Last Friday, March 23, we swung through one of our favorite NYC parties, Let's Play House, to check out Kasper Bjørke, Cosmo Vitelli, and Marcos Cabral's sets. We were so enthused about Mr. Cabral's that we asked the LPH guys to give us an hour of it, which we now proudly present to you as the latest installment of our ongoing OCF Mix series!
This record is one of those light night gems. Sharp piano stabs and a synth line that washes all over you. It never leaves my bag and I'll only play the vinyl of this track as I have yet to hear a well mixed/mastered digital version. It's a near-perfect end to a wild night. This video is totally fucked, too.―Justin Miller (Have A Killer Time)
I remember finding this 12" in some bins of old records that Sasa from In Flagranti used to stock at his old shop Timtoum on Orchard Street in NYC, sometime in the late 90s. These were the Organic Grooves days, for all you new jacks out there. Anyways, it was a hot summer's day in the city, and from the moment those big, jubilant synths came cascading in, I was hooked. The mix creates this amazing sonic space for all of these sounds to just run around in, and you get the feeling they are so happy to be bouncing around like fools. Paul Simpson is really one of the underrated geniuses of 80s dance music, and his use of dub techniques and delay madness has few peers. Records like this are what really helped define Larry Levan's dubbier sound at the Paradise Garage. It's definitely had an influence on my own production work, and I think you can hear traces of it in my remix for LCD Soundsystem and my "Fierce Dub" of Azari & III's "Into The Night."―Prince Language
Last week, we asked Daniel Martin-McCormick, a.k.a. Ital, to choose a song for our Classic Cuts series (he went with Sonic Youth's "Society Is A Hole"). Well, while we were over at his Williamsburg, Brooklyn apartment, we also decided to tap him for a little Check-In Q&A... and it's definitely an entertaining read! Ital shared with us the list of books he went through while on tour, a couple of movies he's been digging as of late, and an awesome tale from the road. Continue on for the whole chat!
Real Name and Artist Name: Daniel Martin-McCormick, Ital
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Last book you read: The last book I finished was Violence by Slavoj Žižek. I also did this H.P. Lovecraft selection of short stories I bought at a French bookstore, which had about 10 books in English. That doesn’t really count―three short stories. Oh, and Less Than Zero. I loved it. I was looking for American Psycho and they didn’t have it.
Last movie you saw: In preparation for this interview I watched Pi, the Darren Aronofsky film. I didn’t realize he directed it. And it’s almost identical to Black Swan: both feature sexless, obsessive virtuosos living in these confined spaces in New York whose obsessions put them in touch with a dark force larger than themselves... and a system that can either uplift or destroy them. And they destroy themselves. I was watching it and was like, I’ve seen this before! I loved the soundtrack, though―Massive Attack is all over that shit. The last great movie I saw was A Separation. I will say I was very tired and fell asleep during part of it. It’s not entertaining but it’s really good and riveting.
Last fun event or party you’ve attended: The last fun thing I was at was, coming home from Europe, I had a layover in London on Valentine’s Day and a bunch of people I knew were going bowling. And then we went to this intense Turkish billiards spot. So, yeah―that was fun. Also, I had a dream last night where I jammed with Throbbing Gristle and found out that Cosey [Fanni Tutti] was from the Midwest and had an American accent... and was in my parents’ front yard. I haven’t been to too many parties this year because I’ve been touring a lot, but last year, the three that stand out are DJ Harvey at Santos all night long. That was incredible. He’s such a phenomenal DJ. And on a similar level, going to a Dope Jams party that was fogged out the ass. They were playing so much crazy disco and, at their parties, people come to go to the zone [the store owners are in]. It’s not a bar and no one’s going to be like, Can you play any hip-hop? And then, like, seeing Hype Williams at Unsound last fall. It was one of the craziest shows and super confrontational but also really fun and ridiculous. Those were the three live things that impressed me the most.
Last crazy show you’ve played: There was one in Cleveland last year [at B-Side Liquor Lounge]. We did this little 100% Silk tour, which started in New York. We had one weekend in the middle of it that was, like, Detroit, Friday, Chicago, Saturday, Cleveland... Sunday. And I was like, Why? I figured it was going to be pretty raw and had zero expectations―but then it turned out to be awesome! Not a lot of people came but I think someone was dealing Ecstasy because there was this really sloppy crew of people who were just loving it. It was, like, bros and their girlfriends. I remember looking up during my set and this girl was severely grinding on her boyfriend to the point where he was uncomfortable and had this weird look on his face. Then there’s this footage of me playing, also, where there’s this girl in the background, writhing around in this short, white dress during a noise, no-input feedback part of the set.
I chose Sonic Youth’s “Society Is A Hole” from Bad Moon Rising. The reason I wanted to talk about this song is because, after I made this record, Hive Mind... I was thinking of, like, “drool dread,” which is this sense of ominous, creeping dread fused with lethargic drool. [Laughs] Like, dead-eyed ominousness that’s epic, but not like heavy metal. Almost pathetic and slurred―something like that. I think this Sonic Youth song is one of the best examples of that [feeling]. And the lyrics directly engage with that: “society is a hole” and “it makes me lie to my friends.” I think their lyrics are hilariously beatnik-y and this is no exception―they’re sort of bad but poetic and they always seem sort of cool even when they suck.
So, yeah, I was kind of thinking that society is a hole and it forces you into bad habits and bad situations.
Recently, [Sonic Youth] has been more of an influence to me. I didn’t listen to them in high school. I listened to “Teen Age Riot” and that was it. I had a tape of Daydream Nation... and I got the record with the crocheted dolls on the cover―Dirty―but I didn’t get it at all. Later, I got into “Teen Age Riot” because it was so catchy, but it wasn’t until later, like, maybe halfway through college, that I was like, Oh―these guys are fuckin’ cool.
I think there’s something very adult or mature about their music because it’s super not idealistic. It’s not just cynical, though―the darkness of it is the darkness of adult life [whereas] the darkness of punk easily translates to the anger and angst of young life. [Sonic Youth]’s darkness is more subtle and... more aware of the helpless position that a lot of people find themselves in.―Daniel Martin-McCormick a.k.a. Ital
"Ebony and Ivory" got all the hype from Paul McCartney's Tug of War album, but this was the jam of all jams Paul and Stevie rolled out together. Sir Paul sounds funkier than ever and Stevie's just being Stevie. One of my faves of all time, so much so that I had to "retire" playing it a while back. Or maybe just take a brief respite... ―Roy Dank
Roy Dank never sits still. The founder and creative director at Wurst, and one half of DJ/production juggernaut Beg to Differ spends way too much time on the road DJ'ing, and not enough time in the studio making music, designing nor spending quality time with his girlfriend.
For the next installment of Obsessive Compulsive Frequency (OCF), eskuché takes a page from 80s and 90s pop-culture by making a mixtape with Los Angeles’ own DJ/producer duo, Cosmic Kids. This new initiative hails the physical cassette as a mode of expression many of us from the pre-CD days warmly remember; one that required thoughtfully selecting songs for a friend or a loved one and recording them directly to tape giving the final product a unique sound. Who can forget that infamous hiss or worn out wobble after years of heavy rotation?
Appropriately, Cosmic Kids’ contribution is less about the music they’re currently known for - groovy, deep house and high-energy electronic dance - and more about their influences from adolescence as well as what they’ve personally got on repeat. Akin to what you might hear on an old unmarked TDK buried deep in a box somewhere, listeners will be treated with some hidden gems rekindling a love affair with some nostalgic tracks and maybe even the tape format itself. Be sure to check out the behind-the-scenes/interview video eskuché produced to shed some light on how Dan Terndrup and Ron Poznansky crafted the mix.
OCF Mixtape #1 is limited to 300 copies and will be available starting February 22nd at select retail outlets for free with the purchase of a pair of eskuché headphones. For those who have long since abandoned their cassette player, the tape will also also be accessible in digital format so you can listen to it on other devices. The series will continue
on with a variety of artist alignments and personalities ranging from more recording artists and DJs to journalists and tastemakers.
Here is a list of halo retailers that will be carrying the OCF Mixtape #1: Amoeba Music Hollywood, Origami Records(LA), Turntable Lab (NY+LA), American Rag (LA), Other Music (NY), Digital Fix (NY), Waterloo Records (Austin), Groove Records (Nashville), Nomads (SF) and Easy St. Records (Seattle). On-line buyers can also find it at 80sPurple.com and InSound.com
We asked Magic Touch, a.k.a. Damon Palermo of Mi Ami, to take a shot at our Classic Cuts series and, instead of the usual one-track spotlight, he went with three! If you're not familiar with Damon's solo work be sure to check out his record for 100% Silk over here!
On a recent trip to L.A. my friend Andre (Bobby Browser) introduced me to a few Vincent Floyd tracks originally on Dance Mania. When I got home I found this one online and couldn't believe it! Crushingly beautiful.
Not only an awesome song but great video! Sweet, sweet Euro disco/funk.
Nice old-school piano house with a lots of flamenco guitar, and soaring strings. It's a cover of Bebu Silvetti's "Spring Rain"
YOU'RE IN LUCK! We re-pressed Obsessive Compulsive Frequency Vol. 2 (7"), which features 2 original tracks by Best Coast-"Far Away" and "Everyone's Gone." Originally released in May 2010, before their acclaimed debut full length Crazy For You on Mexican Summer.
Limited to 100 copies, this 7" is only available for FREE at the Urban Outfitters stores in Austin, TX during SXSW with the purchase of ANY pair of eskuché headphones.
The 7" record also includes a download PIN for the MP3's to ensure you have these tracks on the go.
Best Coast is set to play at Urban Outfitters SXSW showcase on Thu. Mar. 15th at 6:30pm at their store located at 2406 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX.
TO REDEEM YOUR MP3'S, CLICK HERE
Participating Locations:
Urban Outfitters
2406 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78705
Urban Outfitters
320 West 2nd Street,
Austin, TX 78701
What are you working on presently?
Everything.
What's your studio like? What equipment do you use? Any new acquisitions?
Nothing new to speak of... I have a small studio but enough sounds to make the gig, as one would say. A few monos, a couple polys... and beatboxes. EFX, guitars... and the rest is in the computer.
What have you been listening to as of late?
I have some African records I acquired a few years ago I am currently going through. They aren't afrofunk or Highlife... they are strange, haunting, and beautiful. Some are from Mali and some from Burkina Faso, from what I am able to gather. L'Harmonie Voltaïque is one of groups I'm digging.
Any good parties or concerts you've attended recently?
I like small underground anything goes type of parties that go to noon, even though I usually leave by about 6 AM, it's nice to know they're there... but those are few and far between. TBD has a regular night at a bar in Bushwick which is sometimes a hoot...
What's something you love about the NYC house scene?
What is the NY house scene? Timmy Regisford? Or Timmy Sweeney? I love them both.
And something you dislike?
If you don't have something nice to say...
Finally, outside of music, what are your interests or hobbies?
Reading, arting, 30s clothing, ancient wisdom, and self-discovery.
