The Presets are Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes. They met while studying classical music at Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music. They are on Australia’s Modular Records, the same home of hype bands Cut Copy and Wolfmother.

The Presets make 80s-influenced electro with a harder edge, which often gets them compared to Depeche Mode, NIN and even Nitzer Ebb, but they also make the soft dreamy tracks that would make Cut Copy fans swoon.

Strangely enough, their experiences as The Presets wouldn’t change how they would interpret the classics, if they decided to throw in the towel and go back to Beethoven.

The Presets on the interview show

The Presets “This Boy’s In Love” (Lifelike remix)

The Presets “My People” (DIM remix)

Some choice Durutti Column.

The Durutti Column - Party

In L.A. at home by myself. Missin me some Winnie. I’ve got a bunch of tracks I’ve been meaning to drop off.

First up is this kid  Rene Van Munster from the Netherlands making some rad fidget house tracks from his bedroom. The internet always blows my mind how I can just randomly become a fan of some kid across the globe. Viva la Internet.

Rene Van Munster - Working Title

Rene Van Munster - Hi Fi Bye Fi

Next we have this Tilly and The Wall B-side off their Beat Control EP. So makes me happy when I’m spending a Friday night alone.

Tilly and The Wall-L3t Teh B34t C0ns013 Yov (Pewep Merix)

This next one just reminded me of Winnie for some reason so I’m throwing it out there. Thanks to Hollaboard for this. Bar Mitzvah Staple.

Chumba Wumba- Knocked Down (Bodyjacking Remix)

And to round things off here’s a rediscovered remix of Studios West Side. If you haven’t heard Year 2 or this remix please listen to each as their both phenomenal. The end of this remix is sooo out of left field good. One of the best moments I’ve had listening to a remix in a longgg time.

Studio- West Side (Klumpfisk Remix)

Until next Time <3

Crystal Castles have canceled their Oct 27th Vancouver show.

In other recent CC news, this from NME:

Crystal Castles have revealed how they used a getaway car to escape from Brighton police – after officers were called during a particularly raucous show by the electro duo.     

Ethan Kath told The Independentthat during a recent festival show in the coastal town, which he didn’t specify, authorities were called because of the frenetic antics of frontwoman Alice Glass.

“They called the cops on Alice for riling up the crowd,” he explained. “After our show, the promoter said the police were there to arrest her and we needed to disappear, so we had to get in a getaway car.”

Elaborating on why the police may have been called, Kath added, “The live experience is all about Alice.

“She is a mental case on stage, and is just uncontrollable. She loses herself in the music. After the show, she is covered in bruises and she can’t remember how they got there.”

Im sure some of you have heard about their stolen art work, T-shirt logo scandal which was recently settled. 

??-Maybe the cancellation has something to do with their previous Vancouver outing where the group were late to the stage and when they finally went on, only played for 20 minutes?  -It was however, reported to be a mind-blowing 20 minutes.  

Perhaps their previous outing cost them some of their less than amused fans and ticket sales were slow?  

Despite their, “issues” they’re currently still one of my big crushes right now and would almost go so far as saying that their album has been one of the most exciting and fully wholesome things to happen in electronic music since Daft Punk’s “Homework” and I was looking forward to the show.  

I’d love to hear more about why they’re canceling shows too, so hit us up if you know more…..  

In the meantime I will rejoice with my refunded $30 which I will now use to buy enough inhalants to get me through the wknd.

Crystal Castles - Good Times (FITFORUSE Edit)

Crystal Castles - Vanished (Nasty Nav Remix)

White Lies - Death (Crystal Castles Remix)

Picture a bunch of smelly heavy metal headbangers rubbing sholders, waving their hair around, raving hard on E and kissing one another.  

Dunproofin for the floor.

Metallica - Electro Sandman (Dunproofin Remix)

The latest Round Table Knights offering.  

Crookers ft Kid Cudi - Embrace The Martian (Round Table Knights Remix)

Having dated Babyshambles’ Pete Doherty and more recently Jamie Hince of The Kills, Kate Moss is apparently looking to move her career from modeling to music.

I’m not sure why, but this kind of intrigues me… I think it’s because I can see that many people (myself included) might immediately buy into whatever music she makes based primarily on her public persona: glamour, money, fashion, sex, drugs… yes, I am weak and shallow.

But, it is interesting though that she’s already got this lifestyle that many rock stars wish they had, except without the whole ‘making music’ thing. And we all know the cocaine vid should have ruined her, but it turns out it was a timely career move. I’m curious to see where this goes.

Fans of Kate - Tape 23 (Simian Mobile Disco Remix)

our man Solly just sent this over.. . good stuff.

Kanye West - Love Lockdown (Solly Remix)

Hola.. . Holla.

Talking Heads- This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)

CR Avery’s art is like a beautiful car wreck where poetry, song, harmonica and beatboxing are all twisted together into something you want to put into a museum. It has a timeless feel, yet is undeniably in the now.

I had been looking to interview the elusive CR Avery since I saw him perform at the CJSF Anniversary Party, where he opened for Secret Mommy no less. And I was warned that Avery is sometimes hard to track down.

Finally, he found some time to chat. So, we did the interview while he was standing on the sidewalk outside his Commercial Drive home, waiting for his lady’s mother to arrive for a special dinner so he could let her in. Apparently the apartment buzzer was broken, and you can hear him stop to say “hi” to all his people on the Drive as we talk.

CR Avery on the interview show

CR Avery “The Boxer Who Just Returned From London”

CR Avery “Hell Of A Hotel Of Harm”

Our pal, Minna forwarded this.  Danish group, Laid Back are best known for their seminal early 80’s dance track and coke jam, “White Horse”.  This is one of their lesser known gems from 1990. The video was directed by fellow countryman Lars Von Trier.  Check out their beautifully crafted website for more Laid Back.

Laid Back - Bakerman

I’ve seen DJ Mehdi do his thing a number of times. I gotta say, it’s always a good time. The dude always comes through with his best game and it’s quite the show that he puts on. Vancouver gets another chance to see the Ed Banger all star this week. I see you there, yes?

Dynasty - Strokin’

Together with front man and rapper Spoek, south african beat juggler, Markus Wormstom becomes the (now) household name Sweat X.

Now, I just got my hands on Markus solo project, and I noticed to my surprise that it has passed by relatively unnoticed, and that is a shame!
He handed it over to me this weekend and I instantly asked, -Is it share-able? (in the quest of the lost blog-post)

It was. Get Up! EP was released a couple of months ago, got some attention, but far from enough. On this track Markus features Spoek, so its pretty much all the ingredients you need to cook a Sweat soup, and offcourse it’s TASTY. Its a tad slower, and sounds as amazing to my ears as the presets of my first casio did back then (i belive it had a scratch pad too). Pure music joy.

Markus Wormstorm - JungleBoogaLooo (Featuring Spoek, Markus And Inge Beckmann As Wendy Haus)

Listen up for 15 year old Chi Chi who is featured on this track below. If she plays it right, that girl can go places.
And to be honest, I have no idea whats going on in this track. And i love it, backwards vioces, glich samples, bootybass, electro, rio funk I have no clue. He twist n turns the sound around n back again. There is a break in the middle and i think he might run the entire track backwards from there on, and he gets away with it! The only thing i know is that i wanna dance, read the t-shirt!

Markus Wormstorm - Get Up! (Featuring Chi Chi and Markus)

And while you are on the South African tripp, make sure to peep Playdoe also with Spoek from Sweat X. When I saw them live this summer Sick Sinus leaned over and whispered to me
- This is the future of hip-hop.

If you do an interweb search for D.O.E. you’ll find information on alternative energy sources and conservation tips. But, D.O.E. is also a rapper from Queens best known for his short verse on Timbaland’s hugely successful “The Way I Are”. Formerly going by the name John Doe, D.O.E. is looking to release his Timbo produced debut solo effort in 2009.

D.O.E ft Keri Hilson - Coming Down

Never miss your favorite band passing through town again.  

Iconcertcal is a free plugin for iTunes that tells you when bands in your library are playing shows in your city.

It appears promoters and artists are slowly getting up to speed on this fantastic thing. 

iconcertcal2.1