HiPSTER WAVE

Mary Anne Hobbs talks about her famous show on BBC Radio 1 and her opinions on part of the West Coast experimental electronic music scene. Hobbs goes a little overboard in her admiration of Flying Lotus here. He’s great and all, but comparable to Hendrix? Really?

Datach’i is New York-based experimental electronic musician Joseph Fraioli. We first heard Datach’i in 2000, with his release “wearealwayswellthankyou.” First of all, Fraioli’s style is something for the seasoned listener. In our opinion, you almost have to have experience in studios with music production and audio engineering to truly appreciate what Datach’i does in his music. Of course, that’s not to say that Datach’i has a limited fan base, at least not one that’s any more limited than any other musician who makes experimental, independent music. In fact, Fraioli has his share of avid listeners and even other electronic musicians who sample and rip-off his music (we won’t name names). Fraioli’s beat programming has been described as exquisite by respected electronic musicians.

In addition to making music, Datach’i has a career in audio engineering for sounds and music used in commercials that are aired across the US. If you live in the US and watch TV, chances are you have already heard sounds and music that Datach’i was behind. Because of his extensive studio engineering experience, you might want to turn down your main volume slightly right now, because he masters his tracks at a higher than usual level while keeping them free of unintentional distortion.

Buy Datach’i's music in

“Twin Gant:”

We’d also like to note that Datach’i can really shred when it comes to snowboarding. He gets a lot of air and, for all intents and purposes, his snowboarding ability is on the same level as the professionals.

“False Sentiment:”

“In Silence:”

Datach’i getting some:

“Breech:”

“Take Off Your Face:”

“Big Mountain:”

“Suspended Animation:”

Cubans. Fraoili (right):

“Incubate:”

Datachi – The Deconstructing Man:

“Mthel Vii.mp3:”

“If I Could Say I Love You:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Canadian electronic musician Venetian Snares–Aaron Funk, born January 11, 1975–composes much of his music with trackers. Before he began to release his music commercially, he worked primarily with OctaMED on an Amiga 500. At some point prior to 2000, he began using a PC and the Windows port of OctaMED, MED Soundstudio. During 2003 and 2005 he also used Cubase in addition to MED. Venetian Snares currently uses Renoise and has uploaded a video of his track ‘Vache’ playing in Renoise on Youtube. In a February 2003 interview, Funk was asked a question regarding the diverse mix of genres he draws upon in his music, a property which the interviewer labelled “eclecticism”. Funk replied: “I prefer to call it Surrealism.”

“Colorless,”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

For some reason “Colorless” strikes me as a hi-fi version of the introduction to Future Crew’s 1993 computer production “Second Reality:”

OctaMED

“I’m Sorry I Failed You”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Felbomlaszt Mentökocsi”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Fictional Nevada:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Hajnal”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), aka Aphex Twin, is an electronic musician. He founded the record label Rephlex Records in 1991 with friend Grant Wilson-Claridge. Many would agree that Aphex Twin has had influence in the work of a number of electronic musicians; however, his more modern music has gone down the tubes somewhat. Don’t get us wrong, there have been tracks here and there that we could still get into, RDJ really peaked back in the 90′s and early 2000, but some would argue that even by then his music was suffering. At any rate, we applaud Aphex Twin for what he has done for electronic music and the fact that he was making tracks that were so creative as early as 1991.

“Windowlicker:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“4 (from the Richard D. James record):”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Arched Maid via RDJ:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Raising The Titanic:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“To Cure A Weakling Child [Contour Regard]:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Mt Saint Michel Mix + St Michaels Mount:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Vordhosbn:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Velapene Screen is New York and Los Angeles-based artist Chris Ghiraldi. Velapene has been around for the better part of 10 years. His style is hard to define, but certainly falls within the electronic genre. Known for his remixes and carefully programmed songs, Velapene has been mentioned in Time Out Magazine and Rolling Stone. His blip in the latter was a result of his winning first place at the NYC Laptop Battle in 2006. Velapene has won the Laptop Battle twice, had two full-length releases, and remixed artists including Interpol, Regina Spektor, and Meat Beat Manifesto. I have been a big fan of Velapene’s ever since I was introduced to his music by Unit. Also, Velapene was the one who introduced me to the music of artist Machinedrum, so my taste in music here isn’t exactly following complicated trends. I tend to show more love for artists I know personally, but then, who wouldn’t? When you actually get the chance to communicate with artists you’re into I think that tends to create a better bond, unless of course, the musicians you like and know are total jerks. Thankfully, none of the musicians I know personally fall into that category.

Check out Chris Ghiraldi’s work, art and more here.

New song: added to this post on June 22, 2009:
“Seventeen” by Casxio (“17 Ways Out” Remix by Velapene Screen)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Chop Suey:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Something Is Movable In This Room:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Here’s a tidbit you might not have known about Ghiraldi. He actually went to college with both Regina Spektor and artist Only Son (singer and songwriter Jack Dishel).

“Damn Random State Shapes:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Regina Spektor:

Only Son:

“Three Way Call Detroit Cali New York:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

At any rate, first off, here is the Velapene remix of “Untitled,” for you to check out. Interpol actually liked the remix so much that they were hosting it on their official site for quite a while. Although I’m not a huge Interpol fan, I like the “Untitled” track they wrote, but I like the Velapene remix even more. Great tune.

Interpol:

“Untitled (Interpool Swimwear Remix):”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Our Zone:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Velapene Screen wrote the music for a Miller Genuine Draft Commercial as well. Observe (love it):

As for the Regina Spektor remix, Velapene chose to morph Spektor’s track “Fidelity,” into another song that is arguably better than the original. Even die-hard Regina Spektor fans shared this sentiment about the remix, which we think speaks for itself. Ghiraldi received lots of attention from Spektor’s fans both as they heard his Fidelity remix and as they learned that he is actually close friends with Spektor. Of course, Velapene was happy to receive the attention and to have Spektor’s fan-base listening to his music. Below is a video for the Fidelity remix that was prepared without Velapene even asking.

“Biting Is For People Too:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Another Velapene song that had a subsequent YouTube video creation crop up as a result is “ReDhaiRCut,” which is an original of Ghiraldi’s using a handful of samples of Regina Spektor vocals:

And last, but not least, is another artistic video using Velapene’s music. This video actually features one of my favorite tracks by Velapene, although I have many, entitled “Something Is Movable In This Room,” from his Medical Breaths record.

“My Plot Is Askew:”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The first official release for the Velapene Screen moniker – Velatision EP (available from Amazon.com while supply lasts!