Hello people. Seekers of live electronic music or djing in the US who wanted to visit our little city here may want to check out the following. You can see the full thing at http://www.dbfestival.com/.
Here is the main part. This is the third Db I'm going to and I'm more excited than ever.
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[ THURSDAY, SEPT 20TH @ THE HENRY ART GALLERY ]
2007 DECIBEL FESTIVAL OPENING GALA EVENT @ THE HENRY
PRESENTED BY THE HENRY ART GALLERY
$10 adv + service fee / $12 dos
Doors open at 5pm - show goes until 10pm
Auditorium Featuring:
LUSINE LIVE AMBIENT (US - Seattle)
LISSOME LIVE/VIDEO (US - Oakland)
YANN NOVAK LIVE (US - Seattle)
+ Seattle Premier screening of COLORFIELD VARIATIONS (curated by Richard Chartier)
Features A/V works by Steve Roden (US), Ryiochi Kurokawa (JP), Frank Bretschneider (DE), Chris&Cosey (UK) and many more.
Sculpture Garden Featuring:
OVERCAST LIVE (CA)
PHILIP SHERBURNE DJ (US / Spain)
KATE SIMKO LIVE (US - Chicago)
SUNTZU SOUND DJ (US - Seattle)
Last year Decibel and the Henry Art Gallery collaborated on a public forum that focused on the various intersections between electronic music and visual art. This year we’ll be exploring these areas through a series of A/V performances ranging from ambient music (in the Henry Auditorium) to more rhythmically charged sounds of minimal techno and house (in the Henry Sculpture Garden). Performers at the 2007 Gala Event include Lusine, Kate Simko, Philip Sherburne, Yann Novak, lissome, OVERCAST and the Seattle DJ collective SunTzu Sound. Come early to enjoy complimentary snacks, drinks and the Seattle debut of “COLORFIELD VARIATIONS”, curated by Richard Chartier and featuring A/V works by Ryoichi Kurokawa, Steve Roden, Chris & Cosey, Frank Bretschneider and many more. This showcase will be running in tandem with the Henry Art Gallery’s “Mouth Open, Teeth Showing” exhibit, which will be open free to the public. For more info visit henryart.org.
[ THURSDAY, SEPT 20TH @ NEUMOS ]
DECIBEL KICK-OFF PARTY / DEATH OF THE PARTY SHOWCASE
$15 adv.+ service fee / $17 dos.
Doors open at 8pm - show goes until 1:45am
DIPLO DJ/LIVE (US - Philadelphia)
SWITCH DJ/LIVE (UK)
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO DJ (UK)
PRETTY TITTY DJ (US - Seattle)
FOURCOLORZACK DJ (US - Seattle)
This year the festival's club showcases are opening with three of the most sought after producers/DJs in modern electronic music; Diplo, Switch and Simian Mobile Disco. Both Diplo and Switch's raise to fame has come through several high profile remixes, dance 12”s, mix CDs and production credits for the London-based female artist M.I.A. For the past 3 years the UK production duo Simian Mobile Disco have been burning up the dance charts with their ruckus take on techno and electro. SMD’s critically acclaimed 2007 release “Attack Decay Sustain Release” is an infectious homage to the DFA label, NY Disco Punk and gritty electronic dance. Opening the night will be Death of the Party residents DJs Pretty Titty and fourcolorzack, who’ve been instigating dancefloor debauchery in Seattle since the introduction of the popular “Sing Sing!” club night.
[ THURSDAY, SEPT 20TH @ THE BALTIC ROOM ]
ORAC LABEL SHOWCASE
$7 adv + service fee / $10 dos
Doors open at 9pm - show goes until 1:00am
STRATEGY LIVE (US - Portland)
CARO LIVE (US - Seattle)
JON MCMILLION LIVE (US - Seattle)
KONSTANTIN GABBRO DJ (US - Los Angeles)
In 2004 the Decibel Festival kicked-off its inaugural year with a label showcase featuring the Seattle based Orac Records. Over the past four years Orac has further solidified itself as one of the dance music’s most innovative labels. Focusing on quality production over fading trends, Orac has continued to push forward along side labels like Perlon in their quest to release timeless dance music that equally explores experimentation, subtlety and human emotion. The label's impressive roster includes Bruno Pronsato, [a]pendics.shuffle, Dapayk, Mossa, Quenem, Strategy and Caro to name a few. Decibel is proud to have Orac back in 2007 with live sets from three of the labels most acclaimed producers - Strategy, Jon McMillion and Caro. Opening the showcase will be Orac co-founder and producer Konstantin Gabbro with very special DJ set.
[ FRIDAY, SEPT 21ST @ NEUMOS, VIP ROOM & MOE BAR ]
RAGE AND THE MACHINE SHOWCASE - BEYOND BOOKING / NYC SHOWCASE
PRESENTED BY 90.3 KEXP
$17 adv.+ service fee / $20 dos
Joint cover for Neumos, VIP Room and Moe Bar
Doors open at 8pm - show goes until 1:45am
IN THE NEUMOS MAIN ROOM - RAGE AND THE MACHINE
MOTOR LIVE (UK)
GUNS N BOMBS DJ (US - Los Angeles)
KILL MEMORY CRASH LIVE (US - Chicago)
TRUCKASAURUS LIVE (US - Seattle)
+ MODESELEKTOR "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" LISTENING PARTY
Going back to the industrial music of the late 70s, electronic music has proven it can exhibit as much aggression and rage as any guitar driven rock formula. Throughout the 80s and 90s many of us discovered electronic music via the angst-ridden sounds of Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, KMFDM, Skinny Puppy and labels like Wax Trax!, all of whom helped in redefining the role of technology in subterranean music culture.The explosion of digital technology has led to Hard Techno, Hardcore, Electroclash and most recently French Electro providing an outlet for extreme dance music that owes as much to the Sex Pistols as it does to Kraftwerk. With artist monikers like Truckasaurus, Kill Memory Crash, MOTOR, and Guns ‘n’ Bombs headlining the “Rage and the Machine” Showcase you can expect nothing less than an all out electro assault. Come early for a listening party of Modeselektor’s brand new album “Happy Birthday”.
IN THE VIP ROOM & MOE BAR - BEYOND BOOKING / NYC SHOWCASE
WOLF + LAMB DJ (US - New York)
DEREK PLASLAIKO DJ (US - New York)
SPINOZA DJ (US - New York)
Since its inception, Beyond Booking has grown into one of North America’s most prestigious booking agencies for quality underground dance. With a roster including names like Deadbeat, Bruno Pronsato, [a]pendics.shuffle, Someone Else, Dapayk and Daniel Bell, Beyond’s quest for excellence is as pronounced as the artists they represent. This showcase will feature four New York based DJs who have helped in establishing Beyond Booking and their infamous Bunker club night, which has remained a vital destination for the New York underground dance community. Decibel is proud to present the Seattle debut of Derek Plaslaiko, Spinoza and the DJ/production duo Wolf + Lamb.
[ FRIDAY, SEPT 21ST @ CHOP SUEY ]
2007 FUTURE FUNK SHOWCASE
PRESENTED BY UNITING SOULS
$10 adv.+ service fee / $12 dos
Doors open at 8pm - show goes until 2:45am
DJ HEATHER DJ (US - Chicago)
JACOB LONDON LIVE (US - Seattle)
MAT ANDERSON LIVE (US - Seattle)
RAMIRO & LOVE VIRUS DJ (US - Seattle)
This fall marks the third installment of Decibel Festival’s Future Funk showcase. Past Future Funk performances have included John Tejada, Markus Nikolai, Claude VonStroke, Brett Johnson and an infamous debut live set by Jacob London in 2006. Headlining this year will be none other than Chicago’s vixen of funk, DJ Heather. A 15 year veteran behind the decks, Heather’s technical prowess and incredibly deep selection of soulful dance music has won her fans the world over. Co-headlining the showcase we’ve invited the boys of Jacob London back to unleash their latest live incarnation of gritty groove infused techno. Representing the Uniting Souls label and promotion organization, the night will be started off by Mat Anderson, Ramiro and Love Virus.
[ SATURDAY, SEPT 22ND @ TOWN HALL ]
AMBIENT LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF AMBIENT MUSIC
$20 adv.+ service fee / $25 dos
Doors open at 6pm - show goes until 10pm
HAROLD BUDD & ROBIN GUTHRIE LIVE (US - Los Angeles / UK)
BIOSPHERE LIVE (Norway)
RAFAEL ANTON IRISARRI LIVE (US - Seattle)
'Ambient Music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.' — Brian Eno (Music for Airports liner notes, September 1978) Harold Budd is also one of the very few who can very rightly be called an ambient composer. On the 1980 “Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror,” the piano maestro collaborated with British pioneer Brian Eno to produce one landmark album of the Ambient genre. The result, a sparse and tonal wash of piano and sonic treatments, introduced an organic, melodically rich blueprint and set the tone for their later collaborations. A contract with Eno’s Opal Records resulted in one of Budd's most glorious albums – “The White Arcades” (1988), recorded in Edinburgh with Robin Guthrie and Brian Eno.
Robin Guthrie is the co-founder of influential and prolific indie band Cocteau Twins. Long-regarded by many as the “father of shoegaze and dreampop,” Robin’s reverb-drenched guitar textures have had a significant impact on alternative music since the early '80s. Guthrie contributed to the sound and aesthetic of UK’s legendary 4AD label more than any other artist did, either as part of the Cocteau Twins or with This Mortal Coil, Wolfgang Press, and Dif Juz. Numerous acts have emulated his style and several others — including Felt, the Gun Club, Ian McCulloch, Chapterhouse, Ulrich Schnauss and Lush — have enlisted his production skills.
In 1986, Robin Guthrie – along with bandmates Simon Raymonde and Liz Fraser – recorded an album with Harold Budd titled “The Moon & The Melodies.” It would mark the beginning of a long-standing creative relationship between Budd and Guthrie. On Budd and Guthrie’s 2007 dual release “After The Night Falls” and “Before The Day Breaks” the two have once again collaborated on a masterpiece of sustaining guitar textures, minimalist piano composition and subtle beauty.
If Eno and Budd are the chief architects of Ambient Music, Biosphere’s Geir Jenssen is quite possibly its greatest innovator. Biosphere’s discography, which spans over fifteen years and over two-dozen albums, is a true testament to the composers’ phenomenal work ethic and ability to adapt over the years. His “Substrata” album for Eno’s All Saints Records is regarded as one of the all time classic ambient albums.
Opening the showcase is Seattle’s own Rafael Anton Irisarri, whose 2007 debut album “Daydreaming” on Norway’s Miasmah label has been gaining critical acclaim across the globe.
[ SATURDAY, SEPT 22ND @ THE BALTIC ROOM ]
SENSORY EFFECT SHOWCASE
$7 adv + service fee / $10 dos
Doors open at 5pm - show goes until 10pm
LOWFISH LIVE (Canada)
NOVATRON LIVE (US - Seattle)
TAAL MALA LIVE (Canada)
LOGIC PROBE LIVE (US - Seattle)
NDCV LIVE (US - Seattle)
ELECTROSECT LIVE (US - Seattle)
Sensory Effect has been active in the Seattle electronic music underground for years, most notably through stints curating the long-running Oscillate weekly, and for currently being one of the promoters behind the popular Broken Disco monthly. This collective represents all talent levels through their booking efforts, with local and up & coming acts each week plus individual shows with a diverse range of headliners, including The Books, Soulwax, Amon Tobin, kid606 and Fred Gianelli. Headlining the showcase is Toronto's electro guru Lowfish, whose live sets at previous Oscillate nights have garnered a reputation for excellence in Seattle. Also on the bill is the Vancouver based dub maestro Taal Mala, recently a favorite at the last Laptop Battle competition, highly regarded Seattle based ndCv, Electrosect - the man behind Sensory Effect - and novaTRON, whose break beat hardware sets have found a welcome home with the Seattle underground dance community.
[ SATURDAY, SEPT 22ND @ NEUMOS, VIP ROOM & MOE BAR ]
2007 DIRTY DANCING SHOWCASES
$20 adv.+ service fee / $25 dos
Joint cover for Neumos, VIP Room and Moe Bar
Doors open at 8pm - show goes until 2:45am
IN THE NEUMOS MAIN ROOM - DIRTY DANCING SHOWCASE
PRESENTED BY PLAYNETWORK
SPEEDY J LIVE (The Netherlands)
3 CHANNELS LIVE (Poland)
ROBERT BABICZ aka ROB ACID LIVE (Germany)
ALLAND BYALLO LIVE (US - San Francisco)
JERRY ABSTRACT as MAX VOLUME DJ (US - Seattle)
Green Velvet’s triumphant DJ set at last year’s Dirty Dancing Showcase had the walls perspiring; however, Speedy J’s closing set the very next night took the cake for the best dance PA Decibel has ever hosted. It was so good that we invited him back to headline Saturday night along side video collaborator Scott Pagano. Co-headlining the bill we’ve lined up two of Europe’s most demanded producers and remix artists, Poland’s 3 Channels and Germany’s Robert Babicz. Kicking things off are two of the West Coast’s most talented producers and DJs, San Francisco’s Alland Byallo and Seattle’s own Jerry Abstract, the latter of whom will be debuting material from his latest project, Max Volume. From start to finish the 2007 Dirty Dancing Showcase will keep the dance floor moving with some of the world’s most in demand producers doing what they do best. Sure to be a highlight of this years dance showcases.
IN THE VIP ROOM & MOE BAR - THE BASSMENT
PRESENTED BY NECODO
JEFF SAMUEL DJ (US / Germany)
MIKE SHANNON DJ (Canada / Germany)
MIKAEL STAVÖSTRAND LIVE (Sweden / Germany)
DRUMCELL DJ (US - Los Angeles)
Longing for a loud, dark sweatbox of a dance party? If open spaces and elaborate lighting isn't your thing, the artists for this showcase will be set up in a bassment venue, the VIP Room - a dark, underground club space perfect for that subterranean techno vibe that serious dancers look for. Headlining the Bassment showcase will be world-renowned DJs Jeff Samuel (Poker Flat / Trapez) and Mike Shannon (Cynosure / Force Inc). Germany's Mikael Stavostrand (Ware / Spectral) and Los Angeles based Drumcell (Droid Behavior) will both be making their Seattle debut. With an international line up of some of techno's hottest DJs and producers this party is sure to go off. Upstairs at the Moe Bar, the plush, comfortable seating will surround a live audio and video feed of the downstairs action for your enjoyment. (Joint cover for Neumos, VIP Room and Moe Bar).
[ SUNDAY, SEPT 23RD @ THE BROADWAY PERFORMANCE HALL ]
RASTER-NOTON LABEL SHOWCASE
$12 adv.+ service fee / $15 dos
Doors open at 6pm - show goes until 10pm
BENDER aka BYETONE LIVE (Germany)
PIXEL LIVE (Denmark)
KANGDING RAY LIVE (Germany)
Raster-Noton began in 1999 as a fusion of two labels, Olaf Bender’s and Frank Bretschneider’s Rastermusic label and Carsten Nicolai’s Noton label. The three audio and visual artists viewed the new found label as a creative platform for exploring the various intersections between pop, art, and technology. Together they study relationships, examining what exists between sound and space, the part versus the whole surrounding it, the result of the juxtaposition between absolute elements of the scientific and mathematical processes and the illogical elements of nature, and the beauty of irregularity within order. The label has managed to bring these concepts together, very successfully creating an austere digital sound and visual aesthetic that is at once both abstract and highly dynamic. At the heart of every Raster-Noton release is experimentation with sound, art and design in its purist digital form. Their most ambitious project to date was the legendary "20 to 2000" series, during which they released one 20 minute CD each month for a year leading up to the millennium, marking them as one of the first labels to bring together artists as diverse and pioneering as Coil and Ryoji Ikeda. With a dual focus on visual elements, Nicolai is an internationally renowned visual artists and Bender serves the Raster-Noton Creative Director, making award-winning design for the Raster print and music releases. Representing the label in an audio and visual showcawse at Decibel is co-founder Olaf Bender, also known as Beyotone, Danish composer Pixel and the label’s most recent addition, Kangding Ray.
[ SUNDAY, SEPT 23RD @ THE BALTIC ROOM ]
MEMEX LABEL SHOWCASE
$7 adv.+ service fee / $10 dos
Doors open at 9pm - show goes until 1am
HAKEA LIVE (US - Seattle)
MORI LIVE (US - Portland)
SEICHE LIVE (US - Seattle)
AROHAN LIVE (US - Portland)
Memex Records is the electronic off shoot of ClickPop Records out of Bellingham Washington. Their debut release, appropriately titled “Cumulous” features some of the Northwest’s more adventurous sonic sculptors, including Hakea, Mori, rRine, Obelus and the Jerry Abstract’s alter ego, Former Selv. Focusing on forward thinking and experimental sounds, Memex is a welcome addition to the Northwest’s already diverse electronic music culture. Performing at this showcase are Decibel veterans Hakea and Mori, whose 2004 and 2005 performances left a lasting impression on festival attendees. Newcomer Seiche will be rounding out the showcase with a unique blend of acid techno and dub. Free Cascadia!
[ SUNDAY, SEPT 23RD @ NEUMOS, VIP ROOM & MOE BAR ]
2007 HEADFUK SHOWCASE / DB FINALE - MOTHERSHIP LABEL SHOWCASE
$15 adv. + service fee / $17 dos
Joint cover for Neumos, VIP Room and Moe Bar
Doors open at 8pm - goes until 1:45am
IN THE NEUMOS MAIN ROOM
WOLFGANG FLUR LIVE (Germany)
CHRIS DE LUCA vs. PHON.O LIVE (Germany)
FRIVOLOUS LIVE (Canada / Germany)
AAM LIVE (Mexico)
KRIS MOON LIVE (US - Seattle)
STRUGGLE DJ (US - Seattle)
Over the past four years, Decibel has carried on a tradition of choosing one showcase that simply cannot be categorized, which we aptly call “The Headfuk Showcase”. This year’s Headfuk Showcase is by far our most adventurous and ambitious showcase to date. Kicking things off are two of Seattle’s most respected dub aficionados, Dubstep pioneer DJ Struggle and Kris Moon, the latter of whom will be performing one of his legendary “Deep and Dubby” live PAs. From Jamaica we’ll be taking a trip to Mexico and the “Kraut-rock-tronica” of AAM whose recent release on Static Discos offers a dizzying array of instrumentation and influences ranging from Neu! to Aphex Twin. Following AAM is the Canadian expatriate Frivolous, whose found-sound electronic funk has won him massive praise and comparisons to artists like Herbert. Next up on the bill will be the German Crunk of former Funkstorung beat destroyer Chris De Luca and Shitkatatpult’s Phon.o. Combined the two will battle it out with a spirited live set of glitched out accapellas, booty bass and the filthiest break beats you’re likely to ever hear. Closing out the 2007 Headfuk Showcase is quite possibly electronic music’s most influential percussionist, Wolfgang Flur. This ex-Kraftwerk member (1973 to 1987) was responsible for constructing/engineering rhythms to the quartet’s most beloved classics, including “Trans Europe Express”, “Autobahn” and “Computer World / Numbers”, which was later sampled by Africa Bambatta on “Planet Rock”. Flur’s current performance includes many of these classics mixed together with vintage Kraftwerk footage, live dance performances and songs from is most recent project, Yamo which features Mouse on Mars. From Northwestern Dub, to Mexican Krautrock, to Canadian Funk, to German Crunk, to the godfather of electronic rhythm himself, this year’s Headfuk promises to be one hell of a finale.
IN THE VIP ROOM & MOE BAR
CLAUDE VONSTROKE DJ (US - San Francisco)
ITALOBOYZ DJ (UK)
MONTY LUKE aka ML TRONIK DJ (US - San Francisco)
2007 marks the launch of the San Francisco based experimental dance label mothership. Founded by Barclay Crenshaw, (aka Claude VonStroke) the concept for the label is to create a deeper more experimental techno based sound than the tech-funk sound of his other well-known label, dirtybird. With artists like Italoboyz, Samim and Lee Curtis producing for their first release, mothership is already turning some serious heads while burning up the club charts. Performing at the showcase is label boss Claude VonStroke, whose funk fueled productions and DJ sets have made him an icon amongst the underground dance community worldwide. Co-headlining the bill is the London based duo Italoboyz who have released on several labels, including Treibstoff, Einmaleins, Safari Electronique and Gumption. Their debut release for mothership, "Victor Casanova." has quickly increased their popularity as a production duo - not bad for only releasing music for two years. Starting off the evening will be the SF based Monty Luke (aka ML Tronik) who's been a staple in the San Francisco underground scene for years and is an artist on the second mothership release. A large portion of the money mothership earns will go towards helping music education programs in a school in downtown Detroit. Decibel is quite proud to be hosting one of the first showcases for this inspiring new label.
[ 2007 DECBIEL FESTIVAL VIDEO ARTISTS INCLUDE ]
SCOTT PAGANO (US - San Francisco)
CHIKA (US - New York)
PIXEL_SHIFT (Canada)
KILLINGFRENZY (US - Seattle)
TRACER VISUALS (US - Seattle)
SCOTT K. JAMES (US - Seattle)
YUBA FOXFIRE (US - Seattle)
DENSHION (US - Seattle)
MISTY MALARKY (US - Seattle)
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― Miza Din II, Friday, 31 August 2007 16:47 (eighteen years ago)
two weeks pass...