we are not a rock band

SOCIETY : FREE PARTY TOMORROW WITH ROBERT OWENS & ROCKY (X-PRESS 2)

Knockturnal — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:05:37 +0000

After the huge success of the fourth SOCIETY warehouse party with DJ Pierre, we return to our basement with another Chi-town legend, Robert Owens, for another night of true House sounds – mostly old, some new; all incredible.

ROBERT OWENS is a man that needs no introduction, and the DSS basement is where Mr Owens comes into his own. It’s rare that Robert gets the chance to play in such intimate surroundings and it allows him to dig deep and play the stuff that really gets him jackin’ – and our parties often end up with the golden-voiced maestro singing to our lovely crowd. To say it’s special is an understatement.

ROCKY started DJing in the mid 80s, before being caught up in the whole acid house thing and getting carried along with the wave, landing a residency at London’s Yellow Book in 89 and getting matey with the Boys Own crew, making regular appearances at their events. Remixes for the likes of the Farm followed before Rocky, Diesel and Ashley Beedle formed X-Press 2 and released the seminal ‘Muzik Express’. The team went on to land a 6 month residency at Cream in the nineties and score some massive singles including ‘Lazy’ with David Byrne that went to number 2 in the charts. Rocky came down to one of our nights at DSS and loved it – he asked about playing and…well…that’s a no-brainer – we’re honoured to say the least.

The SOCIETY residents CLASS OF 808 DJs will be bringing the heat as always, as will JOSH CAFFE, ALEX WALE, and guests, playing sounds from Detroit, Chicago, the UK and beyond + Don’t miss WANARB’S own HAZMAT playing an exclusive Italo set!

Our previous events have seen the Dalston basement transformed into east London’s take on Ron Hardy’s Muzic Box, with an untouchable atmosphere and party people jackin’ to the sounds of 80′s Chicago house ‘til the small hours. Nowhere else can you dance in a cosy basement club with Robert Owens singing and dancing along with you.

THURSDAY 23RD
FEBRUARY 2012 | 9:00PM – 2:30AM
DALSTON SUPERSTORE | 117 KINGSLAND ROAD, LONDON, E8 2BP

FREE ENTRY ARRIVE EARLY!

FULL INFO: Click here

Competition: Win Tickets To See WiLDKATS

pettingparty — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:47:16 +0000

Our pals over at Data Transmission have kindly given us two pairs of tickets to give away to some lucky readers to see WiLDKATS, Alexis Raphael, Waze & Odyssey and more at the next DT party at East Village in Shoreditch on Saturday 3rd March.

All you have to do is answer this simple question:

What famous song intro does ‘Perpetrating’ by WiLDKATS sample?

A. Tupac – California Love

B. N.W.A – Express Yourself

C. Snoop Dogg – Gin & Juice

Just email your answer to info@wearenotarockband.comwith ‘Data Transmission Competition’ in the subject line. Closing date for the entries is Tuesday 28th February @ 12pm. Winners will be picked at random and notified by email.

WiLDKATS - Perpetrating (snippet)

The whole night looks pretty great, as the DT guys tell us,

“Causing rumblings in the basement for us are emerging deep house luminaries WiLDKATS, a three headed American-Scottish disco-synth crew, fusing 80s funk, deep and dubby basslines and NYC disco undertones in their riveting sets. Fellow Hot Creations label-mate and Creche resident Alexis Raphael will be further demonstrating his talents, spinning a unique blend of house, disco and techno.

Supporting these two delvers are shadowy, elusive duo Waze & Odyssey, fusing the sounds of future garage with house sensibilities and slow mo jams, while New Talent favourite and burgeoning two-step distorters CSY & Stripes are also on the bill to show you why they’ve got everyone from A Trak to Tittsworth in a tizz over their stepping, immediate and swelling sound. We also invite rising London name and dance music aficionado Charlie Tarr to warm up the plates for our tightly packed-in night.“

Earlybird tickets are only £5 but will go up to £7 before the night and cost £10 on the door. Check the Facebook event for more info.

PettingParty

When WANARB Met: Elon + EXCLUSIVE MIX

pettingparty — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:41:07 +0000

We caught up with New York based underground techno DJ, Elon, ahead of his set next weekend at London night Select*Elect. After he picked his Top Ten Tracks for us back in December we though now we be an ideal time to have a more in-depth chat. Not only did he show a rather frightening cannibalistic side(!) but he also revealed there’s hidden backwards messages in his music! Luckily, he’s not really that scary so we we quizzed him on New York nightlife and his collaboration with Maceo Plex. He also recorded the first hour of his set last weekend at Watergate in Berlin, full of techno treats and unreleased tracks which you can listen to exclusively on We Are Not A Rockband and download for FREE… What a dude!

Hi Elon, how are you?

I’m great… I’ve been busy with lots of new projects lately. I’m on the road again and am looking forward to for my vacation in the end of this tour… some friends of mine are making fun of me for saying this, it seems for them that my life is a constant vacation…

You’re based in New York, a city with a great nightlife reputation. Where are your favourite places either to go out yourself or to play at?

Yes, NY nightlife is one of a kind. We don’t have an established club like Fabric in London, or, for example, Panorama in Berlin… NY nightlife these days is all about “off-location”, warehouses, lofts, etc, which is what makes NY’s scene special. That’s why each party there is so magical… Obviously, those are the places I find myself playing at and enjoying when I go on a night out.. ReSolute is all about that.

You’ve lived there for over a decade now, how would you say the scene has changed?

The underground parties really changed and established. NY’s nightlife Back in 2005 Minimoo parties pretty much built this platform of “TBA location” and I think this underground scene’s getting stronger and stronger every year… At 8 am people are still raving in a big warehouses in Bushwick. I just hope that once we have our established club in NY, this won’t change.

How do you think the music scene compares to other cities?

You can find anything here. Every artists passes by NY, so, you get here pretty much all that you find in any other cities.

What influence do you think your Israeli roots have on your music?

You can enjoy my tunes better if you eat falafel… also, when you reverse some of my tunes, you can hear a sublime- hidden Jewish prayers..(!)

Did you always want to be in music or was it something you fell into?

I was really into maths as a kid. Science and physics were my real passion… but this made me unpopular at school, so I decided to make and play music so I can get more girls and get paid to travel. Just kidding!

Can you tell us a bit about how your collaboration with Maceo Plex came about last year and what was your favourite track from the Bummalo EP you created together?

Eric is one of the most talented and productive guys I know. I’m glad he finally got his big break; ever since I met him 7 years ago we have supported each other… The EP was a long process that started more than two years ago… We basically started something and sent it to each other to finish up. I don’t really have a favourite track on this EP, I feel like all the tunes are good in their own way. Each one is completely different to one another. I’m happy it finally came out.

You describe your style of music as “Techno soul, House, Techno, Deep and Steakhouse.” How do you prefer to have your steak cooked and where is the best place you’ve ever had steak?

Medium… actually, my sister makes the best steak. We have a great restaurant in Soho called Balaboosta. Seriously, the steak is the shizzle.

Thanks for you 10 tracks you picked for us previously. There were some great picks in there, particularly the P’Taah track. Is this the kind of thing we can expect from you at Select*Elect?
P’Taah are one of my old favourites and the last album has an amazing, rich production and melody, Loving it..
I don’t know right now what I’ll be playing… It really depends how I feel at the party. Recently I’ve been playing a bit harder, but still, I can cross many genres in one set.

You’re playing on the same bill as H.O.S.H. who’s a core part of Diynamic. Are you looking forward to his set?
Well, to be honest, I never heard him playing before, so, yes, I’m curious and looking forward for it.

And finally, what would you do in the event of a zombie apocalypse?
Fun! I always wanted to try human flesh… finally, I won’t seem too weird…

Elon - Live At Watergate 11-02-12 EXCLUSIVE first hour for We Are Not A Rockband (FREE download)

Elon plays Select* Elect alongside H.O.S.H. at a secret east London location next Saturday 25th February.

PettingParty

Light Year – Moderation

pettingparty — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:01:30 +0000

Check out the amazing new video from Sydney’s Light Year. Not only is it a great video but it’s a great track as well, and after receiving high-profile online support from Tensnake, it’s sure to your most shared video this month.

Light Year (aka the mononymously named Jordan) have already released 2 EP’s and toured both America and Europe but with a Australian-style take on the Hot Creations brand of deep house groove combined with an acid-house rave video, he’s sure to have a big year.

PettingParty

Droog’s Potty Mouth Warm-Up Mix

pettingparty — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:48:35 +0000

This Saturday sees LA’s Culprit Records head honchos Droog go up British partner in crime Inxec in a special back to back set at one of our favourite London warehouse parties, Potty Mouth. Completing the bill is Danish deep house master Noir and rising Polish stars Catz N Dogz and We Are Not A Rockband’s very own Hazmat; giving what must surely be the most hotly anticipated international lineup across the capital this weekend.

And if just the mere thought of it all wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, Droog have only gone done a Potty Mouth warm-up mix! With tracks from Subb-an, Gavin Herlihy and Amirali, you’ll be popping on your dancing shoes super-early out of sheer excitement. Tracklisting after the jump.

Droog – Potty Mouth Warm-up Mix

Potty Mouth will be from 9pm to 6am in the heart of Hackney at Netil House in London Fields. Tickets are on sale over at Resident Advisor.

Less than 2 weeks ’til Society, tickets selling fast

Knockturnal — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:24:37 +0000

Less than two weeks to go until our biggest party yet. On Friday 10th February we’re flying over from Chicago, USA the inventor of Acid house; DJ Pierre to play a one-off set of Acid House at an amazing London warehouse location. Tickets have been flying out the door for this one and second-release tickets are about to sell out. Get yours now for £12.50 before they rise in price.

Also playing this event : Criss Angel (Energy/Centreforce FM), Jamie Blanco (Live 808 set), Citizen, SOCIETY residents Class of 808 DJs + more DJs yet to be announced!

Expect a night of true Acid/Chicago House plus original artwork created for this party, VHS projections, smoke, lazers, a booming sound system and the best atmosphere this side of 1989. If you haven’t seen it already, check out the video for a taster of what to expect:

Introducing: Toky

pettingparty — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:30:47 +0000

Chances are, if you download a lot of deep house podcasts, you’ve already heard Toky. The Hot Since ’82 remix of his track About You is currently making itself known to all and sundry after appearing on Noir’s latest ‘Recommends’ podcast. No surprise there really as it’s due for release on Noir’s label on 30th January. There is another remix by hot tip Fur Coat but it’s the Hot Since ’82 version that’s the big draw here. Pushing what seems to be January’s sound, of deep, down-tempo melancholic house; the remix is the type of track you might miss first time round but then you hear it again and say oh hey what’s that? Then maybe you’ll hear it another time and this time it sticks in your mind. With haunting androgynous vocals coupled with a dirty and deep bassline; it’ll be a 4am killer on the dancefloor for when everyone’s ultra-smashed.

Toky – About You (Hot Since ’82 remix)

Toky’s certainly set for big things this year despite only getting into dance music production last January after a live session with fellow Italian Karm from Tale Of Us. To be on Noir’s label, remixed by two very upcoming acts *and* gained such attention in a year is staggering. And if that weren’t enough, he’s already formed an ace side-project called Superhero with Italian DJ and producer Leon. There’s only a preview available of their new track Drugs And Choices but it’s fucking ace so do check it out. Dry humour laces spoken word lyrics over a sparse beat creating a surprisingly addictive little number.

Superhero – Drugs And Choices (preview)

It’s actually the first track on Toky’s recent Purp & Soul podcast which is well worth a listen and a download. Definitely keep your ears out for more from this man.

Toky – Purp & Soul podcast [Download here]

PettingParty

MAM Reminder

pettingparty — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:23:09 +0000

You may have missed it at the time, but back in October Soul Clap posted a free EP on their blog by an artist called MAM. No big fuss was made at the time, so it would have been easily enough passed you by. Since then, however, we bet you’ve definitely been hearing a lot of MAM, just without knowing who it is.

MAM is compromised of Miguel Campbell and partner in crime Matt Hughes. All three of their free tracks have since been staples in many a house and disco-infused mix or podcast. And the good news? THEY’RE STILL FREE. Have a listen and you’re sure to recognise at least one. Sunday treats for you all. Head over to Soul Clap’s blog to download all three tracks for free (or buy them if you wish to support the artist).

MAM- Can’t Live Without Music

MAM- One Of Those Nights

MAM- Reel Sweet

It’s a perfect time to remember MAM, or indeed, discover them and wonder how the fuck you missed them before, as their new EP, Modern Heat, is due out on Fina Records on Monday 30th January. Have a listen to this little gem from it and know that these are boys are due big things under the MAM name.

MAM- Sunset Funk

PettingParty

Kids Go Crazy For “Cocaine, Ketamine”

pettingparty — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:12:39 +0000

Over the last few months the internet has been ablaze with clubbers trying to track down a mysterious song that, by all accounts, has been doing the rounds since at least October. Championed by Damian Lazarus and Art Department; the whole unknown quantity of the situation has sent these seekers into fever pitch. Armed only with the lyrics “I just wanna make you high. Cocaine, ketamine…” and an unquenchable desire to get their mitts on this tune, they’ve been posting all over forums, YouTube, Soundcloud and Resident Advisor; anywhere they thought they’d get an answer.

And now they’ve been sated. Turns out it’s the track that’s bound to propel Venezuelan duo Fur Coat into dance music’s collective consciousness. Sergio Muñoz and Israel Sunshine grew up “streets apart… in their hometown of Caracas” before meeting at a party in 2004, joining forces to make music and subsequently catching the ears of Crosstown Rebels boss Damian Lazarus.

Featuring Cari Golden on vocals, ‘You And I’ is scheduled for released on Lazarus’s label sometime just before everyone’s favourite Miami-based jaunt Winter Music Conference. With only a few remixes and tracks floating about, it’s great they have everyone so excited without anyone really knowing yet who they are.

The track is already massively mega-hyped but even now its identity is known it’s still proving a slippery beast to listen to at home with the only versions on the internet consisting of shoddily recorded-in-nightclubs-on-my-iphone affairs. Luckily for you lot Art Department foresaw this problem and decided to film their set at recent Mexican festival BPM in *gasp* decent quality. Oh and guess what the opening track is? Enjoy.

Art Department play BPM Festival

PettingParty

Noir Recommends: Episode 9

HazMat — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:14:43 +0000

If you’re looking for an education in what’s hot right now, look no further than the incredible Noir Recommends podcasts. They’re some of the most listened to deep house podcasts that you will find and are always jam-packed full of serious tunage.

His latest podcast, Episode 9, landed yesterday. The first half is very deep, but picks up after about 30 mins when H.O.S.H’s incredible ‘What Do You Want Me To Say‘ drops.

Stay tuned for more podcasts in this series as and when they arrive.

Noir is playing at the next Potty Mouth – cannot wait for that! Get tickets here.

HazMat