Show And Tell: October 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

Show And Tell events in November

Check back early next week for more details!

Monday, October 25, 2010

SHOW & TELL w/Scratchmaster Joe, Vox Mod, 5H1F7Y - Wed. Oct. 27!

Show And Tell closes out a very busy and momentous October with one of the first ever live sets from local turntable legend Scratchmaster Joe and Show And Tell debuts of Vox Mod & 5H1F7Y at the Living Room on Wednesday, October 27.

SCRATCHMASTER JOE
“I am Scratchmaster Joe and my music partner’s moniker is “Refuge”. We are two men who refuse to perform fellatio upon ourselves (or each other) in our bio. We both love music and we have some ...natural ability to produce music that we find appealing, which you may find appalling. We want you to dance and we want to be your friend. Love Always, Agreeable Horrors (P.S. We are not classically trained. We’re barely even housebroken.)” – Scratchmaster Joe

VOX MOD
Making discoveries deep in the universe requires musical accompaniment that has vast tracts of vibrant frequencies, a dangerous fascination with wave synthesis, and a CMYK diamond-faceted appreciation for all noise. Based out of Seattle, Vox Mod (aka Voicechanger) has been producing, performing, and exploring electronic music for more than 10 years. Driven by the power of ideas and the passion of inspiration, Vox Mod seeks sonic salvation for all bodies and minds.

5H1F7Y
As a Washington state native, Taylor Dahlberg, aka 5H1F7Y (pronounced "shifty") has been producing electronic music for the past 10 years. At the age of 17, towards the last few years of his soccer playing days, 5H1F7Y had discovered the joy of electronic music. Being exposed to all genres of electronica from fellow friends and current day venues, he instantly fell in love with the idea of being able to make music, specifically electronic music.

Originally, 5H1F7Y purchased an all-in-one DJ turntable package, as the first step in being able to work with music directly. It wasn't long before he realized that mixing music together was a good outlet, but was not occupying his creativity as much he knew something should be. It was 2 years after his original purchase of a turntable and mixer set that 5H1F7Y decided to buy a drum machine. A machine which was capable of allowing an artist to create their art, in the form of an electronic beat. It was at this point that his life would be changed forever.

With DJ sets provided by Show And Tell host Verse!

No cover!

www.showandtellmusic.net
www.thelivingroombar.com

THANK YOU!!

BIG ginormous thank you to all that came to Chop Suey for the inaugural edition of Show And Bonk, my collaboration with the one and only Naturebot (Pleasure Boat, Bonkers!). Special thanks to our friends who helped us with the door and merch table, and of course, the amazing artists and DJs that graced us with their music & visuals:
- The Sight Below
- SciFiSol
- Jon McMillion
- DJ Eva
- Bob Hansen
- Miss Problematic
- Barbarella
- Corban Lester
- Edis
- Freakazoid
- Levi Clark
- Looptid
- JT Hooker

Thanks also to Matt & Alice at Chop Suey for making the night flow so well.

Stay tuned for potential Show & Bonk events in 2011!!

Friday, October 22, 2010

TONIGHT! Show And Bonk at Chop Suey!

Bonkers! & Show And Tell present
SHOW AND BONK!
Inaugural Edition
Friday, October 22
Chop Suey – 1325 E. Madison

Visuals by Looptid

$8 advance/before 11pm day of show
$10 after 11pm day of show

Advance tickets are available on Ticketweb - click HERE to purchase!

Join us for the inaugural edition of SHOW AND BONK, a collaboration between the folks that brought you Bonkers, Pleasure Boat Records, and Show And Tell. It's also the occasion of Verse's (gulp!) 40th birthday, so why not have a Libra bash as well?!

FRONT ROOM
9:00-10:00: Naturebot
10:00-10:50: Jon McMillion
10:50-11:40: SciFiSol
11:40-12:40: The Sight Below
12:40-close: Bob Hansen vs DJ Eva

DANCEFLOOR CONSPIRACY TAGTEAM ROOM (Verse's birthday party)
9:00-10:00: Corban Lester vs. Verse
10:00-11:15: Edis vs. Miss Problematic
11:15-12:30: Barbarella vs. Freakazoid
12:30-close: Levi Clark vs. Verse
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THE SIGHT BELOW (Ghostly International)

The music of The Sight Below conjures half-remembered dreams and soft-focus sentiments with elegiac beauty; his video art works similarly, blurring snippets of film until they’re recognizable only as organic objects: black-and-white amoebas milling about, or a sunset rendered in grayscale.

All of The Sight Below’s songs are performed live: The artist runs E-bowed, slide, and lightly picked guitars through a series of loopers, 12-bit reverb boxes, and delay units, kneading and distending the notes until they drone like bees in a tunnel or keen like an orchestra of singing saws. The resulting swirl is pinned to propulsive, achingly subtle electronic percussion, which guides the listener through the gloom towards the music’s hopeful center. The resulting ambient works seem as effortless as natural phenomena; in fact, they’re carefully played, head-nodding hymns to the artist’s solitary life.

Glider and its accompanying No Place for Us EP, The Sight Below’s 2008 debut releases on Ghostly International, were well-received in ambient circles and in the music world at large, gaining plaudits from international publications and musicians (including Radiohead’s Thom Yorke).

The Sight Below spent the year touring the world, playing a slate of successful shows at DEMF, MUTEK, and SONAR, and collaborating extensively with Simon Scott (ex-member of UK ‘shoegaze’ icons Slowdive).
The Sight Below’s new album, It All Falls Apart, contains material co-written with Scott and will be released in 2010.

http://ghostly.com/artists/the-sight-below

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EVA

EVA has long had a history of making your EDM dreams come true. Jet-setting across the planet, saving the world one dance floor at a time. Dropping the latest and greatest dance bombs of the 21st Century that will change your life forever.

Having performed with and been praised by an infinite list of the world's biggest DJ's from Derrick May to Tiesto, Etienne De Crecy, Felix Da Housecat Filthy Dukes, Felix Cartel, Damian Lazarus and James Holden, to performing one of the most prestigious clubs in dance music history, Fabric in London.

Executive producer on critically acclaimed remixes for the likes of james Lavelle (UNKLE), and capturing the heart and minds of mega artists such as Kris Menace, who signed her to his French label Work It Baby... alongside Lifelike, Serge Santiago, and Fred Falke.

http://www.work-it-baby/
http://dj-eva.com/
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BOB HANSEN (Jacob London)

Bob Hansen is this one guy who used to make rave, trance, techno, and house music as one half of Jacob London. He still kinda does, but now he's mostly making music on his own as Hanssen and/or Norse Rarebit. He's so cool, your mom probably even knows about him. But, if you ask her she'll just kinda clear her throat and change the subject. There's a good reason for this, so don't push it. No need to bring up difficult memories.

http://soundcloud.com/hanssen
http://www.myspace.com/hanssen3000
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JON MCMILLION

Jon McMillion (aka Wig Water Magic) has been making electronic music for over 15 years, always calling on a vast cache of sounds, styles, and techniques to flesh out his tripped-out aural sensibilities. A Seattle native, and a classically trained musician, he uses live bass, drums, guitar, and piano in his productions. With the launch of his first full-length artist album on NEK - along with a string of other featured treats - McMillion has proven to be an incredibly impressive and unique talent.

http://jonmcmillion.net/
http://www.nuearthkitchen.com/
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SciFiSol (Pleasure Boat, PDX)

SciFiSol (Christina Broussard), has nurtured a love affair with electronic music through the years combining analog and digital synthesis with her voice in live electronic collaborations and performances and recordings. Her current self-produced solo project is an experimental collage of soundscapes that tell a story of mystery and dreams, fusing her love of the obscure with a desire to create innovative and expressive music. As an artist, SciFiSol strives to move beyond the confines of traditional song forms with goals of creating more abstract improvisation in her work by including musical adaptations of her free form prose and poetry. Each piece is unique in that it stylizes a particualar moment of inspriration that she strives to capture through the art of sound. Her creations embody her own unique brand of a budding electronic artform-- chaotic and boundless, driven by complex rhythms and intimate textures while floating upon ambient, emotional overtones, and featuring her often synthesized and processed voice interlaced throughout.

http://soundcloud.com/scifisol
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NATUREBOT (Pleasure Boat)

The Naturebot (aka Ian Price) is a one-man project that creates gleaming, dystopian, melodic semi-dance music meant for traveling and exploring when the non-human world is not immediately available. Taking cues from far corners and imbuing them with unorthodox song structure and analog circuitry, his music propels forgotten electronic instruments into a textured and emotional hang-gliding trip through the rainbow-stained overworld. As the founder of Pleasure Boat Records and one of the forces behind the notorious Bonkers! nights, Ian has been hard at work to bring out unfamiliar and beautiful sounds to the public for a long time.

http://soundcloud.com/pleasureboatrecords
http://www.pbrecs.com/
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LEVI CLARK (Shameless)

Levi Clark is passionate for all music that is “dirty” and makes people want to dance.

www.simplyshameless.com/leviclark
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VERSE (Show And Tell, Dancefloor Conspiracy)

Verse has been rocking Seattle decks since 2004 and is currently host of the live electronic music night Show And Tell. Verse has played in Seattle, Portland, and Austin, in venues such as Chop Suey, Re-bar, and Grey Gallery, to cite a few. Verse plays an amalgam of tech-house, electro, breaks, deep house, and just about everything else, if it fits the mood. He is never afraid of taking risks while always maintaining a danceable vibe for his audience. Verse has also collaborated with INTIMAN Theatre, Rat City Rollergirls, the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas, and Comcast Arena in Everett, Washington.

www.showandtellmusic.net
http://www.facebook.com/djverse206
http://www.twitter.com/djverse206
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BARBARELLA (Dancefloor Conspiracy)

The glamorous DJ Barbarella is one bonafide life of the party. Never one for simplicity, Barbarella expertly plays a wide array of genres to get the party started right. From electro to soul, disco to house, and funk to indie dance, the Barbarella sound knows no boundaries. Barbarella’s enthusiastic presence behind the decks and insatiable appetite to expand upon her ever-growing record collection compelled her notoriety to deeply permeate the Seattle club scene.

Barbarella has played Neumos, Re-bar, Chop Suey, Alibi Room, War Room, Heavens, Funhouse, Bellevue Arts Museum, and the Pampas Room at El Gaucho, among many others. DJ Barbarella is truly outta this world!!
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MISS PROBLEMATIC (Dancefloor Conspiracy, Thrifty)

Miss Problematic has had a long history or making things tough and doin' it rough. In yo' face and outta place! You can't deny this girl’s got the Rhythm of the Night!

Spinning all vinyl that makes you want to get yo' freak not only on, but most importantly, OFF. This girl knows how to play slap n' grab with your dancin' g-spot.

Don't even TRY to look her up. Just catch her when you can cuz you never know when the Problematic Train will come partyin' through.

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CORBAN LESTER (PDX)

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EDIS (Dancefloor Conspiracy)

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FREAKAZOID (Dancefloor Conspiracy)

$8 advance/before 11pm day of show
$10 after 11pm day of show

Advance tickets are available on Ticketweb - click HERE to purchase!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

SHOW & BONK Artist Interview/Spotlight: SCIFISOL

SHOW & BONK
Friday, October 22
Chop Suey
1325 E. Madison
(click HERE for more info!)

Show & Bonk Artist Spotlight: SCIFISOL (Pleasure Boat Records)

About six years ago, upon meeting Christina Broussard (aka SciFiSol) in Portland, we quickly discovered our mutual (and unexplainable) admiration for the vocal talents of one Gino Vanelli. A years-long bond was set, as we’d periodically share our excitement in hearing Gino songs at bars, DJ sets, or in a grocery store.

Especially the timeless “I Just Wanna Stop”…

Which is why it was easy to forgive her for a slight delay in responding to my interview request, her excuse being thus:

SciFiSol: Hey Josh - here are my answers. I would have sent them earlier, but I was you know where! Watching Gino front row (in Portland last night)!! It was amazing and I just know he was singing to ME for a few moments here and there!

Of course, there is so much more to SciFiSol than unbridled love for 70s soft rock heroes. The Stranger’s Dave Segal writes that on her new album Inject Image, SciFiSol “explores some deeply eerie, psychedelic realms” and that within her “distinctively enchanted sound—over which she weaves her own processed, ethereal vocals—radiates a gripping, vaporous spookiness” (The Stranger, Data Breaker, October 19, 2010).

SciFiSol celebrates the release of her new record Inject Image at this Friday’s Show And Bonk showcase (copies of which will be available for sale), available through Pleasure Boat Recordings

Verse: When did you start making music?

SciFiSol: I was in a few experimental electronic bands right after high school and my first instruments were a MicroMoog, a Roland SH-101, and a Boss sampler along with a microphone, fx, and some bunny ears. From that point on, I was always fiddling with whatever hardware I could get my hands on as well as different software applications and beginning to delve deeper into sound design and song arrangement. I started my solo project as SciFiSol about 5 years ago, which was when I took it to the next level and started focusing on finishing songs.

Verse: Your collaboration with Let’s Go Outside on his track “I’ll Lick Your Spine” was one of the most effective ways to bridge the catharsis of goth and industrial music into techno music without being a “goth” caricature. Your vocals were obviously a big part of it. Explain the process of writing that song with LGO.

SciFiSol: The lyrics and production work were LGO's. He actually recorded a version of himself singing it, but wanted to try it with a female vocalist. At the time we were hanging out and working on a few tracks together so he asked me to do a version of it for him. It was basically about 12 takes of me in my bedroom closet, to dampen the ambient noise, singing and crooning until it was perfect.

Verse: The vibe of “I’ll Lick Your Spine” is certainly part and parcel of the new record. Your production and vocals convey a carnal energy that is not always convincing in the techno world. Is that intentional on your part?

SciFiSol: When I write songs, I'm not shooting for any one genre, or writing for any particular audience. That's why it's hard for me to "classify" myself when people ask me what style of music I make. I always just called it "electronica" because it's like a smorgasbord of a bunch of different styles. My vocal style aims to convey a raw energy that is not necessarily tethered to traditional styles of singing. The tone of the lyric always tends to dictate how it will be delivered. A dark and mysterious science fiction vibe is what I go for a lot of the time in terms of sound design because I feel like that kind of energy can pull one into deeper realms of thought. I guess that's why I like dark electro music so much!

Verse: Describe your live set these days.

SciFiSol: I use an array of loops taken from songs I've written using Apple Logic and external hardware including the Elektron Machinedrum and Nord G2 along with a bunch of effects and run them out of Ableton Live controlling it all with a midi controller. I have a bunch of effects that I run my vocals through and sing over the top. I also use an analogue beast of a synth knob box called the Utopia Synth.
At the moment, I'm working on getting a new electronic project going with some friends that will be a live band setting with me on keyboards and singing. I am really looking forward to being part of a band again because it takes a lot of the pressure off not having to create all of the elements alone. It's a lot more fun because you can tap into the energy of the people you are playing with.

Verse: Explain your Gino Vanelli fascination (one that we both share, by the way!)

SciFiSol: I fell in love with Gino Vannelli first time I heard him. I found a record of his called Storm at Sunup from Everyday Music in Portland and that was it! I adore his flamboyant soulful style, and even though it can be over the top at times that's what I love about it. He's one of those individuals that is very unique and doesn't apologize for it.

SciFiSol performs at the Show And Bonk showcase on Friday, October 22nd at Chop Suey (1325 E. Madison). Click HERE for advance tickets and HERE for additional Show And Bonk information.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

SHOW & BONK Artist Interview/Spotlight: BOB HANSEN

SHOW & BONK
Friday, October 22
Chop Suey
1325 E. Madison
(click HERE for more info!)

Show & Bonk Artist Spotlight: BOB HANSEN (Jacob London)
soundcloud.com/hanssen
soundcloud.com/norse-rarebit
flickr.com/photos/bobhansen

Dad. DJ. Producer. Photographer. Needless to say, Bob Hansen has been a busy man. As one-half of local legends Jacob London (with Dave Pezzner), Bob established himself as a world-class DJ and producer touring and recording for an amalgam of respected labels such as U-Freqs, Free The Funk, Viva, Om, and their own imprint squid:records. Jacob London recently took a break as Bob became a father & Dave pursued his solo career.

Bob spoke to me about his time with Jacob London, what he’s up to these days, and what’s next for him.

VERSE: I know you recently became a dad – congratulations!! Was parenthood a primary reason for taking a step back from performing and producing? Dave has moved on as a solo artist, but are there plans to get Jacob London back together in earnest?

BOB HANSEN: Parenthood came after I had already taken a step back from performing and producing with Dave. Jacob London got put on the shelf a few years ago, when we realized that our goals for our music career just didn't sync up. Dave wanted to go full-time with it and really make it a career, while I've always preferred holding down day jobs and doing the music when, and how, I want. He's also built for the touring lifestyle much better than I am. While I really enjoyed traveling and playing out with him, I just don't have the stamina–or desire–to hit the road as much as he does now. Which, you really have to do if you're trying to make a serious go at it.

I never stopped writing and producing though. I've been working on a couple solo projects as well, just at a much slower pace. I've been remixing and producing mainly as Hanssen, exploring indie/rocktronica/ambient/disco sounds. I had grown really tired of producing music specifically for DJs to play at dance-clubs, and this new direction has been a real creative boon for me.
Having a baby even helped, I think. I've gotten more done in the 9.5 months we've had her around, than I did the 2 years before that! I've gotten really good at getting a lot done in 45 minutes.

We haven't really even put the lid on Jacob London, for that matter. We've added new stuff to the Jacob London discography every year, up thru this year! We started going off the rails a bit though, so I don't think it's really been noticed. We did a hip-hop EP for Street Ritual and a gabber remix for Mochipet. We had a quirky minimal techno record on Frankie. And we're currently working on a garage/2-step release. We both would love to collaborate more, but our careers and lifestyles don't exactly allow for it more than once in a while. Anything can happen though!

VERSE: I recently interviewed Eva, and she mentioned being inspired by frequenting clubs around Seattle such as the Monestary and the Underground. Did you also frequent these clubs?

BOB HANSEN: I completely missed out on The Monestary, but I did go to The Underground at least a handful of times. Dave lived in the U-District at the time, so he went a lot more regularly than I did. I remember seeing Autechre play live there...must've been '94? That's gotta be in my Top 5 list of things that I probably didn't appreciate nearly as much as I should have! I'm pretty sure I even said something along the lines of "This is boring! They're just standing there pushing buttons and turning knobs!"

VERSE: Did you and Dave start DJing together in 1992? What inspired you to start playing and mixing records?

BOB HANSEN: We didn't actually start DJing until the mid/late 90's. We had gotten together in high school and started making ultra-low-tech industrial music around '92. That gave way to rave music, which gave way to trance and house, and by '97 we had our first vinyl release on Carlos daSilva's eatKnowledge records. We had been performing live at raves and the like under the name Vitus Dance, and Carlos thought we should use a different name for the release...and Jacob London was officially born.

DJing came around then as well, when a good friend of ours, Josh Stewart (aka Axcys), left his 1200's at our place for an extended period of time. We kept at it and taught ourselves to beatmatch and got totally hooked on quirky/funky house and ridiculously banging techno.

VERSE: Please explain the unique CD labeling system you and Dave used. I noticed the interesting and hilarious iconography pasted on each of your CDs with little to nothing else marked. How would you know what music was on which CD?

BOB HANSEN: We've gone thru a number of labeling strategies trying to find the ideal method. One of things that bothered us about playing the CD's was that you missed the experience of flipping thru a crate of records and being able to quickly find the one you want based on what the label or jacket looks like. We found ourselves flipping thru these CD books, with no idea what anything was without reading every one. Not really great for when you've let a track run too long and there's only 45 seconds left before it ends and everybody starts laughing at you.

We tried icons, which is probably what you saw. We always had the artist/track names though. Icons helped, but still didn't quite do the trick. So we started designing and printing custom labels for each CD. We'd cruise the internet for images and photos that would stand out, and used them for the labels. Of course, they'd usually end up being really hilarious photos.

VERSE: What kind of equipment were you using in the pre-Ableton/ProTools era?

BOB HANSEN: When we started out in high school, I had a Roland Juno-1 synth and a couple crappy Korg drum machines. We'd "multitrack" by dubbing between two tape decks, playing along with the previously recorded material. We graduated to an Ensoniq EPS-1, and then ASR-10, which we used almost exclusively for a long time. We eventually started sequencing everything on a Mac, but the sound was still all ASR-10.

We discovered Fruity Loops around version 3, I think it was. I have no idea what year it was that we made that switch, but we've been using it ever since. I miss hardware sometimes, but Fruity Loops (now FL Studio) is so fantastic I can't bring myself to bother with the "hassle" of it.

VERSE: According to your bio, your “Hydrogenated Funk” record served as a big break for Jacob London. Did you start touring around this time to support it?

BOB HANSEN: Not really, no. And I suppose it's slightly misleading to say that was our "big break". It was a break in the sense that it was our first vinyl release, but our real big break came when Classic Records released the Casual Bingo record in 2003.

However, before that release in 1997, we had been primarily a live PA for a while. So, we didn't tour, but we were pretty busy playing one-off parties at NAF Studios, the Lish House, and other assorted dirty venues around the area.

VERSE: Your photography work is gorgeous (www.bobhansenphoto.com)! Are you pursuing this in earnest in lieu of music?

BOB HANSEN: Thank you! I really enjoy it, but it hasn't been "in lieu of" anything. I started doing a lot of it while I was not yet a parent, so I had plenty of free time and money. I've nearly stopped doing photography completely (aside from the nightlife stuff, which is a totally different beast) now that I have very little free time or expendable income. I'll get back to it in full force again soon I'm sure, but for now my inspiration is hitting pretty squarely on the music side.

Bob Hansen performs at the Show And Bonk showcase on Friday, October 22nd at Chop Suey (1325 E. Madison). Click HERE for advance tickets and HERE for additional Show And Bonk information.

Monday, October 18, 2010

SHOW & BONK Artist Interview/Spotlight: THE SIGHT BELOW

SHOW & BONK
Friday, October 22
Chop Suey
1325 E. Madison
(click HERE for more info!)

Show & Bonk Artist Spotlight: THE SIGHT BELOW
www.ghostly.com/artists/the-sight-below

Growing up in the late 1980s provided my ears with a wide range of seemingly disparate genres. Hip-hop became a household name, hair metal hit its apex in popularity, electro-pop reached maturity, and Detroit techno was starting to emerge. But what made the most stirring impression upon me were the cathartic, atmospheric records made by 4AD stalwarts such as Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance and This Mortal Coil. The emotional response I had listening to This Mortal Coil’s cover of the Tim Buckley classic “Song To The Siren” was unlike anything I heard or experienced in my first eighteen years. The remarkable usage of space, reverb-drenched guitar, and haunting, otherworldly vocals was absolutely brilliant and hopelessly romantic in an almost gothic way. Similarly, The Cure’s “The Same Deep Water As You” from their landmark 1989 album Disintegration perfectly captured the wealth of emotions I experienced freshly graduated from high school, unsure of my next steps in life at the time. Bands and musicians from Slowdive’s shoegaze mastery to Jeff Buckley’s unparalleled amalgam of musical genres would continue this cathartic musical tradition through the 1990s and beyond. Today, The Sight Below has also embraced the emotional side of music that is certainly influenced by the past but expertly infuses current rhythms and technology into a unique sound all his own.

In just over two years, The Sight Below (aka Rafael Anton Irisarri) has released two critically-acclaimed full-length records on Ghostly International – Glider and It All Falls Apart, toured extensively around the world, and received an infamous stamp of approval from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. His unique combination of live visuals – using video of stark environments he regularly films himself filtered through startling filters and slow-motion settings – along with live Ableton beats accompanied with live guitar, liberally using a myriad of gorgeous effects and ebow string pickings, The Sight Below crafts a haunting and unforgettable live performance that conjures the same emotional response I had many moons ago.

I recently spoke with The Sight Below about his music and his many, many upcoming projects:

VERSE: When did you start composing and performing as a musician prior to The Sight Below?

THE SIGHT BELOW: I started composing music since I was young, but didn't release anything meaningful until 2007, when my 'Daydreaming' album came out on Miasmah. I'm kind of a late bloomer in almost every aspect of my life and take a long time to get things moving. Once that gate was opened however, it's been like a flood ever since. I've been published now in over a dozen labels around the world and performed live at countless events, all over Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.

VERSE: When did you develop the concept of The Sight Below and what inspired you to pursue this type of musical & visual approach?

THE SIGHT BELOW: I started to create this music a little over 3 years ago. At the time I was frustrated by lots of things and used music as an outlet to express those emotions. Somehow it all grew very organically and started to shape into the concepts and ideas that became the first TSB album.

VERSE: The imagery that accompanies your live set is such a compelling facet of your live show, especially the short film based around your track “Further Away” filmed at Deception Pass and edited to give an almost early-20th century silent film essence both hallucinogenic and dream-like in its effectiveness.
The Sight Below – “Further Away”

Watching the film while listening to the track gave me serious chills. Do you film your own sequences? If so, what comes first: the images itself or the music? I could see you in the studio watching a film over and over again, building a soundtrack around it. Either way, the combination is unparalleled in its emotional response.

THE SIGHT BELOW: Thanks for saying that. I actually filmed all the footage on the “Further Away” video myself, using a really limited camera. I view the imagery as an extension of the music and viceversa. I the case of “Further Way”, I have already composed the music and recorded it. I pretty much create a patch I like, then record live me playing guitar and take it from there. It's all an emotional outlet for me. If I wasn't making music, I'd probably be locked up in a mental institution.

VERSE: You recently toured with Pantha du Prince and collaborated with a member of Slowdive, one of your biggest inspirations. Can you envision other collaborations, perhaps one that produces a record?

THE SIGHT BELOW: Yes, absolutely. At the moment, I'm working on two collaboration projects, one with Tiny Vipers and a second one with Benoit Pioulard & Tiny Vipers. I also have a collaboration in the works with Svarte Greiner. I'm also doing a remix for Pantha Du Prince soon, among other projects in the works. The days have only so many hours. I wish I could be making music 24/7, but this is of course not possible. One has to also sleep, eat and do other things that make life worthwhile and inspire to create more.

VERSE: You mentioned to me the other day that you’re busy mastering not one but two records. Are they both new Sight Below material?

THE SIGHT BELOW: No, they were not TSB material. I run a mastering studio and I was mastering a new album for Benoit Pioulard and working on a few other client projects. That said, I have plenty of TSB material, constantly reshaping it.

VERSE: Are you planning to debut new material at the Show And Bonk showcase?

THE SIGHT BELOW: Yes, I have prepared a new set with material I've been working on since before I went on tour with Pantha Du Prince. It's a bit more on the techno side of things, but still retains elements of the atmospherics. That said, my set is 100% improvised. In other words: no two sets are alike. I pretty much mix and remix everything every single time I perform live. I wouldn't do it any other way.

The Sight Below performs at the Show And Bonk showcase on Friday, October 22nd at Chop Suey (1325 E. Madison). Click HERE for advance tickets and HERE for additional Show And Bonk information.

SHOW & BONK Artist Spotlight: EVA

SHOW AND BONK
Friday, October 22
Chop Suey
1325 E. Madison
(click HERE for more info!)

Show & Bonk Artist Spotlight: EVA
www.dj-eva.com

When one talks to Eva about her nearly two decades of experience behind the decks & how she broke into the scene, you start to realize that it closely reflects the infamous history of Seattle club culture. But she is also a relevant part of the current DJ scene in the Northwest, consistently drawing a loyal audience around town at such venues as See Sound Lounge and Trinity. Eva’s enthusiasm and party-starting track selection on the turntables is magnetic to witness, and she closes out this Friday’s Show And Bonk main room showcase with Bob Hansen.

VERSE: How did you get interested in dance music in the first place?

EVA: Probably started with the Monastary club at age 15. I didn’t go a lot only a few times just enough for total corruption. I heard the most amazing music of my life on the best sound system ever and could here it from a block away. All my djing inspiration comes from being a dancer, dancing to File 13, lime on the grid, hi nrg disco, house music, acid house. The Underground (in the U District) was the first place I ever played records

VERSE: Were you a regular DJ at the Underground?

EVA: I was the first DJ to ever play the Underground! They headhunted me so to speak because they knew I knew a lot about music, having worked at Tower Records on the Ave for many years. Brian Lyons & Randy Shlager came to see me. I played every Friday for a few months before Donald Glaude took over at the Underground for me. It didn’t last that long because I turned 19 and discovered Graceland in Vancouver and away i went every weekend for the next 2 years. Their DJs Mic & Robert Shea were huge inspirations - I looked up to them so much. It was the dawn of house/acid house, new beat - I was hooked! I’d drive back 120 miles an hour for acid house night on Sunday at the Vogue for Masa! All in one weekend! I’m slightly music obsessed, searching for the perfect beat.

VERSE: I remember that time as huge for the warehouse rave scene. Were you playing those parties often or did you stick to the clubs primarily?

EVA: After getting Vancouver out of my system as a clubber, I started working in film industry and managing a prop house. It became my new career so I got sucked into that and therefore didn’t rave until a bit later, many years later. I thought I wanted to do film, as the money was so good but music is my heart. I come from a long line of musicians – it’s in my blood: my real dad was the bass player in the band Floating Bridge and in a band w/ Floyd Rose who invented the Tremelo. TKO .

VERSE: When did you make the leap from the film industry to music?

EVA: When I met Roman in 1996, he turned me where I’d left off. We started hanging out a lot and i started buying records again and he basically said "YOU NEED TO DO THIS". I never looked back. I first started playing records again at The Power Plant opening for house djs in the main room/ drum & bass in the other. Roman introduced me to drum & bass, which was fucking amazing at the time, so much intelligent stuff. Around the same time, I started one of the first D&B weeklies "Pressure" at the Vogue, brought in all the pioneers to guest DJ, and eventually moved it to Aro.space when Vogue lost their 20-year lease around 1999.
lightyears ahead of its time

VERSE: How much longer did you play drum & bass before making the leap to more house-oriented material?

EVA: Until around 2000-2001. I was doing a nighe w/ Marcus and Caseone called Rushhour in the basement LSC. I was kinda getting toward the end of what i feel i could do with drum & bass. My taste was evolving back to my house & techno roots
house/techno. It all happened very quickly and that’s when suddenly I found myself opening for Fatboy Slim & Paul Oakenfold.

VERSE: Were Fatboy & Paul complimentary to you?

EVA: They were amazing! I played a gig with Fatboy Slim that was beyond epic on Fire Island in New York., set up by Caroline Davenport, who I worked with & was managing me at the time. I had already played with Fatboy Slim at the Showbox
so he was familiar with me & had been talking about me, apparently. That Showbox show was epic, too.

VERSE: How did James Lavelle hear about you? So this was around the time you got a call from James Lavelle, right?

EVA: My friend Chad brought Lavelle to Baltic Room and that’s where we met. James came in with a cigarette hanging from his mouth and I didn’t know him at all: he was slightly intimidating, not friendly really, with bottle cap glasses. After awhile we were practically best mates. After the first time James and I played together, he was brought back a second time and again I opened. During my set, he came up to me and said "I'm bringing you to Fabric" and within a couple wks it was done, to my amazement.

VERSE: What was the Fabric experience like?

EVA: Well for me, it was really hardcore, like fuck – I’m going to play Fabric, this is huge! Having them actually fly me there, pay for hotel and fee - I was like “does this mean I’ve made it? It was in July and everyone was on holiday to Ibiza! But the lineup was amazing: Busy P, among others.

VERSE: Was this also the time you started producing?

EVA: Remixing UNKLE was my idea after the Fabric gig. I pushed James Lavelle a little bit, but he eventually asked me to remix ”Invasion” with Medway. It was a big break on so many levels, so many musical relationships forged. Since Medway lived in Orlando, we made the track by passing files over the web. Now, Ableton Live is the direction I’m heading, artistically and performance-wise.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Naturebot interview & preview for Show And Tell w/Natasha Kmeto & Naturebot - Wednesday, October 13 (tonight!)

Show And Tell regular and good friend (and chile connaisseur) Naturebot is premiering new material at tonight’s edition (which also features the multitalented Natasha Kmeto, whose set I previewed earlier this week). He took some time to discuss the new tracks & latest news surrounding Pleasure Boat Records, his record label dedicated to emerging Northwest electronic music artists.

SHOW & TELL: What have you been working on as the Naturebot? What can we expect from your live set this Wednesday at Show And Tell?

NATUREBOT: I have been working on figuring out just what I want to do with music by trying everything I swore I never would! For me that means just relaxing and going into a track with no set goal in mind and letting it wander, allowing myself to make disco and techno without pushing it off of the tarmac into unknown territory, and not writing music with any specific personal meaning pushed into it.
I also have slowed down on recording in general over the last year in order to build instruments (mostly electronic, a couple otherwise) and learn to sequence without the aid of computers. Mostly it means a lot of experimentation without recording or setting into a song, much like those drummers who end up without a band so they sit around all day hitting each drum with different sticks at different angles and try to pinpoint some form of micro-technique.

I also burnt out on listening to new music after going strong on promoting and producing for a couple years straight and am now getting back to enjoying all sorts of music. Mostly, discovering the great music that many of the people I've met in Seattle are making that is far more interesting, unique, and varied than what I am hearing in most clubs. It has really driven me to try and push Pleasure Boat Records forward and release a ridiculous amount of records to the public!

Anyhow, this will be one of the most freeform sets I've ever done, with a longform space techno cycle I have been organizing on my newest piece of gear (the Spectralis) as I've learned its ridiculous capabilities. Afterwards I will be playing a selection of polished tracks, mostly from the upcoming releases, that I have never brought out in a live setting.

S & T: Any plans for a formal Naturebot release?

NATUREBOT: There's a few in the works, percolating slowly. I have an album I have been working on (and off) for 3+ years now called The Albatross that I've tried not to hurry. Giving myself a couple years to sit with a song is a comfortable way of letting myself enjoy it without and worry about outside judgment before I put it out there and get to anyone's opinion on it. For me, making music has always been uncomfortably personal, so much so that I'll probably never release many of my favorite tracks. Especially when it gets down to recording vocals and live instrumentation I start to flounder, but there's always an 'ideal version' of each song in my head and those aspects are often on the path to reaching the finished piece.
I also have a 'dj friendly' release coming up on KRecordings (a new local label run by Travis Baron) that comprises of a track I made a while ago and gave to one friend. That friend shared it with Travis and he seemed to flip out over it. I had to dig deep to even find the original, but the fact that somehow after a couple years it made its way to someone that loved it has been a very welcome surprise! There will be a couple other originals in there as well as remixes. I think kosmische techno is a fitting term for it.
There's another EP I've been sitting on for my friend Mr Zillion's upstart label Ecstatic Bliss which comprises a slew of very different tracks including some scatterbrained bliss-step with vocals by a young Tacoman named Young Silky.

S & T: Pleasure Boat Records has some exciting releases out this fall - please talk about them & how they fit into the Pleasure Boat aesthetic.

NATUREBOT: Oh, there's a ton of stuff in the works!! The Pleasure Boat aesthetic, to me, is to release music by those artists who are striving to make something new that doesn't forsake the idea of emotive music. What has been missing in electronic music over the last decade in my opinion is the pioneering spirit of creating a space that is made for people to exist in. There's a lot of cold or experimental music that I hear as great escapism, allowing people to live outside their lives momentarily. I do not hear that in the general electronic landscape these days, which is so genre-obsessed that personality and inventiveness are blackballed. The push to hear 'future music' really destroys the point of artistry, which is to hear something that exists out of time and comfortable references. If I can support those oddballs with personal vision that goes beyond wanting to make something nasty, filthy, sick, etc then I think Pleasure Boat fulfills its purpose. Artistry and substance above production value and gloss, always. The thing about gloss is that you can always see right through it.

First off, we are releasing an album by SciFiSol, a female artist from Portland who I heard shortly after moving here and her music knocked me down. If I heard it without any context I'd be unable to tell you when I thought it was made. She writes dark and bizarre songs that (in my mind) resonate with the sort of ferver I hear in apocalyptic folk and darkwave, but with a production aesthetic similar to Fever Ray and Pram. Its very hard to describe! After the album release she will have an EP with remixes by Hansen aka Norse Rarebit, Senor Frio, and myself. We're bringing her up on October 22nd to throw the record release party at Chop Suey and I highly suggest people witness it!

Potatofinger, one of the earliest Pleasure Boat artists, has a couple releases on the way as well. One is an off-the-wall soundtrack to the live dance-fight performance piece Sakura Rising and another is a collaborative single with UK dubstep madman Fabian. They hit #1 on the Soundcloud dubstep charts with one of the tracks and have a huge stream of support with the tracks, and for good reason- the songs have the best dubstep-style production possible but are ridiculously brazen in their structure and mood. Oh, and remixes by a ton of folks including 214, Splatinum, DJ Lord Fader, myself, etc etc

There's a 1 hour song (!) we're releasing by Ya No Mas that is some sort of electro-sludge-prog epic, it is fantastically stream-of-conciousness and lucid.
We are putting out an EP by a man from LA known as Analog Square that is some truly refined melodic electro. That will have stunning remixes by RyanMath (an unknown local who's just getting going), Relcad, and Mr Zillion. The Analog Square material makes me feel a ton of comfort and I think the man really understands how melody and rhythm can interact, plus it all has a bittersweet air of nostalgia.
There's more, but I'll share that later!

S & T: What's next for the Naturebot? Pleasure Boat?

NATUREBOT: There's always new things in store but what actually sifts through the rest and becomes real is unpredictable for me. I'll get back to you on that...
As for Pleasure Boat, we're going to keep releasing music and see who latches on. Our last couple releases (Relcad and Rave On It) have gotten national airplay and great press but it still seems like the Pleasure Boat world is unrecognized by most of the Seattle electronic scene (see the comment about blackballing above!). There seems to be more listeners all the time and the enthusiasm is growing, se we'll be happily creating music in our realm for as long as it’s possible.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Natasha Kmeto interview & Show And Tell preview

NATASHA KMETO (PDX)

Show And Tell
Wednesday, October 13
w/Naturebot (Pleasure Boat, Bonkers)
The Living Room
1355 E. Olive Way

This Wednesday’s Show And Tell features our first special guest from the Rose City – and the first time we’ve had a guest singing live while also performing a live Ableton set, and Natasha Kmeto makes this feat seem so effortless and engaging. Her live reputation around Portland continues to grow as her intriguing and unique mixture of moody electro, IDM, hip-hop, and nu-soul evolves and challenges listener expectations. Remember seeing Jamie Liddel for the first time (before his big-band era), a one-man band armed with deep, sexy beats and crazy synth squeals and basslines both overt and subtle, and a blue-eyed soulman’s sultry set of vocal chords to match? Seeing Natasha Kmeto for the first time at Branx a few months ago had a similar impression on me to the Liddel Experience. Now, on the day of the release of her first full-length release Expressor (available on iTunes and CD Baby), Natasha brings her compelling live show to Seattle at Show And Tell this Wednesday!

Natasha Kmeto – KDVS Live Session (Part 1 of 2)

Natasha Kmeto – KDVS Live Session (Part 2 of 2)

Natasha Kmeto – “Drunk Dial” music video:

Natasha Kmeto- Drunk Dial Music Video from Drew Hall on Vimeo.

Natasha Kmeto (pronounced "kuh-meh-toe") spoke to Verse (host of Show And Tell) about her musical upbringing, challenges to find her voice, and what may be next for her.

SHOW & TELL: You’ve played and toured with other musicians since you were 15. What genres did you start playing?

NATASHA KMETO: Mainly jazz, r&b and rock. Which is funny because I kind of always listened to hip-hop and electronic music. I played classical piano at first when I was very young. I also dabbled in guitar and percussion. But I always loved singing the most particularly though my teens. I loved singing lead but I also was really into to analyzing and arranging harmonies. I fell back in with keyboards and synths when I went to music school

S & T: You completed the Keyboard Performance program at Musician's Institute in Hollywood. What were your initial aspirations when you studied there?

NK: When I first went there I wanted to be like Stevie Wonder and Carole King. I saw myself as wanting to write very classic pop tunes on the piano. But I was also (and still am) completely devoted to music that breaks ground and sounds new. I wasn't sure how I was going to combine those desires when I went but I knew I needed to know more to find out.

S & T: That seems like a challenge to songwriters and producers out there: they can't help but be inspired by legends like Stevie Wonder & Carole King, but oftentimes they tend to sound like their idols. You clearly are inspired by them, but have managed to find a unique voice that, while informed by them, is nowhere near a sheer replication. Was that a challenge to you?

NK: Thank you so much! It was a HUGE challenge. After school I went through a period of wanting to just quit music because I was so frustrated. But upon returning to the drawing board I gave myself the freedom to just let whatever came out of me happen. No rules, no music theory, no judgment. I gave myself permission to just make what I wanted to hear. My only rule was to be genuine. Coming from that place really helped me start to dial it in. And it's the happiest I've even been making music. Just trying to make something that sounded like me. Not like my teachers or idols. Something unique.

S & T: Is that perhaps part of the motivation to explore & experiment with electronic music?

NK: It's a huge part. But I always loved hip-hop and electronic music. I was huge into IDM and trip-hop. And I always had a love affair with bass. I used to sit next to my dad's subwoofer and listen to house music when I was little. For some reason it never really occurred to me to make electronic music until I got to school. We had required digital music classes that trained us in Logic and taught us about synthesizers. I fell in love right then and there. I had always been so jealous of my friends that could make this genius music on an MPC and I could finally do it too plus explore synth waves and the like. Those classes changed my life for sure.

S & T: These days, it’s not always easy to find producers that create intricate tracks in the studio, perform them in a live set AND sing live as well. Has the singing/live PA presentation always been your M.O.?

NK: Absolutely. Coming from a live band background I really always wanted to have sort of a live feel to my set. But I also wanted to have the seamless quality of a DJ set. The biggest challenge was, and continues to be in some respects, making the technology improvisational. The concerts I like best always feature some element of improvisation.

S & T: Did this come natural for you from the beginning?

NK: No actually. I had never used Ableton Live or been alone on stage before. I initially tried it with another person "DJing" with me, but I found that not only did I not like being able to control everything myself, but also people don't like to give girl singers credit for beatmaking. I couldn't handle someone thinking that I didn't make all the music. But I eventually got very comfortable with the software.

S & T: I find it refreshing that you have such a fun stage persona, singing and clearly enjoying yourself while keeping a polished live set together. Do you wish other producers should attempt a similar approach?

NK: Thanks! I think other producers should do what comes naturally to them. I've seen some other artists doing similar things to what I do and I really enjoy it. I think when you introduce the element of live performance, especially with singing, people want more of a connection, so it's fun to be fun onstage. But I've connected deeply with DJs that never spoke a word to the audience too. I guess it's all in your intention as a performer.

S & T: What comes first? Melody? Samples? Beats?

NK: It's been both for me. Sometimes I'll write around a melody that's been in my head or sometimes a sample or chord or beat will inspire the melody.

S & T: Are you looking to expand your live show (similarly to what Jamie Liddel or Flying Lotus has implemented lately)?

NK: I would love to do something like that. Particularly with live drums and live back-up vocals. I love the sound of many voices in a room. It's just much tougher to coordinate.

S & T: Any plans to tour?

NK: I would LOVE to tour soon. It would be awesome to land an opening gig for a bigger artist. But for now I'm hoping to make some trips into California this winter.

Expressor is available today on iTunes and CD Baby!

Expressor and other Natasha Kmeto releases will also be available for purchase at Show And Tell this Wednesday at the Living Room (1355 E. Olive Way).

Music and more information about Natasha Kmeto can be found here:
http://natashakmeto.com/
http://facebook.com/natashakmeto
http://twitter.com/natashakmeto

Friday, October 1, 2010

SHOW AND BONK - Friday, October 22 @ Chop Suey

Bonkers! & Show And Tell present
SHOW AND BONK!
Inaugural Edition
Friday, October 22
Chop Suey – 1325 E. Madison

Visuals by Looptid

$8 advance/before 11pm day of show
$10 after 11pm day of show

Advance tickets are available on Ticketweb - click HERE to purchase!

Join us for the inaugural edition of SHOW AND BONK, a collaboration between the folks that brought you Bonkers, Pleasure Boat Records, and Show And Tell. It's also the occasion of Verse's (gulp!) 40th birthday, so why not have a Libra bash as well?!

Main Room:
Bob Hansen (Jacob London) vs. Eva (Work It Baby) – dj
Jon McMillion (Nuearth Kitchen) – live
The Sight Below (Ghostly International) – live/av
SciFiSol (Pleasure Boat Records) – live/record release
Naturebot (Pleasure Boat Records) – dj

Dancefloor Conspiracy tag-team room (aka Verse’s birthday party!):
Levi Clark (Shameless) vs. Verse (Show And Tell) – dj
Barbarella vs. Freakazoid - dj
Edis vs. Miss Problematic (Thrifty) - dj
Corban Lester (PDX) vs. Verse (Show And Tell) – dj
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THE SIGHT BELOW (Ghostly International)