pierre on The Music Box: 

“The thing I remember most about The 

Music Box was that it was the first time 

I [had] ever seen people praising a DJ as 

if he were a prophet of the Lord. People 

were screaming Ron Hardy’s name like 

their very souls depended on him and 

his music. Hundreds of people lined 

the underground car park like it was 

Woodstock! The first time I came there 

was the day I was truly baptized into the 

true meaning of house music.” 

Screamin’ Rachel on The Music Box: 

“My favorite club of all time was The 

Music Box. I have traveled the world 

and still never experienced a DJ who 

mesmerized a crowd like Ron Hardy. 

The experience was raw and primal 

and shook you to the core of your being. 

When Ron introduced a new record, he 

literally burned it to the ground. A night 

I will always remember was hanging out 

with Marshall Jefferson, Hercules and 

Bam Bam with Ron Hardy slammin’ our 

new cut at the time, 88’s “Rock Me”–it 

was pure musical orgasm! The Music 

Box was the true spirit of house.” 

Chip E on The Music Box vs. The 

Power Plant: 

“The [music at] The Power Plant was 

more conservative. It was more of your 

contemporary disco, R&B and soul. 

The Music Box was much more cutting 

edge, much more avant garde. You’d 

hear Laurie Anderson ‘O Superman.’ 

You’d hear the weirdest tracks, just 

rhythm tracks played back to back 

continuously. It was all about feeling the 

music more than hearing it, all about 

what would get you moving. So you’d 

hear a lot more tracks and more obscure 

material at The Music Box, whereas The 

Power Plant was a lot more vocals and 

established hits. 

“The Music Box was a much more 

raw crowd. The people really didn’t 

care what they were wearing–they came 

there to dance and sweat. The Power 

Plant [had] a bit more mature crowd. 

A lot of people had grown up with 

The Warehouse, and they put on their 

Armanis and such. They’d dance, but 

try not to sweat too much–you know, 

dry cleaning bills! But The Music Box 

was a totally raw experience. It was 

a minimalist environment, almost 

like being in an enclosed alley with a 

couple of Mars lights and some strobes. 

Between the two clubs, there might have 

been 20-30% people who’d go to both 

clubs, but [usually] you were either a 

kinda mature, Friday night Power Plant 

guy or a you were a down and dirty 

Saturday night Music Box guy.” 

Gene Hunt on The Music Box vs. The 

Power Plant: 

“What was the difference between Ron 

Hardy and Frankie Knuckles? They’re 

both the godfathers of house, but it 

breaks down to this: one crowd [was] 

more bougie and the other crowd was 

ghetto. Frankie Knuckles’s crowd was 

the ‘Oh, no. You’re not good enough 

to be around us–we’re the elite.’ Ron 

Hardy’s crowd was the kids that went 

to the projects, the kids that were from 

the streets. [But] if they did something 

on the same night, they’d both have 

crowds. Chicago’s so funny like that. 

People would be like ‘OK, let’s go check 

out Ronnie for a while then we’re gonna 

slide up and check out Frankie for a 

couple of hours.’” 

78 79

galapagos 4 

This hip-hop label is an island unto itself. 

words: sTacey dugan illusTraTion: Joshua groTTo For all hearT design 

“We’re trying to bring back actual intelligence 

and reality to [hip-hop],” says Jeff Kuglich, owner 

and president of Chicago-based label Galapagos 

4. Kuglich started the imprint in 1999 with little 

but a clearly articulated mission: to preserve the 

integrity of hip-hop music. Sure, it smacked of 

fresh-from-college idealism, but Kuglich, who was 

then 22, somehow managed to express his highminded 

vision without pretension or arrogance. 

And after six years of hacking away at the music 

industry, Kuglich’s devotion to hip-hop culture is 

still so earnest it’s damn near admirable. 

The label is home to artists of the same ilk. 

Take Typical Cats, a trio of MCs (Qwaazar, 

Denizen Kane and Qwel) who have gleefully 

embraced the underground ethos, candidly 

exploring socio-political issues while staying 

sharply focused on literary mechanics. Their 

2001 self-titled debut was among the first of G4’s 

releases, recorded at the label’s original Chicago 

HQ, a “house-slash-office-slash-studio” furnished 

sparingly with one microphone and an array of 

dated analog equipment. But the gritty crackle 

and pop quality of those early recordings only 

added to G4’s indie mystique. “It’s not like we 

went out and bought all that stuff–it’s just what 

we had at the time; it’s what we could afford,” 

says Kuglich. 

These days G4 has more than 10 artists on its 

roster, including up-and-comers Maker, Meaty 

Ogre and Mestizo, and they’ve accrued a sizeable 

fan base. But despite the label’s outward growth, 

its daily operations are still handled on the cottage 

industry scale. Kuglich single-handedly takes 

care of all distribution, management, booking 

and publicity from his Bay Area apartment. He 

relocated last year for personal reasons, but still 

considers G4 a Chicago label. 

“When we initially started, it was because we 

wanted to give people an outlet to actually get 

their music on record and get it out of Chicago, 

across the country and world,” he says. “The only 

thing that’s changed is that now I’m sending out 

my e-mails from here.” 

www.galapagos4.com 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Jeff Kuglich: Gramaphone Records. When we started (Galapagos) we took our first record there. We were 

really nervous and we didn’t know if people wanted what to hear we were trying to do as the new kids on the block, but they were really receptive. 

drag city 

a pioneering indie label closes in on its second decade of rock & roll debauchery. 

words: scoTT Thill phoTo: auBrey edwards 

Rian Murphy at the Drag City office 

“Did we really love the music that much? Did we want to get closer to 

the stars? Were we young and impressionable? Were we hoping to make 

money? Or were we just sick of our jobs? It was a bit of all of these things– 

and it happened in 1989.” 

So says Drag City’s veteran sales manager Rian Murphy, tongue no doubt 

screwed securely into his cheek. Truth is, the leftfield Chicago independent 

has been aiding musical evolution ever since two dudes named Dan 

(Osborn and Koretzky, to be exact) dumped their promoter gigs and rode 

the burgeoning DiY boom for all it was worth, along the way propelling 

alt-rock pioneers like Pavement, Stereolab, Royal Trux, Jim O’Rourke and 

more into popular consciousness. Since then, Drag City has gone global 

with bands like Ghost (Japan), Alasdair Roberts (Europe) and more, as well 

as back in time with reissues of long-lost collections from psych-rock weirdos 

like Mayo Thompson and Gary Higgins. Which is to say that, if the Drag 

City faithful didn’t do it because they love music, they have nevertheless 

helped carve out its multicultural, cross-genre future. 

Murphy is no doubt thinking about the, um, future when he sagely says, 

“rock ‘n’ roll is for the young…or those who lustfully and semi-legally prey 

on the young.” But seriously, both young and old alike are raising glasses to 

the label’s longevity, fortified as it is by able-bodied newcomers like avantfolkie 

Joanna Newsom and freakout maestro Ben Chasny (Six Organs of 

Admittance, August Born). Not that Drag City’s heady roster of old-school 

virtuosos like O’Rourke and David Pajo (Slint, Papa M, Tortoise and into 

the stratosphere) is anything to sneeze at either. 

And finally, how does Drag City feel about the place it calls home? “If cities 

were women, we wouldn’t call Chicago a whore or anything, but we have 

our ups and downs with her,” sighs Murphy. “And love her just the same.” 

www.dragcity.com 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Rian Murphy: We’re on medication to keep us out of those places. But if the other shoe ever drops, we’ll let 

you know. 

80 81

numero group 

chicago funk/r&B curators go off the deep end…literally. 

words: Jessica hopper 

“We take most of our meetings here during the 

summer, around 10 or 11 feet,” says Ken Shipley 

of Chicago Park District’s Olympic-sized pride 

and joy–Holstein Pool. “We just hang on the side 

during lap swims. If they had a wireless connection 

here, we’d be here all the time. We tried 

once to log on, but there is no signal down here.” 

Shipley is a founding third of reissues label 

Numero Group, and this pool is where much of 

the creative thunder has rumbled “The sequencing 

meetings for the Capsoul release were here,” 

he remembers, almost wistfully. “We were humming 

the songs, trying to figure out the order.” 

Shipley and partners Rob Sevier and Tom 

Lunt have quickly turned Numero from a curious 

boutique outfit into a reissue zeitgeist–garnering 

raves from casual fans to collectors, from NPR to 

national mags. Numero brings the forgotten to 

the fore with lovingly packaged CD collections of 

artists known only to deep-crate diggers or those 

who were around “back in the day.” “We started 

[by] putting together stacks of 45s, sorting ‘em 

by label and talking about how we were going to 

find these people,” says Shipley. Their first choice 

was Ohio’s long-defunct sweet soul label, Capsoul. 

“In the summer of 2003, we went to Columbus, 

Ohio and talked to (Capsoul founder) Bill Moss,” 

says Shipley. “He gave us the go, and we’ve been 

running with it ever since.” 

In the last two years, Numero has amassed an 

impressive and eclectic catalog, spanning from 

Factory Records also-rans Antena (an all-female 

French electro-samba band) to reissues from 

Chicago funk label Bandit to the country gospel 

of Fern Jones, who was the Patsy Cline of the 

southern revival tent circuit. 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Numero Group: Holstein Pool. 

While those releases put them on the map, the 

next few are positively nuclear. First up is a primer 

on Belizean funk, where calypso and James 

Brown meet the hurricane-inflicted diaspora. 

Then comes a 100-plus track Deep City boxset, 

chronicling the Miami label, famously helmed by 

Clarence Reed and Willy Clark, from 1964-68. 

“The Deep City box started how all of our projects 

do,” explains Shipley. “You finally get your 

hands on this amazing single, and then think, 

‘There has got to be more where this came from.’ 

Then you find some discography, and that leads 

you to this wealth of people. And then, suddenly, 

you wind up with never-heard-before acetates 

dug up from Willy Clark’s wife’s closet.” 

www.numerogroup.com 

deeper soul records 

a label makes chicago’s jazz roots swing for a new generation. 

words: Joshua p. Ferguson phoTo: auBrey edwards 

Deeper Soul’s Josh Deep 

Josh Deep has only begun to scratch the surface 

of all he has in store for his label Deeper Soul. 

At just over a year in existence it has six releases 

under its belt including original work and remixes 

from Osunlade, Henrik Schwarz, Alton Miller, 

IG Culture and Chicago jazz musician Kahil El 

Zabar. Already, Deeper Soul is fulfilling its mission: 

to release genre-defying music that is not 

only heard but, more importantly, felt. 

Josh says that growing up in Chicago has had a 

heavy influence on his ideology. “Chicago has all 

these types of music: blues, jazz, house, hip-hop, 

soul. These experiences [all] incorporated [into] 

a music I could feel–it was all soulful music to me 

and I saw an ability to learn from those experiences 

and create a new sound.” This new sound marries 

modern production to a live jazz aesthetic, as 

Josh aims “to create a greater synergy between live 

musicians and studio producers.” “The response 

that we get from that experience needs to happen, 

and goes beyond articulation,” he avows. 

As it happens, Deeper Soul is really starting to 

cook. A slew of releases centered around El Zabar 

are up next, including a double CD of original 

material and remixes and an accompanying 12” 

sampler featuring unreleased tracks. Kahil and 

the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble are also touring 

Europe this month, leading up to the Nova Arts 

Festival in Bordeaux, France. The three-day festival 

will find the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble performing 

live with IG Culture and Josh Deep, plus 

turns by Archie Shepp, Henrik Schwarz, Charles 

Webster, Djinji Brown and a live painting exhibition 

from HVW8. 

Josh says Chicago has been a necessary catalyst 

for all these projects, as has his friendship with El 

Zabar. “When he and I started working together 

it became very clear that for a period in time this 

was going to be our future: to have this [relationship] 

as a vehicle to get music which [Kahil] and 

I feel has a strong cultural value to more people 

and to bring groups of like-minded people 

together.” 

www.deepersoulrecs.com 

What’s your favorite chicago institution? Josh Deep: If I had to try and nail it down it would be either Sonotheque or the Velvet Lounge. 

82 83

JESSE DE LA PEÑA 

DJing 20 years; smoothbeats.com, Darkroom, Blue 

Groove Lounge 

The music you play: Only what 

moves me, everything from disco that 

my mom would play to rock 45s to 

electro, house, hip-hop, reggae and 

nu-jazz–just about everything except 

trance. Upcoming releases: I have a 

new project called Trio De La Peña 

that we are recording now. Also a mix 

CD called 1331 and an EP on White 

Beard. Trivia: In 1993, I co-founded 

the Grammy-nominated acid jazz group 

Liquid Soul along with guitarist Tommy 

Kline. I was the group’s DJ until 1999. 

www.bluegroovelounge.com 

DJ SOLANGE 

DJing six years; Threadless, Slappa, Blue Iguana 

Music 

The music you play: A cross between 

Chicago and Italo hard disco. 

Upcoming releases: “You Make Me 

Feel Good” on Blue Iguana Music 

and two remixes for Ellee Ven on Hot 

Sauce Recordings. Trivia: I was on a 

reality show that never aired (Switched 

on ABC Family). I had to live in the 

Louisiana bayou for a week catching 

bullfrogs and alligators with my 

hands while my switch got to DJ at 

Excalibur here in Chicago. 

www.djsolange.com 

top ten 

chicago is full of talented dJs. meet ten of the best. 

words: ViVian hosT 

Background phoTo: chrisTopher woodcock 

KATE SIMKO 

JUSTIN LONG 

DJing for 15 years; .dotbleep, No Assembly Firm, 

Smartbar 

The music you play: Total audio 

disorder! Upcoming releases: A 

No Assembly Firm EP featuring 

Heather and Diz on .dotbleep, and 

No Assembly Firm remixes on Good 

Family and Robsoul. Trivia: My mom 

gave me her Sex Pistols Never Mind the 

Bollocks and The Clash London Calling 

albums when I was in the fifth grade 

and it was where the fuel was thrown 

on the flame. 

www.noassemblymusic.com 

DJing on WNUR 89.3 Chicago seven years; Wake Up, 

Influence, Traum 

The music you play: An eclectic mix of minimal 

techno, IDM, experimental house, jazz and 

downtempo. Upcoming releases: I have a remix 

of Philip Glass out now on his label, OMM. 

I have a remix of Rebecca Gates set to come 

out soon as well as a few tracks for Chocolate 

Industries. Trivia: I wrote an essay for the local 

newspaper and won a trip to NYC when I was 

seven. It was my first trip outside of Illinois. 

www.katesimko.com 

BIO-BOOSTER 

DJing nine years; The Opaque Project, Newtype 

Plus, Blazaebla 

The music you play: Sleazy electro-tech 

with some unadulterated rock thrown in 

the mix. Every once in a while, I dust off 

the old dubs and drop some d&b business. 

Upcoming releases: Next release 

will be on Detroit’s Blazaebla label alongside 

Chicago’s Monologic. Trivia: I’m 

a myspace.com junkie. Someone really 

needs to tear me away from the computer 

once in a while! 

www.bio-booster.com 

JOHN “BID” SIMMONS 

DJing 12 years; Soul Foundation Kollective, 94 East 

The music you play: Firmly rooted in deep 

house, with influences of downtempo, neo 

soul, hip-hop, nu-jazz, funk and soul, ‘80s 

dance and electronic. Upcoming releases: 

A mix CD, Fall Equinox, is out now. Trivia: 

My father “Big Bob” Simmons was one of 

Chicago’s first mobile DJs and provided 

sound systems for the legendary Mendel High 

School parties in the late 1970s and ‘80s. 

www.djjohnsimmons.com 

DJ TRAXX 

DJing 19 years; Kode, Indulge at RednoFive, Gigolo, 

Antennae, Ghostly 

The music you play: Music with a passion 

so intense that it overcomes genre divides 

to weave an altogether original, exciting 

and multi-textured musical fabric which 

envelops both the avid clubber and the 

home listener. Upcoming releases: The 

next Dirty Criminals album for Gigolo in 

late October and a compilation project 

of all new tracks on Eskimo in early 

November. Trivia: My beloved pastime is 

designing clothing for men. 

www.kode.org 

REES URBAN 

DJing 10 years; Bunchlox, Jackinthebox, Public 

Housing 

The music you play: Fun and funky. 

Upcoming releases: “Still Bangin’” and 

“You Work It! Remixes” on Flux UK, 

plus stuff on Nerven, Nasty Colour, 

Abstract, Bunchlox and Jackinthebox. 

Trivia: I have grey hair. 

www.reesurban.com 

DJ GLYDE 

DJing 9 years; BassByThePound, Lava Lounge, 

Sonotheque 

The music you play: Classic drum 

& bass. A mix of early hardstep bits 

and mid-‘90s classics with quality 

tunes from early 2000s. Upcoming 

releases: Too busy promoting my 

drum & bass nights (The Seminar, 

BBP) to produce... Trivia: With 

BassByThePound, I have promoted 

and produced more than 300 D&B 

events in Chicago. 

www.bassbythepound.com 

DJ CASPER 

DJing 13 years; SJC, Groove Distribution 

The music you play: Melodic and soulful 

broken beat/house and drum & bass. 

Upcoming releases: None at the moment. 

Trivia: I have an urban planning degree 

from MIT. 

www.heavyweightsound.com 

84 85

take me out 

tonight 

what chicago does after dark: a photo essay by 

matthew Taplinger (www.nonformat.org) 

Thursday, August 4th at The Underground Lounge: Zach 

wearing a vintage t-shirt depicting the City of Big Shoulders. 

Tuesday, August 9th at the Hideout: Barback Nolan Wells 

downing a quick beer and sharing laughs with friends 

during a set break by house band Devil in a Woodpile.

Thursday, August 11th at Fireside Bowl: Red 

Eyed Legends’ stage set-up being broken down 

after an opening gig for D.C. band Partyline. 

Friday, August 5th at The Abbey: Sean and 

Sumie hanging out in the front bar prior to the 

Kid 606 show. 

Sunday, August 14th at The Congress Theater: 

Broken Cherry of the Double Crossers taking a 

nasty spill during the second round of the Windy 

City Rollers derby bout.

Friday, August 12th at the Empty 

Bottle: Tortoise performing a show to 

benefit the Dax Pierson recovery fund. 

Friday, August 5th at The Darkroom: 

Life During Wartime DJs CB, J2K and 

Mother Hubbard getting the dancefloor 

movin’.

ari up 

forGet MASh-UpS, 

theSe two pUnKS 

pioneereD the Art of 

DUB-UpS! 

For 30 years, the crashing kick drum and echo chamber squelch 

of dub have served as a shibboleth for avant-garde pop music– 

the banner under which leftist British punks, New York rappers, 

underground electronic producers and Jamaican soul rebels 

have united. In London at the dawn of the 1980s, Ariane “Ari 

Up” Forster found in dub reggae the seemingly limitless possibilities 

for cultural rejection that she had first experienced in 

The Slits, the groundbreaking punk band she fronted as a teen. 

Ari, who had toured opening for The Clash before even turning 

16, proceeded to delve head first into reggae, first by aiming 

The Slits in that direction, finally by escaping Thatcher and 

Reagan in the streets of Jamaica and the jungles of Belize. 

Across the Atlantic, Keith LeBlanc was living, and beginning to 

reject, his own success story: as drummer and percussionist with 

Sugar Hill Records’ house band, LeBlanc pounded studio skins for 

such proto-rap hitmakers as Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster 

Flash. But it was in dub’s studio freedom that LeBlanc–under 

collaborative guises such as Tackhead and Interference and 

with partners such as On-U honcho Adrian Sherwood and rapper 

Melle Mel–found his calling. (On-U serves as the common 

ground between Ari Up, one-time singer for Sherwood’s New 

Age Steppers, and LeBlanc.) 

Now, with popular music looking more and more towards that 

crucial dub intersection–where punk’s snarl meets hip-hop’s bravado, 

where funk’s slither slams against electro’s shiver–former 

On-U label manager Nicolai Beverungen’s Collision label steps 

up to remind us who went there first. Stop The Confusion (Global 

album 

reviews 

10.05 

Ari Up 

DreAD More DAn DeAD 

Collision/GER/CD 

Keith LeBLAnc 

Stop the confUSion (GLoBAL 

interference) 

Collision/GER/CD 

Interference), a collection of some of Keith LeBlanc’s finest robotic 

funk dubs, and Dread More Dan Dead, a new set of dub-inspired 

punky dancehall cuts from Ari Up, hit the zeitgeist square on 

the jaw with time-tested knowledge. Because if M.I.A.’s beatobsessed 

urban Brit mélange and partner Diplo’s world-bounce 

fusion have immediate precursors, they’re Ari Up and On-U 

Sound. Similarly, the punk-dubbed shock of LCD Soundsystem 

and The Juan MacLean’s meandering electro pulse find common 

ground in LeBlanc’s hymnal–in fact, every neo-dancehall beat 

and sample-filled percussive culture clash could be compared, on 

some level, to Ari and Keith. 

On Dread More Dan Dead, Ari Up–known to the Kingston 

scene she frequents as Madussa for her thick, chaotic 

dreads–proves herself a more than capable deejay, toasting 

on such atypical reggae topics as monogamy. But it’s her 

signature falsetto quiver and the album’s deep digital beats 

that provide Dread highlights such as “True Warrior” and the 

gender-role reversal “Young Boy.” 

LeBlanc’s collection, Stop The Confusion, compiles KLB 

tracks from across the spectrum of his career–from jazzy 

drum workouts (“Whatever”) to his better-known sampleheavy 

industrial collisions (“Technology Works”), from visionary 

mechanized dubs (“Tackhead Dub”) to straighter soulful 

cuts (“Green Theory”). This is no greatest hits, nor is it a completists-only 

affair; rather, it’s a map to the place LeBlanc’s 

sound holds in the modern-music lineage–one which proves 

vital. Justin Hopper 

93

eviewS 

ALBUMS 

her SpAce hoLiDAy 

the pASt preSentS the fUtUre 

Wichita/US/CD 

Marc Bianchi’s been at it for nearly 10 years–ages before anyone thought to 

label his sensitive-boy, verse-chorus-verse guitar and drumkit experiments 

“indietronica,” and certainly before Postal Service fever swept the nation like 

so many teenage love notes. As the successor to 2003’s The Young Machines– 

which produced HSH’s first college radio hit, “My Boyfriend’s Girlfriend”–The 

Past finds Bianchi a veritable force. The world is primed for his inner dialogue, a 

moody outlook he cloaks in fiction and everything’s-peachy-keen melodies. On 

“Weight of the World,” Bianchi works out religious demons through the viewpoint 

of a housewife who muses “Now I finally understand/Jesus is like every 

man/Tells you what you want to hear/Until you fall in love and he disappears.” 

Phone messages from loved ones appear at the outset and halfway through, 

with lyrics like “misery loves company when company won’t call” interspersed 

throughout: TMI for some, but those enamored of Bianchi’s deadpan whisper 

will enjoy his present progression. Rachel Shimp 

Her space HoliDay 

2Mex/SonGoDSUnS 

over the coUnter cULtUre 

Up Above/US/CD 

2Mex has a wildly stylized delivery, full of massive speed fluctuations 

and serious bellowing which, at best, makes his strictly so-so 

lyrics indecipherable. The production here is nothing complicated 

but makes use of some interesting sounds, tossing heavy metal 

drum breaks into the middle of a creamy hip-hop tracks and accelerating 

sampled R&B singers to Chipmunks velocity. His best rhyme 

(“condom/double entendrum”) is couched in his post-punk track “Lie 

Love You” and there’s something Zappa or Ween-esque about his 

self-hate in “Didn’t Mean to Touch Your Hand.” Ben Bush 

A certAin rAtio 

Live AMericA 1985 

Melodic/UK/CD 

Mancunian post-punk/funk group A Certain Ratio stylistically 

veered from “Love Will Tear Us Apart” to “Love Rollercoaster” in 

seven years. Named after a Brian Eno song and contemporaries 

of (yet overshadowed by) Joy Division, this Factory Records group 

was recorded live to cassette during a 1985 American tour supporting 

New Order. By this point ACR’s performance was only 25 

percent menace with 25 percent murk and 50 percent motorik funk 

akin to Liquid Liquid/ESG; the sax-laden Live America 1985 fore- 

shadows–though thankfully escapes–their descent into lite Latin jazz. Live showcases 

gloom to gleam, low-pitched slither to marshaled percussion, and represents 

a certain ratio of each of the band’s phases. And they even cover New York/Northern 

Soul disco-funk classic “Shack Up” by Banbarra–now that’s range. Tony Ware 

ADULt. 

GiMMie troUBLe 

Thrill Jockey/US/CD 

Always the hacksawed mohawk to every other electro popper’s well coiffed asymmetrical 

shag, Gimme Trouble once again establishes Adam Miller, Nicola Kuperus 

and recently added guitarist Sam Consiglio as well abreast of the rest, achieving 

this via a stroll down Eno’s Bowery of ‘78. Where drum machines once bumped 

booty bass amidst sine waves and familiar bleeps, now it’s the last gasps of 

strangled synths and horrorshow drum machines; in place of Nicola’s dispassionate 

robo-disco vocals, we now get her punk sing shouts. All in all it’s an alluringly 

tactile trouble, invoking chants of “Gimmie, gimmie!” Brion Paul 

AMMoncontAct 

new Birth 

Ninja Tune/UK/CD 

Ahhhhh. There’s nothing like soaking in Carlos Niño and Fabian Ammon’s spare machine 

funk for an hour or so to clear the War on Terror cobwebs. The kinetic bass of New Birth 

chillers like “A Satellite’s Return” and “Omniverses” can send you into a deep trance–the 

stripped-down grooves of the duo’s latest are totally conducive to minimalist mind trips, 

wherever you’re taking them. Things pick up somewhat when rapper Lil Sci pontificates 

in earnest about race and reparations on “My People,” but New Birth, Ammoncontact’s 

first joint for Ninja Tune, is a mostly laid-back affair with beats to spare. Scott Thill 

John ArnoLD 

StyLe AnD pAttern 

Ubiquity/US/CD 

The Eddie Van Halen of broken beat is back and he’s got the grooves on lockdown. 

Seriously, Detroit’s favorite axe man is more than up to the task of equaling his 

stellar debut album as he tightens his focus to 10 slices of funk for the floor. A 

rubbery, anaconda-huge bassline plus Ty on the mic for the title track? Massive. 

Crispy-fried MPC beats plus Randolph’s honey croon on “Rise Up”? Huge. “La 

Cocina” (a track born from live improv that was added at the last minute) could 

have been left off, but with the added bonus of Mr. Scruff and Henrik Schwarz’s 

remixes of “Inside,” this is not to be missed. Peter Nicholson 

AUtechre & the hAfLer trio 

Aeo3 & 3hAe 

Die Stadt/GER/CD 

In a complex, droning universe, this extrasensory collaboration may serve as an 

artistic insight into our understanding of time and space. Limited to 1,000 copies, this 

two-disc excursion into the world of concrete music bleeps and screeches its way 

into the psyche, leaving any listener jetlagged and out of breath. While at its root 

quite noisy, the second installment from these experienced avant-garde icons exists 

as a carefully honed addition to the future of interpretive music. All in all, few sparse 

and droning records are impossible to ignore. This is one of them. Fred Miketa 

BeAUtifUL SKin 

everythinG, ALL thiS AnD More 

GSL/US/CD 

Stemming from Nick Forte (Computer Cougar, Rorschach), Beautiful Skin is no 

hardcore or punk outfit. Filled with a reverence for Kraftwerk and the ambiance of 

Eno, Everything, All This and More streams evocative waves of darkened-synth fervor 

and guitar-laden psychedelia accompanied by the looping asunder of vintage 

drum machines. Although compiled from tracks recorded between 1998 and 2001, 

Beautiful Skin invokes a moody, refreshing mystique that is as gripping now as it 

was seven years ago. Everything, All This and More is earnestly crafted and will 

challenge any disciple of decadent noise or modern New Wave. Fred Miketa 

erALDo Bernocchi + hAroLD BUDD 

MUSic for frAGMentS froM theinSiDe 

Sub Rosa/US/CD 

Originally recorded as the musical accompaniment to PM Koma’s video installation 

of same name, Fragments is an equally powerful experience out of context. 

Budd’s subdued chording and stripped down structures engage the ebb and flow of 

Bernocchi’s subliminal texturing, elastic vocal splices and sparse percussive programming 

with a cool, haunting touch. The tracks, named by number, incorporate 

elements of dub, jazz and even trip-hop, but only as a mild reference point in an otherwise 

amorphous daydream. Image-evoking in its own solemn state, Fragments is 

a projection of virtual light through the mind’s eye. Doug Morton 

ceSAr coMAnche 

SqUirreL AnD the AceS 

ABB/US/CD 

eDGAr ALLen fLoe 

trUe LinKS 

MCEO/US/CD 

North Cackalack’s Justus League has an incestuous orgy going on of the sonic 

variety. Khrysis and 9th Wonder handle most of Cesar Comanche’s beats, with the 

latter forgoing his usual soul sampling in favor of bubbly harmonizing on the feisty 

opener “Get Ready.” Overall, though, a full deck of crew cameos drowns Cesar out. 

Colleague Edgar Allen Floe, who appears on “Miss You (Remix),” reaps the benefits 

of brevity with half as many tracks on True Links. His sizeable baritone blends into 

the haunting vocals of “I For an I” while the limited guestlist proves that a good 

team’s individual players also pack game. Aqua Boogie 

cLUe to KALo 

one wAy, it’S every wAy 

Mush/US/CD 

Sometimes when your heart is bruised you have to circle the wagons, so to speak. 

So an elliptical album (bookended by “The Younger the Old” and “The Older the 

Young”) isn’t a stretch for mortality-minded Australian Mark Mitchell on his second 

full-length of idyll symmetrics. Under the name Clue to Kalo, Mitchell presents the 

soft-focus, sun-dappled folksy jangle of melodic, melancholic laptop loops atop 

which linger the kind of hushed first-person versus personal tug-of-war familiar to 

fans of Elliott Smith and Death Cab for Cutie. If earth is just the rug underneath 

which our dead shed skin and unsure first steps are swept, One Way, It’s Every Way 

is the dewy nostalgia that keeps the fabric evergreen. Tony Ware 

continentAL 

whAt wAS GAineD froM whAt wAS LoSt 

U-Dot/US/CD 

Post-rock junkies like me can never get enough of bands like Continental, who 

lie somewhere between The Six Parts Seven and The Album Leaf on the genre’s 

experimental Richter scale. In other words, instrumental compositions like “Sown,” 

“Ghost War” and “August Ends” are crystalline beauties that descend only barely 

into noise, begging the question: “What would Mogwai think?” Sure, the album 

closer “Pillow Talk” tears up structure a bit, but then a somber, hushed affair like 

“No Shorty” evens everything out. Bottom line? Continental may not like distortion 

pedals too much, but they still know how to make guitars cry. Scott Thill 

DDAy one 

Loop extenSionS 

Content/GER/CD 

Time flies when listening to LA-based hip-hop producer DDay One–though it’s 

hard to say whether that’s a good thing. The man claims to be a vinyl packrat, and 

it shows in his production, which is loaded up with a voluptuous array of jazzy 

instrumental samples: a warm contrabass loop here (“If Eyes Were Ears”), an emotive 

piano snippet there (“Second Set”). But aside from a burst of double-stepping 

energy in the vocal track “Unstable Material 2,” the album keeps a lackadaisical 

pace mired in trip-hop conventionality. Too often, the balance between understated 

and unremarkable is off-center. Anna Balkrishna 

DJ Koze 

KoSi coMeS AroUnD 

Kompakt/GER/CD 

There’s a fine line between using studio technology well and getting too knobhappy. 

German Stefan Kozalla–a.k.a. DJ Koze–mostly keeps on the right side on 

his debut artist album, but occasionally sticks a toe too far out. “Don’t Feed the 

Cat,” for one, would have been better if he’d reined himself in a bit, and “Chiminea” 

comes off maudlin. But overall, the minimalist tech-house here–whether emphasizing 

artificial sounds or ruthlessly manipulated natural ones–works. The highlight 

is the already-released “Brutalga Square,” with its amazingly danceable little 

cymbals, but other tracks show promise for future albums. Luciana Lopez 

DMx Krew 

MAny worLDS 

Rephlex/UK/2LP 

Ed DMX’s array of aliases (Computer Rockers, Mandroid) invoke 

an alabaster museum of electro/freestyle tributes. If you’ve 

visited that museum, his latest sprawling manifesto of genreobliterating 

artistry will come as little surprise. From eloquently 

layered Detroit-isms to good old fashioned IDM noodles to a 

hilariously genius deadpan-voiced history lesson on William the 

Conqueror set to a plodding electro beat, Many Worlds must 

establish Ed DMX as one of the foremost cherished resources of 

electronic music ingenuity. Brion Paul 

DoorMoUSe 

MAJor chAnGeS 

Sublight/CAN/CD 

Imagine someone recording a baby smacking around a sampler 

and a drum machine dangling over his or her crib and you 

might get a rough idea of Major Changes. Breakcore vet Dan 

Doormouse samples candid gibberish and laughter from a tyke 

and stitches them with rhythms and tacky melodies that behave 

like toy cars needing to be pulled back to briefly work. This 

formula works wonders on “Lulu” and “Kayita,” where hip-hop 

beats verge on shattering into choke-sized pieces. Elsewhere, 

Doormouse teases the listener with rhythms and noises that 

build up to absolutely nothing. Ah, childhood ADD is quite pitiful. 

Cameron Macdonald 

Danger Doom 

eAtS tApeS 

SticKy BUttonS 

Tigerbeat 6/US/CD 

Hunched over their arsenal of old-fangled synths and drum machines, 

Eats Tapes (Marijke Jorritsma and Gregory Zifcak) offers a tonguein-cheek 

take on the current acid revival with their debut LP, Sticky 

Buttons. The album oozes a pogo-stick joviality in every burble of the 

duo’s Roland TB-303, playing a delightful game of laser tag between 

manic 4/4 beats and wild-eyed melodies. There’s a wink and nod on 

doodly, hyperactive tracks like “Supreme Master” and “Knightress,” 

which play like analog in-jokes for the art-house glitcherati old 

enough to remember wielding glowsticks way back when. Sure, it’s 

a shtick–but a loveable one! Anna Balkrishna 

eMotionAL JoySticK 

pLAyS! 

Zod/US/CD 

“Anyone who says hardcore techno and gabberhouse is dead, fuck 

you!” announces some bum. Violence ensues on the dancefloor, 

and yet a wiseass on a Fender Rhodes whistles and claps along. 

Emotional Joystick’s day-and-night formula on Plays! is about 

shoving scatterbrained drill ‘n’ bass rhythms up against soothing, 

faux-Blue Note jazz melodies on the Fender. This creates a sharp 

dynamic, as on the opener, “Ask Me No Questions,” which goes on 

a laser-shooting rampage while keyboard riffs smile at the carnage. 

Squarepusher milked such a formula dry eight-odd years ago and 

Plays! merely seems to remix such past glories. Cameron Macdonald 

DAnGer DooM 

the MoUSe AnD the MASK 

Epitaph/US/CD 

Big ups, Adult Swim! Not only has Cartoon Network’s groundbreaking animation 

bloc turned out some of the best popcult television since MTV killed Liquid 

Television, but it has thrown its weight behind one of the best releases of the 

year. Where else are you going to hear MF Doom (who’s quickly becoming indiehop’s 

collab champ) name-drop the brilliant Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law in a 

rhyme? Exactly. Hot off a recent beat-jacking streak with Gorillaz and the brainy 

grift of Jay-Z known as The Grey Album, Dangermouse mans the decks ably, 

keeping the frenetic beats steamrolling beneath Doom’s resin-soaked baritone 

on blazing tracks like “El Chupa Nibre,” “Old School” (featuring Talib Kweli) and 

“The Mask,” a team-up with Ghostface. Awash in rampant banality, the bling 

metaverse should study this joint up and down. Because they must learn. Grab 

this shit and spin it silly. Scott Thill 

94 95 

photo credit; B+

eviewS 

ALBUMS 

feAtherS 

ABSoLUte noon 

Hometapes/US/EP 

Tortoise fans should take note of this Miami-based group, which accurately captures 

the sound and pastoral vibes of the post-rock legends circa TNT. Perhaps having 

band member John McEntire involved in the project–he’s credited for “Programming 

& Tone Shaping”–was a slight influence. It’s not that Absolute Noon, the first in a 

series of three EPs, doesn’t have tight, original arrangements or its share of pretty 

moments, it just doesn’t add much new to the formula. Unless Feathers adds some 

new tricks to future EPs, this band isn’t going to take flight. Patrick Sisson 

ferenc 

frAxiMAL 


It would be hard for Spanish duo Ferenc to top their ‘03 hit “Yes Sir I Can Hardcore”– 

and they don’t. Fraximal isn’t bad –its 10 synth-layered technotracks are solid enough– 

but it lacks “Hardcore”’s brilliance. Opener “Diplodocus” sets an ambient tone that 

grows steadily more beat-conscious as the album progresses, but many of the 

ASSASSin 

infiLtrAtion 

VP/US/CD 

On his full-length debut, Assassin knocks out the competition with his 

lyrical boomshots and rope-a-dope beats. Under the tutelage of Penthouse 

Studios owner/producer Donovan Germain, the 22-year old Jamaican has 

developed into one of the island’s most promising dancehall artists. This 

lyrically gifted deejay brings a street reporter’s eye for detail to tracks like 

the autobiographical “Gangsta City” and the MLK-inspired “Free at Last”. He 

teams up with reggae legend Freddie McGregor to unite the generations in 

the soul-stirring “Youth Well Cold.” From the confrontational “Step Pon Dem” 

to the radio-friendly “Let Me Know,” featuring Chi-town’s Syleena Johnson, 

Assassin demonstrates versatility, successfully walking the line between 

street credibility and commercial viability. James Mayo 

tracks never quite differentiate themselves enough from each other. The results are 

mixed: “Vinagreta,” with its swooshing ocean noises, feels forced, but “Urdangarin 

Resistance” and “Neng” get deeper, grittier and much better. Luciana Lopez 

the five cornerS qUintet 

chASin’ the JAzz Gone By 

Milan/US/CD 

For ears raised on breakbeat-fractured future jazz, ‘60s jazz can seem staid, but 

those LPs represent a burning quest for musical perfection through improvisation 

and composition. That fire burns in Helsinki’s Five Corners Quintet, who bop so 

hard you can almost hear starched white collars being popped and square-rimmed 

glasses fogging up behind the studio window. Whether it’s vibes, sax or legendary 

hard-bop hipster vocalist Mark Murphy (voicing three tunes, belying his 70-plus 

years!) taking the lead, these youngsters revive classic soul/Latin fusion with a 

passion that will make you think jazz’s greatest era never ended. Rob Geary 

JASon forreSt 

ShAMeLeSSLy excitinG 

Sonig/GER/CD 

Subtlety isn’t in Jason Forrest’s vocabulary. Like Yello, he’s gotta say yes to 

another (absurd) excess. Last year’s The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco 

Crash flaunted Forrest’s diabolical plunderphonic flow, as he transmuted snippets 

from wack arena rockers, sacred/putrid classic-rock cows and faceless disco 

groups into spazzy sampladelic gold. Shamelessly Exciting further refines Forrest’s 

brazen copyright-flouting and deft daftness. This time he’s merging stadium prog, 

punk, New Wave, ’60s psychedelia and smooth jazz with hyper jungle beats and 

rampant DSP abuse. Dude offers at least 30 thrills a minute, making Shamelessly 

Exciting truth in titling, not hubris. Dave Segal 

Gentoo 

hyoShi 

Simulacra/US/CD 

Gentoo’s debut can be seen as the study of an infinite moment. At least one song, 

“A Million Coins,” takes inspiration from Zen poetry, setting the album’s meditative 

mood. Ethereal as Arovane, Gentoo’s work is also of the earth. Synth tones on 

“Noumena” and “Quip” meander like a flute and koto, while the title track heralds a 

thunderstorm with electrical sparks and the buzz of frogs. “Creek” is a recollection 

of leaving the woods for the world, amid the claustrophobic sound of being lost 

inside both. Like nature’s grandeur, Gentoo’s sometimes heavy-handed flourishes 

can be overwhelming. It’s the individual details–and the ways he describes them 

through sound–that are singularly beautiful. Rachel Shimp 

roBin GUthrie & hAroLD BUDD 

MySterioUS SKin 

Commotion/US/CD 

We live in a world in which death is imminent, misery is routine and heartbreak 

is far more common than triumph. Fortunately, Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins 

fame and ambient pioneer Robin Budd have conjured the beauty of our wretched 

condition with Mysterious Skin. This haunting soundtrack is consumed with hazy, 

processed guitars of the dreariest proportions combined with an atmosphere 

so serene and dreamy, you can actually feel the interpersonal melancholy that 

connects us all. Guthrie and Budd have surpassed any preconceptions in this 

existentially powerful score. Pray for more. Fred Miketa 

i SeLf Divine 

assassin SeLf DeStrUction 

trash talking. If you hate the rap industry and need some tough love therapy, yukiHiro fukutomi 

Rhymesayers/US/CD 

I Self Divine, frontman for the always-engaging rap group Micranots, finally sheds 

the burden of group members and a shared spotlight. On Self Destruction, Divine 

rhymes alone over an array of beats provided by Vitamin D, Jake One, Bean One 

and Atmosphere beatsmith Ant, and uses the extra space productively. Tracks 

like “Sunshine,” “Overthrow” and “This Is It” display an introvert who can loudly 

speak his mind if the mood is right. Self Destruction further solidifies Rhymesayers 

Entertainment’s niche for quality hip-hop. David Ma 

cheLoniS r. JoneS 

DiSLocAteD GeniUS 

Get Physical/GER/CD 

A poet, painter and musician who’s lived in Europe for a decade, New York 

expatriate Jones is a renaissance man, with Dislocated Genius his first electronic 

full-length. The album’s best cuts have had previous lives: the deliciously neo- 

disco “One & One” and tech-house kiss-off “I Don’t Know,” which was released 

in 2003 and remixed by Justus Köhncke. (These songs so impressed Röyksopp, 

they tapped Jones’ funky, Prince-inflected vocal style for The Understanding’s 

“49%.”) Dislocated is Jones’ canvas, and through his portraits of racism and cliché 

(“Blackface”) and his disillusionment with consumer culture (“NaNaNa”), he shows 

there’s a complex man beneath these body-rocking beats. Rachel Shimp 

JUMBonicS 

SUper-BAxophone 

Tru Thoughts/UK/CD 

Had Matt Smooth and Rob Mac scratched up a copy of their Super-Baxophone 

album and slid it into an unsuspecting crate at some vinyl emporium, groovesample 

and library-music freaks would be selling their homes for the eBay bid 

dosh. With Jumbonics, the Speeka duo explores a shared love for half-cheesy ’60s 

organ sounds; these get layed over hip-hop beats fresh enough to turn heads, but 

subtle enough to be Richard Lester montage-scene material. S-B expands upon the 

original “Jumbonics” EP’s slick, urbane, jazzy funk with a smile that belies a dirty 

little secret. Justin Hopper 

KoBoL 

BroKen eBony 

Static Discos/MEX/CD 

I thought Mathew Herbert had the patent on dissected jazz cut-ups, but Kobol 

proves me wrong. The Nortec Collective duo’s debut arrives on Static Discos, 

Mexico’s most important techno label, which is fast becoming a trendsetter in 

modern electronic music. Kobol does for jazz what fellow countryman Murcof 

does for symphonic classical music–marrying instrumental fragments with 

intricate, stop/start grooves. And similar to the noir jazz slither of ~scape label’s 

Andrew Pekler, or Burnt Friedman’s tension-filled jazz concoctions, Kobol’s microscopic 

beats inhabit the shadows in the wee small hours. A very comfortable place 

indeed. Tomas Palermo 

Konono no.1 

conGotronicS 

Ache/CAN/CD 

Sometimes the worst of conditions and places can produce humanity’s best music. 

Konono No.1 is about making oneself heard through a dictator’s fortress wall, 

the out-of-tune symphonies of street life and ancestral ghosts. The Congolese 

orchestra drives to a beat chiseled out of car parts and pots and pans, while centering 

on an amplified likembé (thumb piano) to lead them into trances. The jams 

collected here have a simplicity that is so dense and raw that the music swelters 

from the body heat of a thousand on a dirt street. Cutting through the bustle are 

the likembé’s melodies, which have a tattered electricity that haunts for days on 

end. Cameron Macdonald 

KooL Keith 

LoSt MASterS voLUMe 2 

DMAFT/US/CD 

Former Ultramagnetic alum Kool Keith should have called this album The 

Emancipation of Kool Keith because this the Keith cats love: the pimp, the 

international zone coaster, the best MC in the whole wide world! Lost Masters 

2 has all them funky ass records like “Feel About You,” “Star Struck” and “Can’t 

F**k With This,” an array of darts formatted for fans. If you don’t know Corporal 

Keith already–the only G that would pose on an album cover with a mask and 

Speedos–I’m not the one to break his style down. His music is mostly filth and 

listen to this right after you find out what the number one song is this week on 

Billboard. Cokni O’Dire 

LAL 

wArM BeLLy, hiGh power 

Public Transit/CAN/CD 

Around the time trip-hop went incognito as “downtempo,” boy-girl duo LAL 

dropped Corners, a breaks-and-vocals effort that unjustly vanished. Five years 

on, Warm Belly, High Power sends Rosina Kazi’s lush and nuanced vocals through 

a conceptual tour of Southeast Asia across the four seasons. Nick Murray keeps 

the beats up to the high standards of today’s future jazz programming–check the 

warped shuffle of “Dancing the Same,” the winding bass and negative space in 

“Creep” or the softly evolving slow-mo jungle dub “Brown Eyed Warrior”–while 

deftly integrating guest percussionists on tablas, sitars and more. Hot like slow 

summer nights. Rob Geary 

LiGhtheADeD 

wronG wAy 

Tres/US/CD 

“Relax, kick back, you had a long day/ we’re taking you everywhere 

except the wrong way,” relays this animated Portland, OR based 

trio on the title track of their sophomore album. MCs Braille, 

Othello and MC/beatsmith Ohmega Watts encourage listeners 

to unwind to their upbeat hip-hop, which readily inspires head 

nodding, finger popping and, on occasion, floor rocking (see the 

pulsating, b-boy-friendly cut “In The Building”). With their pleasing 

rhythm and uplifting raps, Lightheaded does a commendable 

job in ensuring that each of their listeners has a good day. Max 

Herman 

LittLe Brother 

the chitLin circUit 1.5 

Fastlife–EQ/US/CD 

“This rap shit is chess, not Connect 4...” LB has got that right, but 

this collection of remixes and B-sides is a bit of a stalemate at 

that. On one side of the board, you’ve got tracks like “War,” with a 

tense balance between Phonte and Big Pooh’s rolling banter and 

9th Wonder’s rumbling beats and perfectly haunting samples. On 

the other side, you have the jerky lyrical bombast of “Flash and 

Flare,” where Phonte and Pooh’s braggadocio falls hollow. But sit 

tight until the final track, where the pair’s raw chemistry and 9th 

Wonder’s blend of bang and sweet soul will have you counting 

the days until their real sophomore album drops. Peter Nicholson 

freDDie McGreGor 

coMin’ in toUGh 

VP-Big Ship/US/CD 

The title Comin’ In Tough makes Freddie McGregor’s latest 

release sound like the offerings from a mean-mugging gangster 

rapper. But the roots and lover’s rock legend, now in his 40th 

year in the business, is more like Common and less like The 

Game. Socially redemptive tunes include “Bangarang” (patois for 

commotion) and “Lock it Down,” where Freddie frowns on badman-ism: 

“All those crazy talk dem a carry roun’ town/ Right ya now 

we come to lock that down.” Unfortunately, a cover of The Five 

Stairsteps’ “Ooh Child” misses, but link-ups with Anthony B and 

Morgan Heritage make up for it. Tuff, but smooth. Araya Crosskill 

MeDinA Green 

fUnKy freSh in the fLeSh & More 

Illson Media/US/CD 

It’s true that these days, Mos Def is known more as a Hollywood 

actor than an underground hip-hop artist. It’s all the more notable, 

then, that his early indie hip-hop crew Medina Green still flourishes 

today, consisting of Def, his brother DCQ, their cousin Magnetic 

and longtime homies Lord Ato and Jah Born. Medina’s newest collection 

draws upon lean, old school, Native Tongue-esque stylings 

and deeply introspective raps, both of which keenly embrace an 

intellectual flow. Check out the affectionate cut “Momma Said,” 

a heartfelt call to young people to better themselves despite their 

most humbling circumstances. Janet Tzou 

yUKihiro fUKUtoMi 

eqUALity 

Pantone/UK/CD 

Fukutomi’s long career in house shows in the sharp production and wellplanned 

pacing on his ninth album. Though the tracks mostly share a warm, 

vocal house vibe, Fukutomi’s been at this long enough to make an album 

that’s coherent without being bland. The title track, for example, features 

spoken word vocals from Rich Medina so deep they could be the track’s 

bassline, while “All Over The World” rises from a laid-back funk foundation; 

the more tech-leaning “The Tambour” drives a bit harder without upsetting 

the album’s balance. But Fukutomi knows when to keep things simple, too, as 

in “Killing Time,” about two minutes of quiet synths–no beats, no vocals, no 

bassline—that somehow shift the album’s whole mood. Luciana Lopez 

96 97

eviewS 

98 

ALBUMS 

BroADcASt 

tenDer BUttonS 

Warp/UK/CD 

Like shortwave radio monologues listened to intently in a vintage Godard film, 

Broadcast’s Tender Buttons is both washed out yet central and commanding. Inspired 

by the minimalist drone of French library music, as diffused through haunted capacitors, 

this British group–now pared to the duo of Trish Keenan and James Cargill– 

casts autumnal, emotionally self-contained vignettes on their third full-length (not 

counting 1997’s singles collection). The Teutonic frostiness of The Velvet Underground 

and Nico hovers above ring-modulated modem handshaking trills, but this music is 

filtered a touch more through early ’80s 8-bit workstations than ‘60s psyche-rock 

oscillators. With sparse clusters of drum machine and processed synths replacing 

live percussion, the sequences are scratchy and linear, sullen and frayed, while the 

breathy vocals are heavy-lidded folk. Buttons is a Criterion collection celebrating 

something not overtly active, but slowly unfurling until fully activating. Tony Ware 

MeStizo AnD MiKe GAo 

BLinDfAith 

Galapagos4/US/CD 

Not unlike many of his Galapagos4 label-mates, Mestizo opts to 

create hip-hop of the overcast and apocalyptic variety. And considering 

the current state of affairs in the world, he aptly keeps 

the vigilance going on his sophomore release, Blindfaith. But this 

album isn’t entirely gloomy–new beatsmith Mike Gao counterbalances 

the darkness with occasionally bouncy output, as on 

the swing-styled “Pick Up 52’s.” Whatever the mood at hand, 

these beats and rhymes maintain a level of natural intricacy that 

requires nothing less than full attentiveness. Max Herman 

MiDAirconDo 

ShoppinG for iMAGeS 

ryAn teAGUe 

Six preLUDeS 

Type/UK/CD 

Electronica just doesn’t quite cut it, and surely I’m supposed to be 

able to tell you what does instead. As Type continues to expand 

the nuanced boundaries of electronic music, it reveals that the 

traditional means of encountering and labeling music are subtly 

shifting. For example, Swedish trio Midaircondo’s gauze-covered 

blown instruments rise to dizzying zeniths; their processed and 

reverbed aural abstractions and echoed vocals soar to devastating 

effect. The UK’s Ryan Teague draws from his classical training 

for six pieces of evocative and gorgeous chamber music, where 

broaDcast 

strings bounce off prosceniums for eternity. If names matter anymore, perhaps 

these recordings should be dubbed “post-electronica.” Brion Paul 

Mochipet 

feeL My chinA, voLUMe 1 

xiLLon 

preqUieM 

Component/US/CD 

Mochipet runs naked through the streets, while Xillon only emerges from a cave 

at night. Daly City’s David “Mochipet” Wang remixes a slew of breakcore and 

anti-IDM compatriots like Donna Summer, Drop The Lime and Duran Duran Duran 

on Feel my China–he mainly sticks to shoving the originals down 50 flights of 

stairs. The accidents are a gas to hear, but become too fetishistic to bear after 

an hour of abuse. Xillon also indulges in splattercore fits, but melodically imbues 

his work with a gloom that lasts long after the CD is over. “Snow Gear” and “Acid 

Panda Laptop Death” are prime acid funk that saw no sunlight for years. Mochipet 

awakens the next morning in the drunk tank, while Xillon disappears in a black 

cloud. Cameron Macdonald 

MoUSe on MArS 

Live 04 

Sonig/GER/CD 

Typical electronic concert albums are either lazy, carbon copies of studio-made 

tracks or improvised messes for the brave to sit through. Post-techno stars Mouse 

on Mars have achieved a happy balance between the two extremes on Live 04. As 

their Deleuze-drugged jabber about rhizomes and “bodies without organs” hints, 

they couldn’t release a mere concert tape–instead, they meshed together bits of 

their top performances from hundreds of hours of recordings. The results–created 

with guitar, bass, keys and a trapkit–are striking as they give their oldies wider 

breathing spaces and greater spontaneity. “Diskdusk” and “Wipe That Sound” are 

funkier and more unhinged, while “All The Old Powers” melts out of the stereo. 

Despite risks of Basement Jaxx-like big-beat schmaltz, MoM is still full of too 

many good ideas after more than a decade of existence. Cameron Macdonald 

MUtAMASSiK 

MASri MoKASSAr: Definitive worKS 

Sound Ink/US/CD 

Mutamassik beat juggles hip-hop rhythms, pounding heavy metal drum riffs and 

hand percussion. In the context of arty techno, sampled Middle Eastern strings 

often come across as melodramatic and new-agey, but Mutamassik’s aggressive, 

loosely arranged compositions are largely able to avoid hippie raver pratfalls. On 

the standout track “War Booty,” the melody is peeled away to reveal a rhythm 

formed of grunts and subconsciously small snippets of funk keyboard. The album 

seems imbued with the horrors of war, most noticeably in its machine gun snares 

and rhythms built from the whoop-whooping of helicopter blades. Ben Bush 

nicKoDeMUS 

enDAnGereD SpecieS 

Wonderwheel/US/CD 

With Turntables On The Hudson six years strong, pioneering Brooklynite 

Nickodemus drops his first solo effort. Comprising over a decade of international 

influence–touching the Balkans, Africa, Latin America, Arabia, Jamaica and 

more–Endangered Species is a soulful collection of bouncing vocals and melodies 

embedded in serious grooves. Malik from Real Live Show, Radio Mundial’s Jean 

Shepherd and Si*Se’s Carol C add verbal dynamite over a cornucopia of global 

instrumentation that could only call NYC home. The clear and present winner is the 

clarinet/melodica-driven “Crazy Stranger,” as watery and flowing as the riverside 

associated with Nick’s name. Derek Beres 

nUMBerS 

we’re AniMALS 

Kill Rock Stars/US/CD 

Not content to continue their herky-jerky garage dance quickies, Numbers holds 

down the buttons this time instead of tapping them repeatedly. The trio has grown 

up a little: instead of lashing out on occasion, Dave Broekema’s guitar now crunches 

out a downbeat drone, only intermittently poking up for little broken-string 

flourishes. Indra Dunis’ drums stop and start with abandon, and occasionally hand 

over their place in the mix to Eric Landmark’s groaning Moogs. There are shades 

of old, funky, two-minute Numbers here, but now they share space with noise and 

epic drones. It’s a mess, but a compelling one. Rob Geary

eviewS 

100 

ALBUMS 

peLicAn 

the fire in oUr throAtS wiLL BecKon the thAw 

Hydra Head/US/CD 

Before metal hardens and becomes rigid and unyielding, there is a point during its 

manufacturing when it takes the form of a slowly moving, blistering liquid. This is 

the sound of Pelican. While comparisons to metal bands like Isis and Dysrhythmia 

are occasionally appropriate, this talented Chicago instrumental quartet fabricates 

a much thicker and melodic form of post-rock more akin to Austin’s Explosions In The 

Sky and sometimes channeling the awesome guitar drone of short-lived Windy City 

heroes Hum (“Stars”). Marked by seven epic tracks of constantly morphing dynamics, 

The Fire in Our Throats… is yet another triumphant interpretation of classical music 

catered specifically for the aging mosh pit-and-devil-horns set. Steve Marchese 

portABLe 

verSion 

~scape/GER/CD 

Pulling no proverbial punches and deftly delivering just what you need, ~scape issues 

another opus of majestic electro dub. The distinctive difference with Portable’s Alan 

Abraham lies in his treatments of Leo Fernandez’s guitar–owing to his South African 

roots, he meshes it with fragments of African percussion. His background is most 

notable on the tribal “Ebb And Flow,” the polyrhythmic “Thought in Action” and the 

aural downpour of “Typhoon,” although a few tracks lack the scintillating charisma of 

Version’s apexes. With luck, the next version shall remedy this. Brion Paul 

the procUSSionS 

trevA whAtevA 

MUSic’S MADe of MeMorieS 

Ninja Tune/ UK/CD 

Carefree, quirky and more than a bit twisted, Treva Whateva’s got the cure for 

stuffy clubs full of stiffs holding up the walls. Taking a break from lending a 

hand to Grand Central’s Mystic Brew compilations, Trev lets fly with a passel 

of party rocking joints that cover several genres better than specialists. From 

the shiny disco vibes of “Driving Reign” to the absurdly infectious piano and 

vocal hoe-down of “Singalaong” to the skanking drum & bass of “Dedicated 

VIP,” Whateva works his samples and loops for all they’re worth. Music’s 

Made of Memories isn’t completely perfect (“Havana Ball” is about as clunky 

as its punning name) but the occasional misstep is overshadowed by refreshing 

enthusiasm. Drop the pose and have yourself damn good time–Treva 

Whateva’s got yer tunes. Peter Nicholson 

treva wHateva 

Up ALL niGht 

Miclife/JPN/CD 

The set-up: one night, one mic, one studio, live drums, live Fender Rhodes, J-Skills 

of the Sound Providers (a.k.a. Stro the 89th Key) on the kit, the keys and the boards, 

and a few guests invited for a late night jam session, complete with freestyles 

and (presumably) Heinekens and hydro aplenty. Basically, if you like The Roots (up 

to Illadelph Halflife), Breakestra, Project Blowed, Freestyle Fellowship, Roy Ayers 

or Dr. Lonnie Smith, you’ll be in love with The Procussions, who nail that mellow 

old-school soul-jazz vibe right down to the yellowed, faded album art. Up All Night 

isn’t an especially danceable project, but it’s as comfortable as a familiar couch for 

those blissful chill out sessions. Eric K. Arnold 

pUBLic eneMy feAtUrinG pAriS 

reBirth of A nAtion 

Guerrilla Funk/US/CD 

Being one of the most paramount rap groups of all time means that the standard 

you’ve set is your worst competition. On the track “Rise” and throughout the album, 

Public Enemy’s Chuck D still “reps like he’s possessed by Malcolm X.” Yet Rebirth 

lacks the Bomb Squad’s beautifully chaotic production and the sense of urgency 

it garnered. Paris’s beats fall short of Shocklee & Co.’s creations, and the album’s 

MC guest list is unnecessarily full. Though Chuck D is still the wiser and Flava 

Flav continues to be one-of-a-kind, Rebirth pales in comparison to PE’s brilliant 

backcatalog. David Ma 

pUMpKinKheAD 

orAnGe Moon over BrooKLyn 

SoulSpazm/US/CD 

On Pumpkinhead’s full-length debut, this once battle-ready rapper proves that he’s 

graduated from the corner cipher and is ready to take on focused subject matter. 

Rocking hard over the crisp beats of Marco Polo, Pumpkinhead keeps his wordplay 

sharp yet graspable throughout. From challenging our war-hungry government 

(“Grenades”) to pondering the course and possibilities of his life (“Anything”), he 

presents a fairly well-rounded effort. But more than anything, this album is a testament 

to Pumpkinhead’s undying dedication to hip-hop. As he tells all the cynics on 

the cut “Here,” “You’ll never relate to my blood, sweat and tears.” Max Herman 

recLooSe 

hiAtUS on the horizon 

Peacefrog/UK/CD 

Living on the edge of the earth in Wellington, New Zealand serves Matt 

“Recloose” Chicoine’s creative juices well. His acclaimed 2002 release Cardiology 

brought the classic “Ain’t Changin’” (with Justin “Just One” Chapman) onto 

grateful dancefloors everywhere. Hiatus On The Horizon boasts another stellar 

single, “Dust” (featuring Dallas from Fat Freddy’s Drop), also destined for 

legendary status. The strength of Hiatus lies in collaborations with Chapman, 

vocalist Genevieve Marentette and an immensely talented cadre of Wellington 

musicians. Overall, Hiatus lacks a little spark, but the exceptional musicianship 

makes it worth adding to your collection. Emmerald 

Si*Se 

More Shine 

Fuerte/US/CD 

Four years after their 100,000+ selling debut, Brooklyn-based Si*Se returns with 

nostalgic evolution. The eclectic band, led by vocalist Carol C and programmer 

U.F.Low, adds a touch of class to their forward-thinking, Latin-tinged electronica. 

Soulful soundscapes painted by violins, percussion and hearty basslines serve as 

beautifully produced backdrops to Carol’s lyrics. Her combination of passion and 

softness and her tranquil poetry–which flows as if heated by an internal, inquisitive 

burning–make the heart melt. The punchy drums of the title track, the crushing 

disco of “Agua” and “Karma” and the son-flavored spice of “Mariposa En Havana” 

(a Buena Vista headnod to the original Nickodemus & Osiris cut) glow with a luminosity 

certain to shine for some time. Derek Beres 

SiSter GertrUDe MorGAn 

KinG Britt preSentS: SiSter GertrUDe MorGAn 

Ropeadope/US/CD 

New Orleans: where voodoo challenges Catholicism for affection; where people 

visit for the graveyards and stay for the funerals. Only here could Sister Gertrude 

Morgan, a folk artist and self-professed “bride of Christ,” spend 20 years singing in 

the streets only to have an album produced by hip-hop auteur King Britt a quartercentury 

after her death. Utilizing Morgan’s legendary sole 1968 recording, Britt

Jason frank rothenberg 

reviewS 

102 

ALBUMS 

concocts a seemingly preordained experiment: slide guitar and broken beats, blurping basslines and 

Morgan’s shamanistic tambourine all surround the ghostly incantations of a truly unique voice. Not 

always successful, but at its finest moments–such as “Power”–truly transcendent. Justin Hopper 

SizzLA 

SoUL Deep 

Greensleeves/UK/CD 

Increasingly quirky and unpredictable, half the fun of listening to a new Sizzla album is hearing what 

he’s gonna do next. By now, we’re all familiar with his Bobo dread steez, so it’s expected that he’s 

gonna drop some conscious lyrics, positive messages and otherwise honor-rebel sentiments. But 

while some ragga deejays never vary their flow, Sizzla switches his tone, cadence and pitch constantly, 

making what could have been a claustrophobic listening experience–Donovan Bennett’s riddims tend 

toward the minimal–into something else entirely. Sizzla’s yelps, squeals and falsetto trills keep things 

interesting, and “Good Morning” and “Mount Zion” can safely be added to the Kalonji catalogue of 

classics. Eric K. Arnold 

the Society 

eLectronic Bionic 

Freestyle/UK/CD 

Too many future jazz albums depend on electronic gimmickry to pull off their sound. But what makes 

Electronic Bionic so much better is the sense that the people behind the tracks are accomplished 

musicians with an ear for getting past labels and limits. “Human Nature,” for example, has both 

vocals chock full of soul as well as swelling synths, “High Jive” features jazz sax against crackling 

sounds, and “Keep Your Head Up” sounds as if Kosheen had been bred on Philly soul. Plenty of acts 

never put out an album this good, much less a debut. Luciana Lopez 

BLAcK Dice 

BroKen eAr recorD 

Astralwerks/US/CD 

If going major usually signals curtains on an artist’s creative 

era, hats off to Black Dice, who’ve gone pop, as it were, with 

aplomb. Broken Ear Record is, to these ears, their most realized 

and (gasp!) beautiful album. Album-opener “Snarly You” and its 

lazy drum machine concoction notwithstanding, there is hypnotic 

ecstasy to be found here in the fuzz-and-lock groove of “Smiling 

Off” and especially the gorgeous loping guitar rays of “Heavy 

Manners.” It’s in the contrast of light and dark, of hypnosis and 

chaos, where one finds Black Dice’s meta-gold. It’s the oblivion 

and lift off that makes this a near-perfect record, broken ear or 

not. Alexis Georgopoulos 

black Dice 

SoLU MUSic 

AffirMAtion 

Solu Music/US/CD 

Giving deep house a healthy dose of fresh, soul-driven innovation, NYC’s Dano Nathanson and 

Howie Caspe slide their debut album over to us like a beautifully garnished cocktail. Kai Martin’s 

silken vocals caress the album’s perfectly balanced instrumental flow, weaving effortlessly 

between the funk-fueled bumpery of “Can’t Help Myself” and “Just Don’t Know” to the beautiful, 

melancholy depths of “It Ain’t Love” and “Blvd.” The superb keys, thoughtful lyrics and percussive 

zest found on Affirmation get upgraded even further with Dano’s wide-ranging guitar presence, 

adding tremendously to the album’s live energy. Seductive and smooth, Affirmation goes right to 

your head. Doug Morton 

peter toSh 

tALKinG revoLUtion 

Pressure Sounds/UK/CD 

Does the world really need another live Peter Tosh album? Yes, rasta. Talking Revolution distills the 

original Wailer’s fiery essence into one crucial package and two discs (one electric, one acoustic), 

spotlighting not only Tosh’s talent but also his penchant for outspoken controversy. The speech he 

gives in the middle of a rousing 12-minute romp “Burial” is as jaw-dropping a listen today as it was 

in 1978, and from the opening “Igziabier” to the closing medley of “Legalise It/Get Up Stand Up” 

(both of which appear unplugged and separately on disc two), there’s literally never a dull moment. 

The band’s on fire and so is Tosh, who uses the occasion (the One Love World Peace concert) as his 

own personal pulpit to demand equal rights and justice for all. Eric K. Arnold 

eriK trUffAz 

SALoUA 

Blue Note/US/CD 

You can’t help but make the Bitches Brew comparison–the ethereal-rock temperament of “Salou” 

and “Ghost Drummer” invoke Miles in a not-so-silent way. Yet French trumpeter Erik Truffaz gets 

very quiet, quizzically so. Saloua is filled with interlocking influences, from dub rock tributes to 

serene soliloquies to Tunisian devotional chants by the mighty Mounir Troudi, whose Arabic plays 

gracefully off Swiss rapper Nya’s insightful punctuation. After a few spins you realize you don’t 

know where Saloua begins or ends. The goal is the journey, and for globetrotting Truffaz it is further 

testament to a catalog destined to be as classic as his sonic ancestry. Derek Beres 

tUrBULence 

i BeLieve 

M/NETH/CD 

This notorious natty MC/singer with a lyrical lisp not only delivers fire but also cools the tension as 

well, with a dose of cultural love songs added to this 12-tracker. Production-wise, only two joints use 

revived vintage Studio One rocksteady riddims–Skylarking on the song “Mama Don’t Cry” and Queen 

of the Minstrel on the tune “Sweet And Pretty”; the rest of the production (by former Xterminator 

crewmen and Roots Radics bandmates Steven Stanley and Paul Danny) is luxurious. What Turbulence 

lacks is any difference from his other rasta brethren’s subject matter, but he still penetrates his points 

with relentless repetition. Turbulence is a rising talent. Believe that. Cokni O’Dire 

SUSUMU yoKotA 

SyMBoL 

Lo/UK/CD 

It’s admirable for Susumu Yokota to want to incorporate classical works into modern electronic 

music contexts. Symbol represents the veteran techno/ambient producer’s gung-ho attempt to lend 

some rhythmic heft to time-tested gorgeous melodies by Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Ravel, Cage, Debussy, 

Beethoven and many more deceased biggies. While some pieces seem ill-fitting and saccharine, 

the bulk of Symbol achieves a sublime fusion of incongruous elements, especially when fluid, Steve 

Reichian marimbas and samples of Meredith Monk’s haunting chants intertwine with grandiose 

violins or urgent pianos. Symbol reveals Yokota’s stunning arranging skills–and slyly educates 

neophytes about classical music’s splendors. Dave Segal 

Kevin yoSt 

fUtUre fLAShBAcK 

i! Records/US/CD 

Veteran house producer Kevin Yost has all but abandoned his prior dance music history. Future 

Flashback finds Yost freely exploring his lifelong obsession with jazz melodies: the result sounds like 

an airier, electronic version of Kyoto Jazz Massive, bubbling with tinkling piano notes and light jazz 

riffs with house beats floating only like friendly specters amidst Yost’s dreamy atmospheres. With 

its unmistakable lounge vibes, Future Flashback sounds like something that belongs on Germany’s 

Compost imprint (particularly “Free,” “Take Me Back” and “Welcome Home”) requiring both a 

relaxed ‘tude and chilled cocktail in hand for proper appreciation. Janet Tzou

Mr Bongo Records 

www.mrbongo.com 

BUKKYLEO & BLACK EGYPT 

AFROBEAT VISIONS 

Fela Kutiʼs saxophonist Bukky Leo 

teams up with the legendary drummer 

Tony Allen, producer Ben Mitchell 

and some of the finest afrobeat and 

jazz musicians in the world to create a 

positive, distinctive and upbeat album 

Look out for US tour dates 

THE MOTHERS 

TOWNSHIP SESSIONS 

The Philani Mothers choir from South 

Africa have sung songs with health and 

nutrition messages since 1986. This 

album seeʼs those original recordings 

re-worked by the likes of Kid Loco, 

Zero 7, Layo & Bushwacka and Nitin 

Sawhney Sawhney, with the aim of generating 

funds and awareness for the community 

BRAZILIAN BEATS 6 

The sixth in the legendary Mr Bongo 

compilation series. Features tracks 

from Som Tres, Marcelo D2, Trio 

Mocoto, Seu Jorge, Bebeto, Black 

Alien and many more 

Look out for the Brazilian Beats 

DVD, coming soon! 

US DISTRIBUTION THROUGH CAROLINE 

Marcnesium 

DJ koze 

foUr coMpS thAt AnSwer the 

qUeStion, “cAn techno StiLL 

SUrpriSe US?” 

Song or track? Techno or house? Micro or maxi? 

Underground warehouse or thousands-strong festival? 

The binary oppositions of tech-house are 

crumbling rapidly, leaving artists free to start tunes 

with the tiniest of sounds and expand into laser-firing, 

hand-waving, bassbin-blowing extravaganzas as 

they please. Meanwhile, DJs are trading in confined 

record bags for infinite hard drives and pulling out 

whatever bangs for double-disc maximized blissfests 

that defy the old easy categorizations. 

We start in Ibiza at the tail-end of an all-night session, 

as Locodice and Clive Henry guide us through ‘til 

dawn on a Monday Morning Session. Locodice keeps 

the beats rolling while feeding us melodies galore, 

including his own ambient gem “Menina Brasilera.” 

The back half of his hour spins up again into a clattering, 

percussive, acidy sequence highlighted by 

Kat Williams’s blazing “That Track by Kat,” twisting 

the beats up and around to introduce Clive Henry. 

The former prog houser has numerous surprises 

ready–over a bedrock of driving, gritty electro, he 

throws in Kalabrese’s Supremes-quoting “Set Me 

Free,” the familiar pop melody working like cold 

water on a hot dancefloor. But as the sun rises on the 

end of his Ibiza set, John Tejada’s intense “Paranoia” 

announces, “Don’t sleep yet.” 

And we won’t, not with Holgi Star manning the 

decks for Department Neuf, as he rolls out an intense 

pair of discs that start in dark microhouse territory 

and build momentum until we hit Star’s own “Swing.” 

Suddenly we are in brighter jacking territory–the 

glamorous bounce of classic house. But remember, 

Chicago and Detroit birthed techno, too, and by his 

second disc Star has piloted us to its darkest center. 

comp 

reviews 

toBi neUMAnn: pASS yoUr BeDtiMe 

Electric Avenue/GER/CD 

hoLGi StAr: DepArtMent neUf 

Kiddaz.fm/GER/CD 

MonDAy MorninG SeSSion: LocoDice & 

cLive henry 

Four:Twenty/UK/CD 

totAL 6 


Loops and acid squelches buzz around and suddenly 

we’ve broken into Asem Shama’s headbanging-ready 

“The Schacht” and Sontec’s “Black Sun,” which 

leaves us dizzied by techno’s possibilities. 

Possibility is the province of house, too, as Tobi 

Neumann knows. Pass Your Bedtime almost seems 

like a straight house set after the previous mixes, but 

listen closely and the variety of the genre is revealed: 

Neumann deftly integrates schaffel swing, microhouse 

en espanol courtesy of Luciano and even some 

progressive and trance influences into the standard 

bump-tick metronome. There’s plenty of Latin flair in 

the latter half of his mix, too, a welcome shimmy to 

close the marathon session. 

On the way home, the leaders of techno-house’s 

roving eclecticism come together for Kompakt’s Total 

6 and summarize what we’ve learned. Rave stabs, 

micro-beats, electro shuffle, reconfigured Autotune 

pop and adrenaline-rush techno builds dot the collection, 

defying us to call the label a microhouse-only 

club. DJ Koze leads off with “Hicc Up,” a skittery 

dose of Cologne tech-pop. Rex the Dog’s “I Look Into 

Mid-Air” is a sweeping post-rave anthem grown from 

the tiniest austere seed. Kaito’s “Hundred Million 

Lightyears” is a digitized wordless tweepop ditty, 

stripped down to brilliant synths that sparkle with 

the joy of forgetting the distinctions between overground 

and underground, purpose and effect, techno 

and house, and simply dancing. Rob Geary 

105

Eric Balaire 

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COMPiLATiONS 

hvw8 preSentS: MUSic iS My Art 

Ubiquity/US/CD 

Known more for brushwork than for beat matching, HVW8 Art Installation 

is a trio of artists that have created a diverse oeuvre of work for museums, 

clients like Puma and live music events. On their new compilation, Music is 

My Art, the group proves it’s also had its collective ear to the ground, gathering 

a cross-section of cutting-edge hip-hop, soul and broken beat tracks. 

Ubiquity artists are well represented, but that doesn’t diminish the disc’s 

quality or range. The strutting, soulful track “The Hop” and “Long Ago,” a 

Roots-flavored rap, cap off a compilation as rewarding as a gallery opening: 

no masterpieces, but plenty to be excited about. Patrick Sisson 

Hvw8 

AUtonoMoUS ADDictS 

The Designed Disorder/US/CD 

This new LA-based label emerges with a comp boasting a robust 

lineup of veteran and neophyte Intelligent Dance Music (that 

amorphous term for intricate ambient techno) talent. In 2005, 

that prospect may not set many pulses racing, but Autonomous 

Addicts refutes the notion that the genre is slumping, even if its 

practitioners aren’t making quantum leaps anymore. That being 

said, exclusive tracks from Eight Frozen Modules, Twerk, Devine, 

L’usine and seven others approach the peaks of ’90s IDM giants. 

However, one wonders if IDM has become an echo chamber 

where its artists bounce increasingly arcane, complex ideas off 

one another while the masses blithely ignore them. Dave Segal 

BLUe note trip: JAzzAnovA 

Blue Note/US/CD 

Jazzanova’s six crate diggers emerge grinning from the Blue Note 

archives, clutching two discs stuffed with 70s-era gems from when 

Horace Silver and Lee Morgan’s hard bop met the Afro-Cuban 

strain. Each plays like a modern DJ set: opening with a blast, going 

deeper into soulful tracks and spinning out on a relaxed run-out 

groove. The vocal tracks are skippable, betraying Jazzanova’s 

occasional easy listening preferences, but a few standouts–James 

Moody’s “Tin Tin Deo,” a banger en espanol, and Sam River’s epic, 

Coltrane-ish “Beatrice”–keep things honest. Rob Geary 

fABricLive 23: DeAth in veGAS 

fABric 23: ivAn SMAGGhe 

Fabric/UK/CD 

Increasingly the label from London’s Fabric megaclub has transitioned from representing 

the scope of the club’s labyrinthine physical space to reflecting its founders’ 

listening preferences. Commercial, spacious mixes are matched or bettered by postindustrial/electro 

minimalism, culminating in Death In Vegas’ Fabric Live 23 and Ivan 

Smagghe’s Fabric 23. Both share similarities–equally bleak and primarily riff-free. 

But whereas DIV’s Richard Fearless’s more Kraftwerk-than-Krautrock Detroit homage 

could accompany shuttle docking, popping and locking sequences, the mix from 

Smagghe (half of Parisians Black Strobe) is more heaving and humanistic at first– 

even while purveying Teutonic techno, he dips into arpeggiated, stratified squelches. 

Tech-house and acidic robo-funk dry hump across both, though the ultimate prize for 

gritty bleeping falls to Smagghe’s more wobbly selection. Tony Ware 

GreG wiLSon: creDit to the eDit 

Tirk/UK/CD 

Mr. Wilson is credited as one of the first DJs to import electro into the UK–namely 

through Madchester’s feted Hacienda club where the seeds of rave culture grew in 

the sidewalk cracks. However, his fingerprints were best left every Wednesday at 

Legend where he helped solidify British black beat culture. Credit to the Edit is a fine 

snapshot of Wilson’s sets from early to mid-‘80s, where disco went underground and 

became mechanized. Wilson traces the electro element of robo-funk with the likes of 

Kool & the Gang, Uncle Louie and Chic. Nowhere does the electro-disco connection 

positively hypnotize like Raw DMX’s “Do It To The Funk.” Oh, and Chaka Khan’s “I Feel 

for You” kills 80% of today’s glitch-hop scallywags dead. Cameron Macdonald 

GriMey 

Greensleeves/UK/CD 

Bionic rAS 

South Rakkas Entertainment/US/CD 

Precisely separated synthesizer blips, wobbly keyboard stabs and a fingersnapsonly 

beat ironically define producers The Ballaz’s Grimey rhythm, with nary a bit 

of audible dirt. It works best with a bit of a sung chorus to sweeten it, as Chico & 

Kiprich figure out on “Bag A Man.” The South Rakkas Crew’s Bionic Ras is even 

more defiantly synthetic, with staccato rave synthesizers ripping away and a slithery 

bassline that practically screams Fruity Loops. In addition to the usual suspects 

(Sizzla, Ward 21, et al), the bionic beat attracts UK grime-ists Dynamite MC and JD 

of So Solid for a hot UK/Jamaica party. Rob Geary 

KitSUné MAiSon coMpiLAtion 

Kitsuné/FRA/CD 

Always ambitiously themed, here’s another comp from Parisian fashion/art/music 

clusterfuck Kitsuné. This time around, the theme is “home” and, evidently, their 

friends–the accompanying fold out booklet displays 461 of the label’s friends rendered 

in perfectly imperfect hand drawn portraits. Mind, it’s not quite translated 

into the music, an orgy of ‘80s-loving dancefloor destroyers with inspired efforts 

from usual suspects Tom Vek, Hot Chip, Tomboy, Digitalism and VHS Or Beta. A 

good listen, yet one in which the House of Fashion trumps all. Brion Paul 

MAD profeSSor: MethoD to the MADneSS 

Sanctuary-Ariwa/UK/2CD 

Neil Fraser, the legendary British dubmaster known as The Mad Professor, started 

with a four-track setup in his living room circa 1979. With decades of experience 

under his belt, it’s not surprising that the double-disc set Method To The Madness is 

a comprehensive listen. Split into one disc of his Ariwa label’s classics and a second 

disc of Mad Prof pop remixes, you get a clear impact of how his madness spread from 

reggae into other genres. Although it boasts names such as Perry Farrell, Massive 

Attack and Jamiroquai, it’s the lesser-known artists that are this compilation’s true 

gems. Songs like Sandra Cross’ wistful digital roots tune “Country Living” reflect the 

insightfulness that has made Fraser a dub icon. David Ma 

MiDniGht SoUL 

Kinky Sweet/US/2CD 

If veteran San Francicso DJ Tom Thump’s intention on Midnight Soul was to bring some 

tasteful tracks to the Buddha Bar lounge crowd, he’s succeeded in spades. While only a 

few cuts (Kaskade’s “Let You Go” and the Peter Malick/Norah Jones joint) scream fashion 

stilettos and fruity martinis, the rest of two discs reads like a who’s who from Groove or 

Goya Distribution’s new releases list. Exclusives like Alison Crockett’s “UR” remixed by 

Yam Who? sit snugly next to bangers by Platinum Pied Pipers, Mark de Clive-Lowe and 

Lizz Fields. This is exactly what I want to be hearing ‘round midnight. Tomas Palermo 

nortec coLLective: tiJUAnA SeSSionS voL. 3 

Nacional Records/US/CD 

Imagine you’re driving through a windswept California desert, listening to the 

radio in your beat-up pickup truck; suddenly, all the stations blur together into one 

massive mess of melodies and samples. That’s the sound of the Nortec Collective, 

a crew of musicians that skillfully blends modern electronic music with traditional 

Mexican music. On their second full-length (they skipped volume two), they avoid 

performing a shotgun wedding between genres. Thumping tubas, echoing brass 

and buoyant Latin percussion feel like organic parts of their laid-back grooves, 

not grafted-on afterthoughts. If you like Latin beats, you’ll find this album spot on 

(think El Mariachi with a sampler). Patrick Sisson 

overDrive: A DJ Mix By AphroDite 

Feed/UK/CD 

When former XLR8R 12” editor and matey Ron Nachmann would slap on the latest 

single by UK d&b don Aphrodite a collective groan would rise up from the office 

(especially from my corner). I’d grumble, “Not that cheesy guy who’s best friends 

with DJ Rap and plays raves called ‘Excalibur IV: The Reckoning’.” Ron would reply 

with a pithy, “Don’t hate, appreciate!” So here I am, regaling Aphrodite for assembling 

and mixing high-energy jungle tunes, including his collabo’s with deceased 

MC Stevie Hyper-D and diva Beverly Knight. In fact, Aphrodite’s tunes outshine 

the comp’s generic snare-rolling tearouts from Benny Page, Distorted Minds or The 

Force. Overdrive delivers its implied impact. Tomas Palermo 

pULver recorDS LABeL coMpiLAtion 02 

Pulver/GER/CD 

Partially obscured by the ascendancy of minimal techno and micro-house in 

Germany’s dance underground, Stuttgart’s Pulver Records has boldly forged 

onward over the last four years with a trademark sound fusing the Latin-informed 

jazz signature of Compost with the vigorous digital breaks of Kompakt. Mainstays 

like Inverse Cinematics and Dutch Rhythm Combo offer up cuts that further blur 

the divide between fractured dub, out-there jazz and electrified breaks. Big, bright 

and shimmering in an organic sheen, Pulver once again shows the world another 

side of German groove. Steve Marchese 

reGGAe for hUMAnity: voLUMe 01 

Manila Jeepney/US/CD 

The folks at Manila Jeepney made an interesting move with this hour-long compilation–they 

had each featured artist sing over the same two rhythms (Dark Skin Girls 

and Guide Us). This method doesn’t leave much room for variation or individual 

highlights, but everyone from Luciano to Donna V makes good use of these two 

classic reggae instrumentals with their uplifting good vibes. If anything, Reggae For 

Humanity lives up to its title and represents consistency to the fullest. Max Herman 

reGGAe GoLD 2005 

VP/US/CD 

A decade ago, the first reggae comp I bought for my wife was VP’s Reggae Gold 94. 

Everything on it was all kill and no fill. Back then, even the weaker tunes on the comp 

were passable because dancehall itself was richer. Fast-forward to 2005 and dancehall 

is all about the weddy weddy, reggaeton, Fat Man Scoop and Lil Jon; the vibe is different, 

and so is Reggae Gold. For every hot foundation tune (Beres Hammond’s “Love 

Mood” or Kiprich’s murderous “Telephone Ting”) you have nuff gloss and floss from 

Nina Sky, Beenie Man and Sean Paul. Although top-tier DJ Assassin makes good with 

two hot shots (“As A Man” and “Step Pon Dem”), roots stars like I Wayne, Gentleman 

and Jah Cure deserve a couple more joints on there. And I don’t even wanna talk about 

the bonus disc of all the songs made into a mixtape. Is this 2005 or ‘95? Cokni O’Dire 

roD Lee: the officiAL voLUMe 5 

Club Kingz-Morphius Urban/US/CD 

One drawback to internet world-bridging is the imminent end of the already dying 

phenomenon of regional music genres. While a visit to Maryland is no longer necessary 

to experience Baltimore club, Rod Lee still runs the genre; Vol. 5 finds Lee 

vigorously blending his tracks with those of fellow B-more natives like DJ Technics 

and his 14-year-old cousin DJ Lil’ Jay. Its future may be in Rotterdam or Osaka, but, 

if tracks like Technics’ “Get Up on It” and Lee’s bitingly truthful “Dance My Pain 

Away” are any indication, Baltimore club still has a lot of life in it. Jesse Serwer 

SonAr KoLLeKtiv 4: ALL AS one AGAin 

Sonar Kollektiv/GER/CD 

When Jazzanova formed Sonar Kollektiv in 1998, downtempo was drifting toward 

bachelor pad purgatory, but this compilation of exclusive tracks, teasers from 

forthcoming records (notably Fat Freddy’s Drop’s reggae-infused 

“Roady”) and remixes shows the label’s many evolutions since. The 

throaty vocals on Dimlite’s “Back to the Universe” downshift to a 

halt before blasting through the cosmos on prog-rock wings, a journey 

George Levin takes “Inside” with a sultry female response. From 

AME’s minimal house treatment of Wahoo’s “Holding You” to the 

jazzed-up staccato kick of Faze Liquide’s “Kirkness” and Outlines’ 

“Just A Little Lovin’,” the Kollektiv artists transform retro styles into 

sexy future soul. Rachel Shimp 

SpAnK rocK 

voiLA 

Money Studies/US/CD 

If you’ve seen Spank Rock’s live show–complete with an 

ass-twisting, guidette-looking dancer and Amanda, a dirty 

mouthed femcee who may qualify as best white girl rapper 

ever–you’ve probably got hopes for the Philly-based Baltimore 

transplant’s upcoming Ninja Tune LP. Unfortunately, Voila 

(from Turntable Lab’s Money Studies mix label) doesn’t provide 

much insight into what that LP will be like. Amanda doesn’t 

appear, and Spank himself disappears after a handful of joints 

mixed into the CD’s first track. What follows is rather aimless 

mix of Hollertronix-style mashups (“Sympathy for the Devil” 

bumps up against Fabolous) by DJs Christopher Rockwell and 

XXXChange, that–rare Baltimore club tracks aside–is pretty 

boring. Jesse Serwer 

DJ youngsta 

texAS fUnK 

Jazzman-Now Again/US/CD 

If the affair between Stones Throw’s reissue imprint Now Again 

and British funk obsessives Jazzman proved hot and heavy on last 

year’s Midwest Funk, consider Texas Funk the consummation of a 

new musical marriage. Twenty-one tracks of obscure Lone Star 

groove–from the famous (Lou Pride, Mickey & The Soul Generation) 

to the thoroughly unknown (Soul Ones, Eddie Finley and The 

Cincinnati Show Band)–melt Latin boogaloo and Chicano horns into 

their thick, messy funk. A truly class act, from the universally fine 

selections to the thoroughly informative and beautifully presented 

24-page booklet. Highly recommended. Justin Hopper 

weeD A-BUn voL.1 

Jet Star/UK/CD 

The illustrious world of dancehall and reggae is as unifying as it 

is revolutionary. Given the political tensions of the past century, 

it’s about time a collection of odes to the therapeutic gift of 

ganja has been bestowed upon us. Packed with contemporary 

and renowned DJs and singers, these tracks summon a variety of 

styles in homage to queen cheeba. Luciano’s infamous version of 

Peter Tosh’s “Legalize It” contrasts well with the rugged thumping 

from Beenie Man and LMS. The inspirational, herbal torch has 

been passed through a multitude of musical genres. Weed A-Bun 

definitively celebrates what keeps heads nodding. Fred Miketa 

DUBStep ALLStArS voL. 2 

Tempa/UK/CD 

The Tempa label gives XLR8R the credit for spreading the “dubstep” tag 

when it appeared on a 2002 cover with a picture of Horsepower. While we’re 

flattered, it was really the first installment of this series that introduced the 

term, along with names like DJ Hatcha, Skream, Loefah and D1–the names 

of the scene, all under one shanty. This emerging sound combines traditional 

dub elements with junglist intensity, except half-stepped and under heavy, 

heavy sedation. Every track on this collection, mixed by DJ Youngsta, is 

exclusive and being issued for the first time, which means that D1’s “Crack 

Bong” has yet to become a staple (which it will). Then there’s Digital 

Mystiks’ “Neverland,” which closes out the disc: an anthem in disguise, it 

amps up with a dancehall tempo and a dutchy production style that’s slow 

cooked and potent. Daniel Siwek 

106 107

eviewS 

JAcKSon AnD hiS coMpUter BAnD 

rocK on 

Warp/US/12 

Think of French house while listening to Jackson And His Computer Band and 

you begin to gain an entirely new sense of the status of dance music in the 

Gallic state. This single, like its mind-numbing cover art, is dark, dense and 

at times abstract. It’s mid-tempo house for the darkest crevasses of the mind. 

Jackson’s clearly trying to tell us something, but what is it? Monty Luke 

Monne AUtoMne 

teco reMixeS 

LoFi Stereo/GER/12 

With Luciano and Pier Bucci appearing for the last time as Monne 

Automne, this remix EP blissfully completes their discography. A filtered 

frenzy of liquid clicks and taunting chords awaits the original hook on this 

classic Mediterranean delight. Flip for an epic, melody-infused cut from 

Neville Attree. Think Ibiza at 5:30 a.m. Praxis 

LUSine 

inSiDe/oUt 

peter GrUMMich 

the roLL 

Spectral/US/12 

Seattle’s Lusine and German Grummich don’t share much in common on 

these singles, sitting on opposite ends of the leftfield techno spectrum. 

Heard in conjunction, however, they’re equally compelling. While Lusine 

focuses on precision cuts, noises and details over four gorgeous, vocalwarping 

slices of danceable ambient-glitch, Grummich throws his drum 

machine against the wall and rages like a tweaking minimal-tech punk 

rocker. The beauty of Lusine’s chart-bound “These Things” is only matched 

by Grummich’s stomach-punching “This One Jacks.” Derek Grey 

108 

SiNGLeS 

tecHno 

guest reviews: 

miskate 

herBert BoSe 

tiMeS Up 

Jaktronik/GER/12 

Oddly hitting shelves as this artist’s first release, the 12” combines the 

arrangement skills of a veteran sequencer and the audio selection of a 

trained producer. Fusing a bit of Detroit techno, UK electro and Chicago 

house alike, the sound ranges from atmospheric synth washes to quasiacid 

blips and back to pumping 130bpm percussion. A skilled production 

no doubt, and true analog vintage synths to boot! Praxis 

tocotronic 

pUre vernUnft DArf nieMALS SieGen 

Kompakt Pop/GER/12 

If you like Misson Of Burma or Yo La Tengo and speak German, Tocotronic 

offers a jangly, propulsive dose of indie songcraft. While the CMJ set 

digests it lovingly, the dance DJs out there can fixate on the Superpitcher 

and Wassermann mixes, especially the nine-minute Maxi version, which 

uses handclaps, treated guitar samples and melodic tech-house synth 

stabs as building material. The finished edifice is a sturdy club track that 

cloudbursts mid-track into warm, smothering feedback. Tomas Palermo 

Gino S & SnAKe pLiSSKen 

Myth MAniAc ep 

Notorious Elecktro/FRA/12 

Arriving as this label’s first 12” release, the sound only leaves listeners aching 

for more. Cataloged amongst Gigolo, Turbo, Hot Banana and Kilo, this 

industrial-aimed electro-tech thriller is full of stinky mid-bass grooves and 

steadily driving dance-proven percussive bits. The distorted/compressed 

memo vocal line with Biggie Smalls flavor truly seals the deal. Praxis 

Philadelphia’s Kate Iwanowicz (a.k.a. Miskate) isn’t a household name to minimal techno fans yet, but if 

her recent deluge of vinyl is any indication, ribcages far and near will soon be quaking to her skittering 

rhythms. Originally a Pittsburgh DJ, she held down residencies at Iaga and Zythos, and was co-founder 

of Savitri Sundays. Iwanowicz received a degree in anthropology (and a minor in music) and participated 

in a gamelan ensemble. A multi-instrumentalist from her youth onwards–first playing violin, then piano 

and guitar and now sample-based electronics–Iwanowicz’s regular DJ bookings encouraged her move to 

Philadelphia in summer 2001. Girl got right down to brass tacks, organizing both the Pitchspork monthly 

(with guest DJs like Magda, Geoff White and Jeff Milligan) and the foundsound record label. Her 2004 

single “Rip It Cookie Muenster” (foundsound) was remixed by Matthew Dear and her other squiggly jams 

are out on Microcosm and Alphahouse. Here’s what’s skating through her sets these days. Che Devine 

www.foundsoundrecords.com 

SoMeone eLSe/ezeKieL honiG MAcrofUn voL.3 Microcosm/US/10 

Someone Else’s comfy bassline and solid snares on “Goink” keep the body grounded as the mind swirls 

within a static cloud that envelops kaleidoscopic laughter and vocoded phraselets. Scratchy percussion 

tumbles into time while a moody bassline strolls, and handclaps keep you oriented within Ezekiel Honig’s 

wistful “Transportation Application.” Miskate 

frivoLoUS KevorK Motion ep Background/GER/12 

Frivolous’s “Poularde Artificielle” is a sweet and pleasantly bumpy ride with soothing pans and insectile 

frequencies that cut through the thick honey deepness. “Lazy Dazy”’s long-patterned bass makes for a songlike 

jam with crickets in the distance, story-telling vocals and the occasional violin interjection. Miskate 

troy pierce rUn Minus/CAN/12 

Troy Pierce pushes the minimal techno pattern in “King Contrary Man” with tweeky blips and sharp metallic 

wisps that cut through a bouncing bass. In “Scene 15,” the sky may as well be falling with atmospheric 

washes and twisted bells while a stompy bass keeps the time. Miskate 

repeAt repeAt 

BoUnce yoUr BoDy to the Box 

Soma/SCOT/12 

While Soma’s recent output has been too club-oriented for some listeners, this 

new EP should reinvigorate interest in the label’s diverse A&R policies. Dave 

Congreve and Mark Rutherford’s Repeat Repeat treads in minimal acid territory, 

the no-man’s land between Orac’s tweaky, panned and cut-up minimalism and 

Perlon’s guttural bounce. “I Dream of Riots” slices ‘80s videogame noises with 

a laser scalpel, exposing a core of tic-tac drum skips and stereo digital sound 

design. “Intense” is the most apt description I have for this. Tomas Palermo 

DArren GAte 

SLAcK SpAce 

Skip/GER/12 

Introducing some fresh US talent, Skip diversifies with a showcase of 

genre fusion for this chilled-out installation. The A-side delivers a simple 

tech-house feel, hosting a syncopated mono-synth lead with an added 

ornamental slide. Funky yet straight-ahead, the B-side contains a distinct 

melody atop static haze, set in a Chicago-styled industrial mix. Praxis 

Sex in DALLAS 

GrAnD openinG 

JAhcoozi 

BLAcK BArBie 

Kitty-Yo/GER/12 

When I first put on Kidnap’s mix of Sex In Dallas’ “Threads” I thought, “Did 

George Clinton’s Brides of Funkenstein go acid techno?” Instead, SID’s EP 

unfolds as four blackhearted synthpunk tunes that might fall into Trevor 

Jackson’s or Ricardo Villalobos’ crates. The Stereotyp remix of Jahcoozi’s 

“Black Barbie” takes a Coolie Dance-type riddim and attaches it to some 

ragga art scenester vocal ramblings (think M.I.A. or G.Rizo). I like the 

squelchy, techno bounce of “Jah C/DC” better–its slower tempo and dirty 

beats repel all notions of restraint. Che Devine

eviewS 

House guest 

reviews: 

wally callerio 

Throughout this issue you’ve probably gotten the idea that Chicago has house music on lock. But Southern 

California DJs and producers like Doc Martin, Marques Wyatt and our reviewer Wally Callerio have put a 

distinct West Coast stamp on the genre. Callerio’s Dufflebag Recordings (founded in 1997) made a home 

for international artists such as Natural Rhythm, JT Donaldson, Lance Desardi and Vibezelect. The label’s 

sound has always been a consistent brew of robust four-to-the-floor drum programming, dreamy melodies 

and funky basslines that get the blood pumping quicker than a steamy episode of The OC. Callerio’s no 

slouch behind the mixing desk either, releasing work on labels like Alluv, Aroma, Classic, Magnetic and 

Panhandle. His latest remix of Josh One’s “Afterhours” on 5.1 Surround (MyUtopia) is out now. Visit 

Callerio’s newly launched digital music store Digibag, and check out the latest music from this visionary 

producer and businessman. Now lets take a peak in his bag. Hector Cedillo 

www.digibag.com 

nAtUrAL rhythM poLiticS AnD GreeD Vista/US/12 

The track starts off with a deep, chunky bassline that draws the dancers in and then calms their souls 

with some soothing keys. Just when you think the song can’t get any better, then enters the meanest 

muted trumpet I’ve heard in any house track! Wally Callerio 

viBezeLect SiMpLe Life White/US/CD-R 

Farina doesn’t play a set anywhere in the world that doesn’t include a Vibezelect track. “Simple Life” will 

surely satisfy the crowds that like it deep, with a chugging bassline that rumbles your stomach and subtle 

keys to get you in a hypnotic boogie. Wally Callerio 

DJ roD (JAMAntA crew) poqUito Public Access/US/CD 

Brazil is not only a beautiful country, but also a great place to find some of the finest Chicago-style house in 

the world. Yes, that’s right, Chicago house! “Poquito” is a straight up chugger, with a touch of tracked out 

jazz guitar samples and horns. This is one of the many tracks currently in rotation in my bag. Wally Callerio 

MinUS 8 

SoLAriS (pAScAL hAhn & MinUS 8 

reMix) 

Compost Black/GER/12 

Compost Black’s latest double A-side is their fourth 

installment into edgier, techier nu-house. While 

“Solaris” is on a darker (yet almost too clean to be 

dirty) tip–appealing to those feeling the Tiefschwarz 

vibe–Zwicker’s “Made Up” is a much more lush deep 

house cut with subtle effects and sweet, robotic 

vocals perfect for those sweaty basement nights. TK 

cheLoniS r. JoneS 

Le BAteAU ivre 

Get Physical/GER/12 

If you’re going to drop $11.99 on slab of wax these 

days you might as well spend it on a record that you’re 

gonna hammer for months to come. With remixes by 

Booka Shade, Tuning Spork’s Samim & Michael and 

a new guise by Tiga and Jesper Dahlback you know 

you’re getting quality shit. Nothing but hotness here; 

super chunky beats, mental bass and a bad-ass vocal 

comin’ off like Presence’s “Better Day.” TK 

in fLAGrAnti 

BAnG BAnG! 

MeLoDy MAKer 

Codek/US/12 

Sure to make all the Tigersushi/Williamsburg kids 

as jolly as a coked up St. Nick, Codek gurus Alex 

Gloor and Sasha Crnobnja’s two new ones, “Bang 

Bang!” and “Melody Maker,” answer each other’s 

110 

SiNGLeS 

questions. The former, featuring the vocals of 

Repellent Magazine’s Ihu Anyanwu (a.k.a G.Rizo), is 

a hedonistic disco-tech arpeggio party peak while 

the latter subdues things with the kind of thing 

Tiefschwarz or Soulwax might play at a dinner party 

for their parents. Alexis Georgopoulos 

DJ oJi 

eSteBAn 

JeroMe SyDenhAM AnD MiKAeL 

norDGren 

StocKhoLM-Go BAnG 

Ibadan/US/12 

Intertwining anodyne melodies with rapturous drum 

rhythms, “Esteban” will leave the dancers still moving 

to its reverberations. DJ Oji and percussionist 

David Greenwood showcase their perspicacity for 

the diverse dancefloor experience. With the mix of 

“Esteban” fading out, “Stockholm-Go Bang” fades 

into the light with its pulsating and delicious string 

section. Fans of “The Joburg Theme” by DJ Gregory 

or the Spiritual South remix of “Gabryelle” will welcome 

these additions to the house. Scott Edmonds 

ron trent preSentS itAL fooDS 

DUB Life 

Atal Music/FRA/12 

As much a visual representation of culture as handwoven 

Kente cloth, “Dub Life” communicates a story 

that is both hyper-textual and abstruse. Inspired percussion 

and dub-influenced effects make this tune an 

intricate and percussive delicacy. Scott Edmonds 

Georgina Cook 

2-step guest 

reviews: 

loefaH 

With an alias like Loefah, you might think that Peter Livingstone is one lazy bloke. Not so. In fact, he replied 

in a tidy 48 hours to this guest reviews request, and didn’t slack on getting his work done. Livingston is no 

slouch on the releases either, with tons of tracks out for labels like Rephlex and Big Apple. He’s a regular at 

club FWD and spins on grime pirate Rinse FM. So, if he’s not lazy, why the name? “The origin of my name 

lies with my MC Sgt. Pokes,” Livingston relates via email. “I used to mix drum & bass as Loe2. Pokes love 

wordplay and he ended up adapting Loe2 into Loefah.” Whew! The mystery is solved. For the uninitiated, we 

asked Livingstone to describe his music as if explaining it to his mom. “To be honest…my mum knows the 

score. But if I was explaining it to your mum I’d tell her, ‘My music is minimal and bass heavy.’” Touché. This 

trainer-loving, Xbox-destroying, Tottenham Hotspur supporter has loads more in store, including big tunes on 

the new Dubstep Allstars 2 and his own label, Ital. Here’s his top ranking tunes of late. Tomas Palermo 

www.dmzuk.com, www.tempa.com 

DiGitAL MyStiKz hAUnteD dub/UK/12 

This track is by Coki (one-half of Digital Mystikz), which–to those in the know–means that you best steady 

yourself for the sonic onslaught that will inevitably ensue. It opens with an ugly percussive-sounding 

synth which filters down into nothingness before a wall of sound explodes. In my experience, it’s never 

got past eight bars before someone presses the button to reload. Loefah 

DiGitAL MyStiKz neverLAnD DMZ/UK/12 

“Neverland” has been around on dub for over a year now and, if you’re lucky enough to have a copy, is 

a standard in any dubstep set. It’s got 808 beats, layered strings, percussion, and a bassoon-like sound 

provides the hook. It captures the same ambient dreaminess as LTJ Bukem’s classic “Music.” Loefah 

SKreAM i Tempa/UK/12 

“I” is for incredible. Incredible bass, incredible beats, incredible melodies, incredible energy. A pad that lies 

somewhere between Blade Runner and Friday The Thirteenth builds a perpetual tension, coupled with a clockwork 

yet sparse rhythm that keeps the track’s momentum upbeat. Loefah 

rio BAiLe fUnK 2: More fAveLA Booty 

BeAtS 

Essay/GER/12 

Bass and electro breaks travel to Rio, Brazil again for a 

four-track injection of baile funk. Os Carrascos’s “Pique 

Tá” has a rhythm somewhere between Soulsonic 

Force and L’trimm. Jack E Chocolate blends cumbia 

and Forro-style funky Latin horns with bassy beats. 

Vanessinha and Malha Funk round out the EP with 

a Salt-N-Pepa/new jack swing vibe and infectious 

Portuguese chant-raps. Jam on this. Derek Grey 

KoDe9 AnD the SpAceApe 

KinGStown 

Hyperdub/UK/10 

Flyers for the Digital Mystikz’s DMZ dubstep night read 

“Come meditate on bass weight.” “Kingstown” closes 

a single mournful riff around The Spaceape’s growling 

indictment of societal violence and alienation until listening 

becomes a spiritual, introspective experience. 

Triangle and tablas beat out a twitching post-R&B 

rhythm and yet there’s no sex in this: rather, purpose 

and a cold anger. Cooper 

ShAcKLeton 

i AM AniMAL 

Skulldisco/UK/12 

“Mystical Warrior” is dubstep on Skylab–skittering synth 

arpeggios with a huge Reese bass underneath and hisses 

like escaping air. “I Am Animal” puts the roots back into 

the bassline and lays out a spare percussion groove only 

to steadily push up the intensity with cymbal rolls; it’s 

great at either midnight or 3 a.m. Cooper 

SenSi ALLStArS verSUS controL z 

BiG riDDiM 

Wireframe/UK/12 

Well, this is definitely a British breakbeat single. 

How do I know? Doctor Who Moog leads? Check. 

Soundclash vocal samples? Check. Bits of acid and 

“Mentasm” synth stabs? Check. “Big Riddim” is a tad 

generic, but engineered so deftly that it remains an 

effective club tune. “Decade of Jungle” is more of the 

same with better bass programming. Derek Grey 

JASon MUnDo 

Keep on MovinG 

Kreative Mindz/UK/12 

Dallas native Mundo turns out a classic bumpy UK 

garage tune with a squelchy Todd Edwards feel. 

Strings get processed and filtered within an inch of 

their life and the snares have a rough metallic snap to 

them, so the whole piece leaks funk like oil out of a 

bad engine, wetting up the dancefloor. Cooper 

DiverteD 

thoLiD 

TCR/UK/12 

With a nasty groove that walks a tightrope between 

nu-skool breakbeat and electro-techno, Diverted 

(Steve Baxter and Lee Richardson) filters, twists and 

freaks the synth bass into all kinds of funky shapes. 

A remix by Breakneck’s Vlad Sokolov has a sensual, 

2-steppy swing. Hot! J. Jones 

LEAF IS TEN 

FALL 2005 

MURCOF 

REMEMBRANZA 

CD: BAY 47CD 

LIMITED 2LP: BAY 47V 

STUNNING FOLLOW-UP TO THE ACCLAIMED MARTES, 

REMEMBRANZA REACHES NEW HEIGHTS IN FERNANDO 

CORONA’S EXPLORATIONS AND RE-ESTABLISHES HIM AS 

AN ARTIST AT THE VERY FOREFRONT OF ELECTRONIC 

MUSIC 

ALSO 

COLLEEN 

THE GOLDEN MORNING BREAKS 

CD: BAY 48CD / LIMITED LP: BAY 48V 

SUTEKH 

BORN AGAIN: COLLECTED REMIXES 1999-2005 

2CD: BAY 52CD 

LIMITED 2LP VOL I: BAY 52VA 

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DEFINITIVE TWO CD COLLECTION OF REMIXES BY 

BRILLIANT WEST COAST PRODUCER SETH HORVITZ. 

INCLUDES RARE AND UNRELEASED MIXES OF 

HANNE HUKKELBERG, SWAYZAK, AMMONCONTACT, 

SAFETY SCISSORS, MURCOF, AND MORE 

HANNE HUKKELBERG 

LITTLE THINGS 


THELEAFLABEL.COM 

POSTEVERYTHING.COM/LEAF 

DISTRIBUTED BY REVOLVER 

MIDHEAVEN.COM 

VOLCANO! 

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CD: BAY 54CD 

THIS YOUNG CHICAGO TRIO’S DEBUT IS AN 

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HEAR WHY WE’RE ON XLR8R’S TOP 25 INDIES LIST: 

STILL SUICIDALLY ECLECTIC

eviewS 

fUnKy techniciAnS 

LeGenDS of Love 

Liqweed/UK/12 

Total Science returns under their jazzy, uplifting Funky Technicians alias 

for the first release on DJ Hype and Pascal’s new imprint, Liqweed. 

Quiff and Spinback find a balance between tough drums and engaging, 

melodic compositions. Both “Legends of Love” and “One World” mesh 

soul-drenched vocal samples (Donnie Hathaway!) with rolling rhythms. 

As usual, I’m mesmerized. Derek Grey 

DJ phAntASy, ShoDAn & UK ApAche 

i SAy, yoU SAy 

Easy/UK/12 

OK ravers, get out your lighters, whistles and horns–mek me see some 

signal! A strictly red light ragga MC track from Phantasy and Shodan, 

with UK Apache chatting pure party lyrics: “If them coming in tough/we 

coming in tougher/should a never test/the Original Nuttah. It’s madness 

laid over moody David Axelrod samples and a buzzing hornet bassline. To 

be honest, d&b has been in a rut and it needed an anthemic jump-up track 

like this to shake things up. DJ Chopper 

trUSt/cLASS of ’98 

BiG troUBLe in LittLe chinA 

OG/US/12 

trUSt 

onLy yoU feAt. AUDio AnGeL 

Gasm/US/12 

Trust is fast becoming America’s DJ Hype–a scratching, rap-focused producer 

and DJ whose sampled tracks translate hip-hop’s attitude and head-nod 

dynamics into dancefloor-friendly d&b. “Big Trouble” is a constantly shifting 

slice of True Playaz-style jungle with wildstyle drums and stabbing bass 

galore. “NY Crunk N Bass” from Class of ’98 (Pish Posh and Willie Ross) 

delivers exactly that, alternating between thug rap snippets and ragga mix- 

112 

SiNGLeS 

Drum & bass 


D-kay 

tape blasts. Trust shows his melodic side on “Only You,” which opens with 

Audio Angel’s heartfelt soul vocals before exploding into a wall of distorted 

bass. Equal parts sweet and nasty. Tomas Palermo 

DJ c & qUALity DiAMonD 

Let it BiLLie 

Scandal Bag/US/7 

Boston’s DJ C finally issues his mashed-up d&b rework of Shinehead’s “Billie 

Jean.” One of John Peel’s (RIP) fave cuts on dubplate, C’s 7” single comes in 

both straight-ahead and rough jungle versions. Quality Diamond really nices 

up the mic on this one–“Clean mind clean heart” he chats before launching 

into a double-time lyric. The dancehall/d&b vibes and limber DJ toasts 

should get any sideline posers to hit the dancefloor. Peter Teller 

DrUMSoUnD & BASSLine SMith 

SMoKerS AntheM 

Worldwide Audio/UK/12 

Drumsound & Bassline Smith don’t let up for a minute with their ruthless 

hardstep output, which rarely wavers from their patented aggressive, 

bouncy two-step sound. This duo knows their way around both overdriven 

synths and massively compressed drums. While “Grand Theft Auto 2” 

sounds like Kurt Cobain’s guitar riffs over a hard drum track, while 

“Smokers Delight”–with its “Under Mi Sensi” reggae sample and round, 

rubber-dub bass lick–inspires nuff one-foot skankin’. DJ Chopper 

LoMAx, KUBiKS & Bcee 

Do we fALL 

Wildstyle/UK/12 

Only on its eighth release, Wildstyle has infused the drum & bass scene 

with the same kind of quality music and intricate arrangements that 

Defunked and Soul:r initiated a few years ago. Both sides of this single 

feature super-clean drum programming, sparse, sweet swathes of pads, 

string samples and an array of ear-catching sound effects. I’m partial to 

Vienna, Austria’s David Kulenkampff probably has more tracks to his credit than Paris Hilton has pairs of 

shoes. We’re talking truckloads of amazingly constructed drum & bass gems as D-Kay, and under aliases 

such as Aikon and Mindmachine, as well as co-productions with DJ Lee, Epsilon and Rawfull (as Illskillz) for 

labels such as C.I.A., Critical and Renegade. Kulenkampff has his share of breakthrough songs as well, scoring 

hits on both the Spanish and British National dance music charts with underground bombs like “Tunning” 

(Metalheadz) and the classic “Be There 4 U” (Freak) with Rawfull. Kulenkampff also runs the Brigand label, 

which recently released “Babylon,” a track that solidified his reputation for making tracks that both the 

drumfunk and hardstep crews have to rinse. Travel to central Europe and you’ll hear him play at Club Flex in 

Vienna regularly while his debut album is due to drop before the end of 2005. Devon Pierce 

www.illskillz.at 

StAte of MinD SUn KinG CIA/UK/12 

On this 12” from New Zealand, an intense, chant-driven intro leads into a heavy drop, introduced by 

a pounding drum roll and an Indian vocal leads on through the whole track, giving it an uplifting and 

hypnotic feeling. D-Kay 

D-BriDGe withoUt AnSwerS Soul:r/UK/12 

Darren from Bad Company comes with two deep steppers on Soul:r. Intricate sample tweaking, top grooves and 

the already trademark D-Bridge sub make this 12” a must have for the advanced listener. D-Kay 

hAzArD USe yoUr BrAin Ganja/UK/12 

I like music that makes me smile and this track absolutely does. Hazard turns on the fun and pulls it off nicely 

without being cheesy. “Use Your Brain” is wicked in the mix and gets drawn in every set. Keep an eye out for 

this guy in the future. D-Kay 

Lomax and Bcee’s exotic and shimmering track “Impossible Dream,” built 

on atmospheric Arp synths, orchestral strings and a Turkish flute riff. 

Dreamy. Tomas Palermo 

ADAM f 

8 BALL 

Breakbeat Kaos/UK/12 

Adam F seems intent on hypnotizing the dancefloor. The man pays particular 

attention to every sound (transformed old school hip-hop samples, sinuous 

upright bass riffs, R&B snippets) in his diverse and choppy tracks. That’s a 

good thing ‘cause when his manic drums and hooky dropouts are rendered 

to vinyl, DJs and dancers reap the rewards of Adam’s sharp ears. “8 Ball” 

hits the corner pocket dead on with all the above–game over! Peter Teller 

cApone 

StyLe BABy 

Test/UK/12 

Capone tracks are, in a word, brutal. They’re also relentless, distinctive 

and push the limits of the volume threshold. No wonder DJs like Andy 

C, Mampi Swift and Grooverider rinse Test plates with regularity. While 

“Style Baby” pulls no punches (the trademark compressed drums and 

overdriven bass will tear lesser speaker cones to shreds), the surprise 

A-side tune “No Food,” which opens with melodic jazz Rhodes chords, 

unfolds as a bass-driven sub roller. Think Krust’s Full Cycle and V output 

and you get the idea. Another Test triumph. DJ Chopper 

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eviewS 

Hip-Hop guest 

reviews: 

DJ vaDim 

Russian ex-pat Vadim Peare relocated to South London and around 1992 the hip-hop enthusiast started 

messing around with a cheap sampler and his record collection. This culminated in Jazz Fudge, a label that 

would bear DJ Vadim’s first single, “Abstract Hallucinating Gasses,” and the album Headz Ain’t Ready. While 

mid-’90s trip-hop labels like Mo’ Wax and Cup of Tea chose traditional instrumental hip-hop routes, Vadim’s 

Jazz Fudge issued beathead music that was both truly avant garde and philosophical. Three albums for Ninja 

Tune soon followed (U.S.S.R. Repertoire, U.S.S.R. Life From The Other Side and U.S.S.R. The Art of Listening). 

Having toured nearly every continent and collabo’ing with MCs like Slug, Gift of Gab and Moshun Man, 

Vadim now embarks on One Self, a trio project with Blu Rum 13 and Yarav Bravo. We originally asked Vads 

to lace us with his fave singles, but he had his own plan in mind: “I decided to talk about a couple of things 

that probably people in the US have never heard of or are unavailable except via the web.” Derek Grey 

www.djvadim.com 

tASK force BiG SMoKe Home Grown/UK/12 

Task Force (a.k.a. Chester P Hackenbush) and Farmer Gilles have been causing a minor storm on the London 

underground. They’re always poignant and on-point, whether they’re rapping about social injustice, racism, 

drug running, inner city life or the beauty of butterflies, monsoon mountain biking and tornado skydiving. 

Can’t quite think of any other rap group anywhere in the world who can do that. DJ Vadim 

SoLo LoS SoLo toDo eL MUnDo Lo SABeS K Industria/SPN/LP 

Solo Los Solo is DJ/producer Griffi and Juan Solo hailing from Barcelona. Production-wise, Griffi is one 

of the sickest and most slept on producers with complex, musical patterns not too dissimilar to JayDeemeets-Ammon 

Contact-meets-Madlib, but on another level. DJ Vadim 

hocUS pocUS 73 toUcheS Onandon/FRA/LP 

Hocus Pocus hails from Nantes on the west coast of France and is made up of rapper/musician 20Syl and 

C2C (the two-time world DMC team DJ champions). This isn’t a mix of relentless madman cuts and shouting 

but something extremely musical and lyrical with subtle scratches, atmospheres and reflections. DJ Vadim 

DooLey-o 

SoApS 

Lewis/UK/12 

“I got reservations/dinner and a limo/But your ass 

wanna stay home with Jay Leno/Watching re-runs 

of Ricki Lake/You’d be the first one to go on Elimidate…” 

Yes, Dooley-O’s talking about women who 

watch too much TV. And he’s hungry! “Instead of 

making a steak/you were Making The Band…” It’s a 

humorous send up with a serious side: “The idiot box 

is tearing us apart.” Take that UPN, MTV and Fox! 

B-side “Monday Night” is a superb battle rap that 

recalls classics by Kool G Rap & Polo or Big Daddy 

Kane. Phil Phloe 

oKAi 

BoUt thAt 

Soundchron/US/12 

Produced by Ayatollah, Okai’s single should remind 

hip-hop fans of Gang Starr, Mobb Deep and Black 

Moon’s gritty OG sound–a welcome change in this 

bling era. Why? ‘Cause it means Okai (who reps 

East Flatbush) has to be as dramatic and lyrical as 

Ayatollah’s funky beat. No monotone flow and an 808 

here, son. “Face Off” features Planet Asia who informs 

us that he’s “comin’ with force,” which he does over a 

sample-filtered, low-slung groove. Duncan Phillips 

tAte the GreAt 

tiMe for hip-hop 

Overground/US/12 

Tate’s rugged, no-nonsense working class lyrics reflect 

the Chicago streets he originates from. Hot production 

from DJ JFX, Babu (Dilated Peoples) and 

114 

SiNGLeS 

LA’s Discrete Merchants mostly suits Tate’s rapid-fire 

rants. In particular, “Fast Food Rap” typifies this 

MC’s distaste for commercial rap: “Jump up get 

down pump up the sound/Say fuck mainstream it’s 

the underground.” With strong ties to both Common 

and LA’s Beat Junkies, Tate will make his mark soon. 

Tomas Palermo 

J rAwLS feAt. ALoe BLAcc 

BAiLAr 

Polar/GER/12 

Soul vocals, future jazz rhythms and a progressive hiphop 

feel should make all kinds of fans love this Latin 

love jam. Aloe translates his inner emotional thoughts 

on in-the-club encounters over a horn-laden acoustic 

salsa rhythm. DJs from Jazzy Jeff to Gilles Peterson 

will be spinning this. Phil Phloe 

SoUnD proviDerS 

it’S GonnA Bee pArt ii 

LiKwit JUnKieS 

Ghetto 

ABB/US/12 

Both the Sound Providers and Likwit Junkies singles 

prove that substance trumps style any day. With 

a strong current flowing to reclaim hip-hop’s message 

from the materialistic elements that hijacked 

it, Defari’s straightforward dialogue on “Ghetto” and 

“Brother” packs more reality than a PBS documentary. 

Babu’s scratches add funky drama. Sound Providers’ 

“sound” is the main focus of their single (featuring NY’s 

Wee Bee Foolish), which loops upbeat xylophones, barbecue 

organs and jazzy piano riffs with positive results. 

Let the revolution begin. Tomas Palermo 

future Jazz 


nickoDemus 

A man of few words and many beats, Nicholas DeSimone has established himself as America’s foremost 

global beat fusionist. Whether he’s remixing Argentian bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla or mixing it up 

with live musicians at the Turntables on the Hudson parties he helped co-found, Nick is usually not far 

from an array of conga, zither and sitar-wielding pals. Along with DJ/producer mates like Zeb, Osiris, 

DJ Angola and others, Nick has brought the true melting pot sounds of his native New York to listeners 

everywhere. His recent Coney Island Love CD (Wonderwheel) saw him stirring up globalized tracks by 

Quantic, Shantel, Zimpala and The Rootsman, while his single “Cleopatra in New York” (with Carol C) 

is still making the rounds in worldbeat-friendly lounges. The man moves at the Big Apple’s pace–there’s 

always a DJ gig or production session around the corner–so we were honored to pin him down for a few 

recommended releases. Tomas Palermo 

www.wonderwheelrecordings.com 

DUBAwAre SoUnDSySteM eAStern chiLD Musicpark/US/12 

My favorite beginning of the night/set the vibe right tune. When the vocals come in, there’s an overwhelming 

feeling of peace and ease in the air. Nickodemus 

Kinny & horne US on fire (oriGinAL Mix) Tru Thoughts/UK/12 

A flirty love tune that flips the old “Bam Bam” horns into a nice new mid-tempo groove. Lyrics are singing: 

“I return your smile/loving you in my own kind of way.” She sounds like a bonafide cutie! Nickodemus 

cAnDeLA ALLStArS (MAtty 2 Deep reMix) BroBoMBiqUe Candela/PR/12 

This smooth and melodic house groove has the catchiest authentic Puerto Rican vocals and percussion. 

A sureshot for hips worldwide! Nickodemus 

five cornerS qUintet 

cornerStoneS 

Ricky Tick/FIN/12 

The Five Corners Quintet is at the forefront of a burgeoning 

postmodern jazz scene in Scandinavia. The 

aptly titled “Straight Up” pays it forward with zeal 

and attitude. The vocals of Mark Murphy compliment 

the samba “Before We Say Goodbye,” and the ballad 

“Blue Circles” with French chanteuse Okou’s smoky 

vocals ends it all far too soon. Velanche 

ALex AttiAS preSentS MUStAnG 

10,000 LeAGUeS Deeper 

Compost/GER/12 

Belgian duo Trickski’s seductive and epic Weather Report 

mix is like a hot tease holding back just enough to make 

you want more, with Bembe Segue cooing over percolating 

beats. F-Com honcho Laurent Garnier goes peaktime 

with a house mix hard and naughty enough to induce 

some serious marks…on the floor, that is. Velanche 

MADviLLAin (foUr tet & KoUShiK 

reMixeS) 

Stones Throw/USA/12” 

‘Tis a game of two halves as they say. I’m only a casual 

Four Tet fan; intrigued, but not a fanatic. However, 

after the jazz hooligan madness of “Meat Grinder” I 

look forward to more of the Four Tet-with-vocals formation. 

While Stones Throw has the balls to team-up 

the masked one, the mad one and Four Tt, it’s unfortunate 

the Koushik mixes didn’t score so well, missing 

the high standard of the originals. Franz Carr 

AMerie 

one BoSSA (Don ritMo re-eDit) 

Shoes/US/12 

A mash-up of sorts, wherein Amerie’s back-up vocals 

get grafted onto leftover Dave Brubeck-meets-Kyoto 

Jazz Massive bossa jazz before fading back into Rich 

Harrison’s brilliant Meters cut-up. Not bad, but it 

promised more and the fact is we all know it: the original 

is just that much better. Alexis Georgopoulos 

BAKUrA 

reAch the SKy ALBUM SAMpLer 

Especial/UK/12 

Evolving from their Bedford, UK-based band The 

Collective Unconscious, Dominic “Domu” Stanton 

and Robert Marin’s Bakura project has taken a live 

approach to broken boogie studio numbers. Tracks 

like the rude “Bada”–a speedy, spacey fusion number 

featuring aerobic live horn fills and jagged, locomotive 

beats–and the disco-funk influenced “Play That 

Game” and “Lately” foreshadow an emotive but partyready 

collection from this dynamic duo. Derek Grey 

SiMon GrAy 

the GALácticA SUite 

Papa/UK/12 

Based in Hamburg, Australian Gray is a keyboard wiz 

who’s toured with Incognito and remixed Everything 

But The Girl. That experience pays off on a funky track 

featuring live horns from The TinMen, swirling keys 

and bouncy drums–a full arrangement that evokes 

Earth, Wind & Fire’s exuberant “September” era. “The 

Galáctica Suite” brings the heat. Hector Cedillo

eviewS 

Greetings, congregation, and welcome to the Divine Church of the 

Blessed Boogie. I am The Good Reverend Superbizzee, devoted to 

spreading the gospel of the baddest soundz around. 

Members of the congregation, if you thought Japan settled on 

bottling the extract of the very essence of hip-hop culture, wait 

till your senses take in “Pick Up The Pieces One By One” and “Hot 

Pants Road” (Monaurail & Empowerment), two 45s from Japanese 

band Osaka Monaurail. These cats have devoted their blood, 

sweat, tears and careers to recreating the sounds of James Brown’s 

incomparably tight rhythm section, The J.B.’s. Truth & Soul and 

Daptone…beware. 

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed recording studio somewhere on 

the West Coast, Sa-Ra is devising the supreme takeover. Select 

classified files are being leaked via the good folks over at Sound 

In Color. Their five-track EP, “2nd Time Around,” will be issued as 

a double vinyl gatefold set this fall. Cop the CD version; get a bonus 

track. Yeah…it figures. 

Following their exodus from Blue Note, funk-soul brothas Soulive 

are back in the saddle with a new album, Break Out (Concord), and a 

new single, “Back Again,” featuring Chaka Khan wailing on the mic 

check. 

Church, we all know that patience is a true virtue. But judging 

from the salty chorus to Ex-Black Eyed Peas chanteuse Kim Hill’s 

bangin’ single “Right Now” (Concrete Groves), homegirl ain’t feelin’ 

delayed gratification. “See, I’ve waited forever/ while my breasts are 

perky and before I’m old and gray/I want my sh*t out right now/ like, 

today.” Let the church say amen. 

after silence 

by martin De leon ii 

expLorinG the oUter orBitS of LeftfieLD, 

eLectronic MUSic AnD everythinG in Between 

Beats are bespectacled and grow beards while questioning the future this 

month. Despite the slow fade of summertime, we keep looking at the clouds 

above. And remember what’s written all over the city walls: tomorrow always 

comes. 

‘70s aesthetics always come too, and the ticky-tack drums and syrupy 

tempos of that decade are what make Bay Area trio Run Return’s heart 

pound. They might not have on their Can t-shirts, but these dudes are futurists 

looking backwards. On their dumb hot 7” single, “Animals Are Beautiful 

People” (n5MD), they beautifully suffer from Anticon-itis with laptop instrumentals 

that are lush, trashy and yet melodic–something they share with 

likeminded eggheads Subtle. “Mercury Retrogade” throws slinky synthesizers 

against complicated drumming (both fake and so real), making dancefloors 

out of computer screens. 

Canadians, like computers, are the future. Vancouver’s Ache Records’ 

Div/orce 7” series pairs underground electronic folks with their scruffyheaded 

noise rock counterparts. On the third of a proposed nine-part 

series, Hrvatski (a.k.a Keith Fullerton Whitman) bumps into New York’s 

Sightings, a trio best known for their dissonant neon noise. Hrvatski does 

his math on “Une Drole De Journee” where drums birth more drums until 

8-bit melodies wonderfully take over. Sightings come out with crashing 

harmonies of feedback on “Back To Back”–all formless screams and beefy 

bass like machines making out. 

France is where robots come from. Frenchman Feadz, both a DJ and 

producer, releases his fourth EP, “Forward4,” for the German Bpitch label and 

116 

MUSiC COLUMNS 

tHe Down-beat Diaspora 

by rico “superbizzee” wasHington 

GettinG yoU Up on the ShArpeSt SoUL, fUnK AnD r&B. 

DJ Jazzy Jeff is gearing up to release what brazenly promises 

to be the “antidote to Rhythm & Bullsh*t;” namely, the long-awaited 

debut album from R&B crooner V entitled The Revelation Is Now 

Televised (BBE). Jeff‘s also been busy mixing a set of contemporary 

soul gems for Groovin’ Records featuring the likes of Leela James, 

Martin Luther and Dwele to be dubbed The Soul Mixtape. 

Man, I’ve wasted enough spit in heated debates with know-it-all 

music snobs about my beloved D.C.’s musical merit beyond go-go. 

And finally, here’s a 7” slice from the cellar that will pimp slap the 

hell out of all nonbelievers. Soul Line/Ten12 Records have dusted 

off a five-alarm fire starter for “She’s The One” by D.C. soul outfit 

Diplomats (now flush your mind of those Dipset images). 

Church, word is Sly Stone’s catalog of psychedelic delicacies 

is getting a second overhaul (see 1979’s Ten Years Too Soon) in 

Different Strokes By Different Folks (Legacy/ Sony). But with a mixed 

bag of guests like D’Angelo, Maroon 5 and Steven Tyler, this family 

affair seems kinda dysfunctional. How dare you tread on sacred 

ground and desecrate the funk? Who in the funk do you think you 

are? Well, that concludes this month’s sermon. Now go out and be 

deliverers of the good word! 

leaves eyes open with two sides of blurry beats. “On All Fours” is like a videogame 

version of the Knight Rider theme in Paris while “Resurector” shakes 

plastic hips with cross-eyed synths and a hip-hop ethos melting around the 

pulse of endless pitter-pattering drums. 

Endings are rarely pretty things and for New Jersey hip-hop crew dälek 

it’s no different. The band announced that its longtime DJ, Still, has left to 

work on other projects. The DJ’s new work, Remains (Public Guilt), is 34 

minutes of intricate turntable composition (resembling Philip Jeck and 

Otomo Yoshihide) where sadness and tiny melodies make for a terrific 

record–sometimes endings make sense. 

Animal masks, on the other hand, don’t make a lick of sense. Mexican 

post-rock outfit Austin TV has been laying down preppy, Stereolab-esque 

instrumentals for four years. Their numerous EPs, including “La Ultima Noche 

Del Mundo,” don’t require a Spanish dictionary, but–like fellow Mexico City 

experimenters Café Tacuba–they will make you feel like you’re watching the 

future from the Zocalo. 

Japan’s Rebel Familia is also worth eyeing out for their study of 

Jamaican rhythms on their Techno Animal-meets-Deadbeat post-dub. 

Rubbery basslines and echoed drums noisily bump into each other on 

Solidarity (Cisco Records) and their self-titled work. Geography, in electronic 

music, is a ghost. 

Soulive 

Steven Tyler 

Philip Jeck 

Cafe Tacuba 

30498 12092 

www.bluenote.com 

c2005 Blue Note Records. 

Digable Planets 

Beyond the Spectrum: 

The Creamy Spy Chronicles 

Filled with literate lyrics, honey-smooth flow, and inventive arrangements, the Digable Planets albums 

redefined hip-hop, and set standards for the generation of soul poets and innovative producers that 

followed. Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles effortlessly reiterates the classic hits, 

remixes, and rarities that brought Digable Planets into the forefront of jazz-influenced hip-hop, and 

made them the venerable trio they are today. 

Jazzanova 

Blue Note Trip: Lookin’ Back/Movin’ On 

Digging in the crates of the Blue Note vaults, world-renowned DJ collective, JAZZANOVA, has 

compiled and mixed the new Blue Note Trip: Lookin’ Back/Movin’ On. Pulling vintage material 

from Horace Silver, Bobby Hutcherson, Eddie Gale, Donald Byrd, and Bobbi Humphrey, to name 

a few, Jazzanova has created energetic moments with melodies and arrangements that will set 

the perfect backdrop for your shindig! This limited edition 2-disc set and the specially packaged 

full-length vinyl are both in stores now.

eviewS 

So there I was minding my own business–breeding mosquitoes 

so I could try out that West Nile virus I had been 

hearing so much about–when my friends arrived for their 

bi-weekly intervention. “Just a minute,” I told them, “I’ve 

got to feed my guys.” And I hopped out onto the roof to 

tend to the local seagulls. We’ve formed a nice bond over 

the years–they give me an excuse to leave the house on 

these groggy afternoons, and I supply all the cold french 

fries and stale tortillas they can gulp down before the crows 

show up. “Come in here–we’ve got to talk!” yelled my worrisome 

pals from the living room. It was a perfect foggy San 

Francisco afternoon–I had The Epoxies on the stereo and a 

batch of mashed potatoes on the stove–I didn’t need their 

meddlesome crap today. “Do me a favor–go upstairs into my 

spare bedroom and check on that large petri dish. I think it 

should be about ready.” 

1. Jneiro JAreL three piece pUzzLe (Ropeadope/ 

US/CD) This Philly (by way of Houston and NYC) cat is on a 

stylistic par with Freestyle Fellowship and Native Tongues, 

while sonically holding his own amongst current heavyweights 

Sa-Ra and JayDee. Jarel proves with tracks like 

”Big Bounce Theory,” “Do Yo Thang” and “Get Yuh Own” 

that we are listening to greatness. 

2. cAit LA Dee BeAUty SchooL DropoUt (L4L 

Music/US/CD) Take the authority of Aretha, the harmonies 

of En Vogue and the femme fatale ballsiness of Stevie 

Nicks and you come close to this young Bay Area singer/ 

songwriter’s depth. Dee’s is a voice to behold. 

3. v/A nUBLU recorDS SAMpLer (Nublu/US/10) If 

these are the sounds coming out of the East Village’s Nublu 

lounge, I’m hitting the rails and getting my ass out there right 

away. From Kudu’s hard electro-rock to the glorious Forro in 

the Dark featuring Brazilian actor/musician Seu Jorge (The Life 

Aquatic, City of God), this makes me happy day after day. 

4. v/A hip-hop rootS (Tommy Boy/US/2xLP) You’ve 

probably owned most if not all of these essential breaks 

over the years, but have scratched or lost them all several 

times over. Maybe you started collecting late and never 

thought you’d ever own these classics. Or, if artists like Billy 

Squire, ESG and the Jimmy Castor Bunch don’t register at 

all–here’s your chance to learn. 

5. DArKAt “oMniA AB Uno” (Nutmeats/US/12EP) 

D-DAy one “Loop extenSionS” (Content/US/LP) 

Two fine slabs of mostly instrumental hip-hop progression 

from Berkeley and LA, respectively. Some stuff for the 

warehouse art parties, some stuff for the come-down session 

in your living room. Both cats damn well know their 

way around a sampler. 

118 

MUSiC COLUMNS 

lucky 13 

by topH one 

6. nicKoDeMUS enDAnGereD SpecieS 

(Wonderwheel/US/CD) Nickodemus paints his collage 

of NYC life with a global palette of sounds and voices from 

almost every corner of the map–contrasting cultures overlap 

and meld into a cohesive whole. Am I being too highbrow? 

This is worldwide party music–now dance, motherfuckers! 

7. the eArL “Life feAt. Stro” (Footlong/US/12) 

Seems like this guy’s always got three records in my bag 

at any one time. By now I just pack the damn things up and 

head to the gig, I know it’s gonna be hot. Period. 

8. LiGhtheADeD “tiMeLeSS” (Tres/US/12) File this 

one next to Foreign Legion, P.U.T.S. and–why not?–The Earl. 

Neck-snappin’ beautiful goddamn hip-hop. I love it. 

9. overtone “Give it AGAin” (RedBud/US/12) Oh 

man, this is my joint of the month. The original mix is all 

heavy and rough with a ragga toaster, the Dither Down 

Mix gets all electro-bounce, and finally Inverse Cinematics 

breaks the whole thing open with some ill Bugz-sounding 

nastiness. 

10. StrAnGer BAy “nU 4 U ep” (Grayhound/ 

US/12EP) This might as well be Larry Levan remixing The 

Clash. So now we know what heaven sounds like. 

11. BLAcKSoUL “the StronG ep” (Icon/US/12EP) 

Hotshit house music from a Croatian brother! “Strong” is 

straight-up West Coast bump, where “No More Trouble” 

is on a jazzy, poolside vibe. Shots of slivovitz for me and 

Tomislav Pasanec! 

12. SpAnK rocK “pUt thAt pUSSy on Me–DipLo 

toniGht reMix” (Money Studies/US/12) Baltimore 

versus North Philly as Diplo funkrocks up the ready-quivering 

barnstormer from Spank Rock and Xxxchange. 

LUcKy 13) the Do-over (Hollywood/party) Jhrmatic 

SoundSystem’s Chris Haycock along with Ubiquity’s Jamie 

Strong and MC Aloe Black bring together the real-deal LA 

party people every Sunday afternoon for a free, outdoor soiree 

that’s small on size but large in heart. Keep on rockin’! 

Jneiro Jarel 

Lightheaded 

TophOne’s mix CD Live Loud & Dirty is available at www.fabric8.com/redwine. 

Hear him every Wednesday at the RedWine Social at Dalva in SF.

machines 

in the studio 

In the studIo Ken GIbson 

An LA experimentAL techno mAstermind meets us 

At the bAr in his time mAchine. 

words: tomas palermo pHoto: drew reynolds 

Kenneth James Gibson. You’d think a first, middle and last name would 

be enough for one man. But after Los Angeles-based minimal techno 

producer and Austin, TX native Gibson issued his first shattered electronic 

works as 8 Frozen Modules (The Confused Electrician on City 

Slang) in 1997, he continued to morph like the Woody Allen character 

Zelig, and a torrent of new aliases followed. Gibson’s output under 

such bizarre and arresting production names as Bal Cath, Dubloner 

and Premature Wig appears on SoCal labels Skor and Headinghome, 

while work as [a]pendics.shuffle is released on Seattle’s Orac and 

Matthew “Safety Scissors” Curry’s Proptronix imprint. 

Although Gibson’s music is as different as his names are unique, 

a trio of main influences unites his sound: dub, minimal techno and 

experimental electronic sound design. Gibson obsesses over the 

minuscule details of each recording; precise fragments of sound are 

arranged and scattered on his Eight Frozen Modules albums Random 

Activities and Broken Sunsets (Phthalo), Thought Process Disorder 

(Orthlorng Musork) and Crumbling and Responding (g25). With further 

releases on heavyweight international labels like Tigerbeat 6, Mille 

Plateaux and Planet Mu, there’s no question that Gibson has emerged 

as one of North America’s most important young composers. In many 

ways, Kenneth James Gibson is an American Richard D. James. 

Gibson’s latest projects include a collaboration with fellow 

dub-electronic seeker Jack Dangers (of Meat Beat Manifesto 

and Tino Corp) as Hiss And Buzz, and the launch of Gibson’s own 

Adjunct Audio label. Riding off rave reviews in Europe for his glitchy 

[a]pendics.shuffle singles on Orac, Gibson took some time out of his 

hectic studio sessions to give us the lowdown on his gear and life. 

wHen did you start producing 

electronic music? 

I started making electronic tracks in 1994. The first release was early 

‘96 or late ‘95. 

at last count, How many aliases are 

you using? 

I use seven that have releases out and two new ones to come, 

which are Hiss and Buzz (with Jack Dangers) and Whoa Buck (with 

Orac founder Konstantin Gabbro). I also started a new label called 

Adjunct, which is run by Konstantin and I. 

wHo’s your favorite dub producer? 

It’s a toss up between King Tubby and Mad Professor. Tubby passed 

away early and his sounds, for the time they came out, were the best 

there was. He was the master and pioneer! Mad Professor just got 

really crazy later. Some really mad fucked up next level dub shit... 

wHat music makes you nostalgic? 

Lots of music makes me nostalgic. Daft Punk’s first record (the good 

one) seems to do that, some older Meat Beat Manifesto, The Orb, 

The Smiths, Seefeel, etc., etc. 

wHat’s your main studio set-up rigHt 

now? give us a virtual tour! 

Right now my studio set-up is pretty basic. I use a PC laptop. I use 

the Evolution X-Session and an ASR-10 for MIDI controllers. I monitor 

through a dusty Mackie 16-channel mixer and record vocals with 

shitty mics through a Samson mixer. I use Cubase SX, Fruity Loops, 

tons of VST plugs (such as all the Native Instruments stuff), DFX, 

Pluggo, and tons of free stuff that I find on the web. I also have 

guitars and bass lying around that I sometimes bust out. 

How do you monitor your tracks? do 

you recommend any kind of speakers 

or HeadpHones? 

I use Alesis Monitor Ones and an Alesis RA 100 amp. I love the monitor 

ones and will use them forever. They don’t make them anymore 

but you can find them used and I highly suggest it. 

wHat’s one piece of Hardware tHat 

doesn’t exist tHat you’d like to see in tHe 

future? 

That would be the time machine I am working on. It will have an 

onboard studio and bar. The studio will change through the years and 

new ideas will develop. 

fill in tHe blanks: 

I have made hundreds of tracks that sound like: “shit.” 

When I’m not making music, I’m probably: “getting loaded.” 

Three fellow artists that I admire include: “Bruno Pronsato, 

Phthalocyanine, John Tejada.” 

do you ever find yourself making too 

mucH music? 

Yes, all the time. I just took a much needed break! 

www.eight-frozen-modules.com, www.adjunct-audio.com 

In Ken Gibson’s studio: Evolution X- 

Session, Alesis Monitor Ones, Mackie 

16-channel mixer, Ensoniq ASR-10 

machines 

components 

120 121

MAChiNeS 

122 

COMPONeNTS 

cAkewALk Z3tA+ 

softwAre synthesiZer 

MsRP: $289.99; www.caKewalK.coM 

Cakewalk Z3ta+ software encompasses every feature of an 

analog subtractive synthesizer down to a wavetable synth, not to 

mention the FM synthesis characteristics as well. With up to a 

64-voice polyphony and six oscillators per voice, your patches can 

be as simple as a passive chord stab, or as complex as user-drawn 

waveshapes that morph over a period of a few minutes. Twiddle the 

two stereo filters, eight six-stage envelope generators and six hefty 

LFOs, and soon enough you’ll be astral projecting yourself beyond the 

rings of Saturn. Praxis 

numArk idJ ipod mixer 

MsRP: $399; www.nuMaRK.coM 

Could this dual dock mixer be what DJs have been salivating about 

since the debut of Apple’s little white monster? The dual channel, 

PC/Mac-friendly Numark iDJ iPod Mixer has arrived, delivering 

the official integration of the iPod with mixing technology for digital 

DJs. With several inputs for headphones and other playback devices, 

a dual iPod docking station, crossfader, spindle for turntable placement 

and a sufficiently futuristic design, you’ll be the most technologically 

sound DJ in the club. In addition to universal connectivity 

to computers, samplers, CD players and such, the iDJ also has a 

microphone input complete with level and tone control. This could 

be the start of a revolution. Fred Miketa 

ortofon dJ Qbert 

scrAtch cArtridge 

MsRP: $215 (concoRde), $135 (oM); 

www.oRtofon.coM 

Ortofon has been steadily moving in on the hip-hop DJ market, and 

having perennial deckwrecka Qbert on board certainly hasn’t hurt 

the cause. Capitalizing on such reputable endorsement, Ortofon has 

released the official DJ Qbert scratch cartridge in both Concorde 

(all-in-one) and OM (headshell-ready) versions. Both feature the best 

skip resistance in the Ortofon line. Shure’s M44-7 is still top dog when 

it comes to skip-free cutting, but the Qbert brings significantly better 

sound quality and the ability to more precisely place the needle. Skinny 

heads can be useful sometimes, apparently. Evan Shamoon 

cowon systems iAudio 

x5 mediA pLAyer 

MsRP: $299; www.cowonaMeRIca.coM 

Nowadays it seems that small is not small enough when it comes to 

media players. People want small and slim. That’s where the Cowon 

Systems iAudio X5 Media Player comes in. Slimmer than an 

iPod and packed with a 20GB harddrive, X5 plays MP3, OGG, WMA, 

WAV and MPEG4 video files (after conversion) and includes an FM 

receiver, plus voice and line-in recording. You can view photos, text 

documents and movies with the security of 14 hours of battery life. 

X5 is compatible with PC, Mac and Linux platforms. It’s an iPod on 

the Slimfast diet, with all the cheesecake you can eat. Derek Grey 

POWERED BY 

The Cutting Edge of Digital DJ Mixing 

The new TRAKTOR DJ Studio 3 on tour: 

Encounter the cool of digital DJ mixing 

with world-renown DJs. 

Workshops at 6 pm, live action at night. 

Check our website for updates and info: 

www.native-instruments.com/traktornights.info 

TOUR DATES 

MATTHEW DEAR 

01-Oct-05, Los Angeles, CA Avalon 

KASKADE 

06-Oct-05, Indianapolis, IN Vapour Lounge 

07-Oct-05, Chicago, IL Smart Bar 

08-Oct-05, Toronto, ON/CAN Fluid 

09-Oct-05, Montreal, QC/CAN Parking Bar 

CARL COX and JOSH WINK 

dates to be announced

MAChiNeS 

124 

COMPONeNTS 

ALesis photon x25 usb/ 

midi controLLer 

MsRP: $299.00; www.alesIs.coM 

What good is that endless list of plug-ins if you can barely control 

any of them? Of the countless controllers out now, the Photon X25 

is the best for its size (two octaves) and price range. It’s easy to set 

up, powers off of USB, batteries or adapter, and is a solid piece of 

pretty plastic. The 10 endless knobs (that can be assigned three 

layers deep), 10 buttons and two wheels are easy to configure. It 

also has an AXYZ Dome–which is great if you want to rock Absynth 

with kitschy, hand-waving Theremin action. Marc Kate 

the s.m.A.r.t. guide to 

recording greAt 

Audio trAcks 

MsRP: $35.99; www.couRsePtR.coM 

Part of a series of audio recording guidebooks designed with 

the layman in mind, Bill Gibson’s The S.M.A.R.T. Guide 

To Recording Great Audio Tracks–In A Small Studio 

features chapters on just about everything needed for 

independent recording. The instrumental sections are well 

thought-out and immediately applicable, while the chapter 

on acoustics avoids overly scientific language in favor of a 

straightforward, “for dummies” approach. In addition, this 

book comes with a huge bonus–a companion DVD with 

page-specific audio and video references; you can observe it 

applied exactly as it is described on paper. Alexander Posell 

Logitech wireLess 

heAdphones for mp3 

MsRP: $129; www.loGItech.coM 

Being chained to your MP3 player with a headphone jack and wires 

is so Y2K. It’s 2K5, and wireless life is essential. Using a tiny plug-in 

transmitter that fits atop most MP3 players, Logitech Wireless 

Headphones for MP3 offer excellent sound quality within a range 

of 30 feet. Park your player in the kitchen and go fix the car in the 

garage. Put your Rio in your backpack and forget the wire-routing 

tangle. Integrated controls on the side of the headphones allow you 

to adjust the volume of your music directly from the headphones, 

which take approximately 2.5 hours to charge. Happily, these work 

with any MP3 or CD player that includes a standard 3.5mm headphone 

jack. Devon Pierce 

m-Audio drum & bAss 

rig softwAre 

MsRP: $125.00; www.M-audIo.coM 

Combining a whole rack’s worth of music production tools into one 

virtual instrument, M-Audio Drum & Bass Rig has more loops and 

breaks than a Six Flags rollercoaster. Don’t let the name deceive you: 

with ethnic percussion and instruments, and programmable bass 

guitar and drum machines, D&B Rig will suit all kinds of genres and 

tastes. When used within a sequencing environment like Ableton 

Live, one-touch loop recording is at hand, using presets or your own 

break creations. The oscillator unit offers a plethora of pattern-based 

bass notes, and the built-in effects rack expands on your sequencer’s 

tools. For the price, you’d be a fool not to add this to your arsenal. 

Devon Pierce

MAChiNeS 

126 

COMPONeNTS 

soundcrAft urei 1601s 

scrAtch mixer 

MsRP: $1,199.99; www.uReIdj.coM 

The word is out. The ‘70s most popular and sturdy mixer company, 

Soundcraft, is back, reviving the vaunted Urei mixer. Rather than 

offering merely their mainstay rotary mixer, they’ve expanded the 

line with this killer, scratch-DJ friendly unit that’ll give Rane and 

Vestax cause for worry. UREI 1601S’s wealth of features includes 

360 degree customizable phono/line switches, crossfader monitor 

selector, backlit headphone out with EQ, input and output level 

monitoring LEDs, hi, mid and low EQ rotary pots and a send- and 

return-effects loop. All knobs and faders are replaceable, and the 

built-in sampler allows one-shot, loop and reverse playback modes. 

A sampling battle mixer? This is the future. Tomas Palermo 

Zero-g koncept 

And funktion 

refiLL for reAson 

MsRP: $139.99; www.zeRo-G.co.uK 

The loopsmiths at Zero-G have brought their premier drum & bass 

construction kit to Reason, one shortened snare hit at a time. 

Koncept and Funktion features over a gigabyte of material, including 

a huge selection of drum, organ, synth, bass and FX samples. 

While the loops are designed as REX2 files, Zero-G has also broken 

out many of its sounds into individual hits for use in ReDrum, NNXT, 

or NN1. The enormous assortment of chopped-up vocal samples and 

some great FX samples will keep that bass open for days like a bag 

of Frito Lays. Evan Shamoon 

grey bpm 103 Led 

counter 

MsRP: $105; www.GRoovedIs.coM 

I’m the DJ nerd who writes the bpm of every track on a 

piece of masking tape affixed to the record jacket. I’ll admit 

that my counting methods–a Palm Pilot metronome tool or 

the click track in Reason–have often been flawed. When 

you’re blending dancehall 7”s at a rate of one per minute, 

its gotta be 100% accurate. The Grey BPM 103 is a compact, 

plastic-housed counter that plugs into any DJ mixer, 

headphone jack or 1/4” line out. It displays your music’s 

bpm on its large, blue LED screen in seconds. It’s missing a 

battery-power option (it runs on AC), and a 1/4”-to-miniplug 

converter would be nice. But overall, BPM 103 takes the 

guesswork out of creating a perfect-tempo mix. Derek Grey 

frontier design 

group trAnZport 

wireLess controLLer 

MsRP: $249.00; www.fRontIeRdesIGn.coM 

Sometimes I’d rather watch movies than work on music. Thankfully 

TranzPort, the first wireless DAW remote control, is less confusing 

than my TiVo remote. TranzPort controls ProTools, Logic, DP or any 

other DAW from your desk, from across the room or from a vocal 

booth while its backlit LCD display tells you what you need to know. 

However, with a little ingenuity, I’ll soon be on my couch DJing 

MP3s with Tranzport in one hand and skimming through TiVo with 

the other. Marc Kate

TBC 

White Sox VerSuS CubS 

Dredging deep into the heart and mind of a Chicago baseball nut. 

worDs: J.r. NelsoN IllustratIoN: DoNNIe Bauer (www.myDBmeDIa.Com) 

October 27, 2004. The Beachwood Inn, a bar on 

Chicago’s near Westside, is full of patrons, but 

eerily quiet. There is a once-in-a-century spectacular 

lunar eclipse in the warm night sky and 

the Boston Red Sox, the most famously hardluck 

team in the annals of sport, is about to win 

the World Series for the first time in 86 years. 

As St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Edgar Renteria 

grounds into the final out and the Boston players 

start whooping and celebrating in the infield, 

nobody in the Beachwood has much of anything 

to say. “Huh,” one of the bartenders opines. “Did 

you see that moon tonight?” 

Since time immemorial, the annual Chicago 

baseball ritual has been watching somebody else 

play in, and win, the World Series. The Chicago 

White Sox haven’t appeared in the fall classic 

since 1959, and were last world champions in 

1917. The Chicago Cubs played in the 1945 

World Series and have yet to return. Their last 

world title was in 1908. The only thing that truly 

connects these two franchises is their relative 

geography and utter lack of success. Other than 

that, they could hardly be more different. 

The Cubs play in the friendly confines of 

Wrigley Field, an ancient and storied park on 

Chicago’s Northside. Old-timey ambience, ivycovered 

walls and beery sell-out crowds make it 

128 

one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. 

Wrigley draws plenty of dentist/lawyer yuppie 

dudes and their scantily clad ladyfriends and 

because the tickets are more expensive, especially 

for the good seats, they’re usually the folks you 

see on TV. 

The White Sox home is U.S. Cellular Field, a 

rather drably designed stadium where, if sitting 

in the upper deck and the stiflingly polluted summer 

air isn’t too thick, one can see the notorious 

Robert Taylor Homes standing out across the 

Dan Ryan Expressway. It can be argued that the 

White Sox have a much larger black and Hispanic 

fan base than the Cubs because they draw so 

much support from the largely black Southside. 

Caucasian White Sox fans from the surrounding 

neighborhoods tend to be one of two groups: 

auto mechanics or construction workers out to 

get drunk, or zealous baseball fanatics out to 

get drunk. The vibe of the place can be nasty. 

During a game two seasons ago, a father/son duo 

jumped out of the stands and attacked a Kansas 

City Royals coach right out on the field. A scant 

few weeks later another disgruntled fan emerged 

from the crowd to tackle the umpire. 

Chicago baseball has led me to renounce God. 

I wish that was a joke, but you weren’t there in 

‘84 to see Steve Garvey run around the basepaths 

with his fist in the air while mighty Cubs hurler 

Lee Smith could only dig at the mound with his 

huge cleats in defeat and disbelief. I was inconsolable 

and 10 years old, and my Mom put me to 

bed crying like an infant; from that tearful night 

forward, The Lord and I just didn’t see eye to 

eye. 

It’s the great baseball riddle: how could my 

team lose? I have forsaken members of my own 

family (Uncle Stu, why be a Cardinals fan? Pujols 

is a bum and you have terminal brainfog from 

pounding too much Busch!). I have taunted 

strangers on Chicago streets wearing Yankees 

hats from a moving car. “Hey Dame Dash,” I lustily 

shouted once, “What borough are you from?” 

This fuels my unquenchable and unceasing 

Yankee-based eruptions of jealousy. My utter 

awe at their winning providence turns my heart 

into fire every summer, even when I’m trying 

to do normal person things like eat deep-fried 

Twinkies and shop for toilet paper and feel up 

some rump to the Crooklyn Clan on Friday night. 

But tonight was good. Final score: Sox 2-Yanks 1 

in the Bronx. The White Sox still have the best 

record in the bigs. Who knows. Maybe this is our 

year? 

XLR8R (ISSN 1526-4246) is published monthly with bimonthly issues in January/February and July/August for $20 a year by Amalgam Media, Inc., 425 Divisadero Street #203A, San Francisco, CA, 94117. 

Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, CA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to XLR8R, 1388 Haight Street, #105, San Francisco, CA 94117.

TBC 

White Sox VerSuS CubS 

Dredging deep into the heart and mind of a Chicago baseball nut. 

worDs: J.r. NelsoN IllustratIoN: DoNNIe Bauer (www.myDBmeDIa.Com) 

October 27, 2004. The Beachwood Inn, a bar on 

Chicago’s near Westside, is full of patrons, but 

eerily quiet. There is a once-in-a-century spectacular 

lunar eclipse in the warm night sky and 

the Boston Red Sox, the most famously hardluck 

team in the annals of sport, is about to win 

the World Series for the first time in 86 years. 

As St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Edgar Renteria 

grounds into the final out and the Boston players 

start whooping and celebrating in the infield, 

nobody in the Beachwood has much of anything 

to say. “Huh,” one of the bartenders opines. “Did 

you see that moon tonight?” 

Since time immemorial, the annual Chicago 

baseball ritual has been watching somebody else 

play in, and win, the World Series. The Chicago 

White Sox haven’t appeared in the fall classic 

since 1959, and were last world champions in 

1917. The Chicago Cubs played in the 1945 

World Series and have yet to return. Their last 

world title was in 1908. The only thing that truly 

connects these two franchises is their relative 

geography and utter lack of success. Other than 

that, they could hardly be more different. 

The Cubs play in the friendly confines of 

Wrigley Field, an ancient and storied park on 

Chicago’s Northside. Old-timey ambience, ivycovered 

walls and beery sell-out crowds make it 

128 

one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. 

Wrigley draws plenty of dentist/lawyer yuppie 

dudes and their scantily clad ladyfriends and 

because the tickets are more expensive, especially 

for the good seats, they’re usually the folks you 

see on TV. 

The White Sox home is U.S. Cellular Field, a 

rather drably designed stadium where, if sitting 

in the upper deck and the stiflingly polluted summer 

air isn’t too thick, one can see the notorious 

Robert Taylor Homes standing out across the 

Dan Ryan Expressway. It can be argued that the 

White Sox have a much larger black and Hispanic 

fan base than the Cubs because they draw so 

much support from the largely black Southside. 

Caucasian White Sox fans from the surrounding 

neighborhoods tend to be one of two groups: 

auto mechanics or construction workers out to 

get drunk, or zealous baseball fanatics out to 

get drunk. The vibe of the place can be nasty. 

During a game two seasons ago, a father/son duo 

jumped out of the stands and attacked a Kansas 

City Royals coach right out on the field. A scant 

few weeks later another disgruntled fan emerged 

from the crowd to tackle the umpire. 

Chicago baseball has led me to renounce God. 

I wish that was a joke, but you weren’t there in 

‘84 to see Steve Garvey run around the basepaths 

with his fist in the air while mighty Cubs hurler 

Lee Smith could only dig at the mound with his 

huge cleats in defeat and disbelief. I was inconsolable 

and 10 years old, and my Mom put me to 

bed crying like an infant; from that tearful night 

forward, The Lord and I just didn’t see eye to 

eye. 

It’s the great baseball riddle: how could my 

team lose? I have forsaken members of my own 

family (Uncle Stu, why be a Cardinals fan? Pujols 

is a bum and you have terminal brainfog from 

pounding too much Busch!). I have taunted 

strangers on Chicago streets wearing Yankees 

hats from a moving car. “Hey Dame Dash,” I lustily 

shouted once, “What borough are you from?” 

This fuels my unquenchable and unceasing 

Yankee-based eruptions of jealousy. My utter 

awe at their winning providence turns my heart 

into fire every summer, even when I’m trying 

to do normal person things like eat deep-fried 

Twinkies and shop for toilet paper and feel up 

some rump to the Crooklyn Clan on Friday night. 

But tonight was good. Final score: Sox 2-Yanks 1 

in the Bronx. The White Sox still have the best 

record in the bigs. Who knows. Maybe this is our 

year? 

XLR8R (ISSN 1526-4246) is published monthly with bimonthly issues in January/February and July/August for $20 a year by Amalgam Media, Inc., 425 Divisadero Street #203A, San Francisco, CA, 94117. 

Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, CA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to XLR8R, 1388 Haight Street, #105, San Francisco, CA 94117.

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