In 2008 I hit an all time high caught in a whirlwind of quality people, copious amount of “must go to” gigs and moments on the dance floor where I just wanted to stop time. I’m so thankful and fortunate to have experienced over 160 performances this year.

I’ve seen a considerable change in stage presence for artists I’ve seen several times. 2008 was a big year for letting loose, here’s my choice for Most Improved live acts of 2008

-Mmmm

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Chromeo
from Oct 4, 07 @ Fabric
to Oct 12, 08 @ the Commodore

Surkin – Chrome Knight feat. Chromeo

They have always been two true friends out to have a good time and share the electrofunk that they’ve been brewing up in their basement. Add a splash of Red Bull production to The Big Bang @ the Commodore, there was no choice for the overflowing abundance of Chromeo lovers to break out the fancy footwork and cheer them back onto the stage several times for an encore galore.

MGMT
from Feb. 1 08 @ The Bourbon
to April 6 08 @ Coachella

MGMT – Of Moons Birds and Monsters (Holy Ghost! Remix)

I was surprised to hear that MGMT was opening for Yeasayer @ the Bourbon in Feb. It was hands down a sold out double bill, but it was obvious by their performance that they were like a deer caught in a head-on collision of success from their debut album Oracular Spectacular. From the Bourbon to the Coachella performance it appeared that they got a lil’ grip on their success. The trio song encore at Coachella, Electric Feel, Time to Pretend, and Kids made me jump to my feet to shake what little I had being sun drunk and immobilized by fun cookies. I truly wonder who they will pass on the torch to in 2009. Who will have the same caliber of music?

Justice
from Oct 13, 07 @ the Commodore
to March 25, 08 @ the Commodore

Birdy Nam Nam – The Parachute Ending (Prod. by JUSTICE)

Their religious obsession with towering stacks of speakers and synths spilling with wires made me think, what are they really doing up there? on the internet? In any case, besides the slap-ass bass & synths it was great to witness how personable they can be. For the first time ever ½ of Justice, Xavier de Rosnay, walked out onto the crowd like we were water, and was held up high.  Not only that, he exited the front doors with the sheep like fans in tow and the strict Commodore security wouldn’t let him back in.

Before there was Jutice, there was Just-ice.

“A former bouncer at punk clubs, Joseph Williams, Jr. was the first of the New York rappers to embrace gangsta rap, and when he burst out of Ft. Greene, Brooklyn as Just-Ice, he gained instant notoriety. Muscle-bound, tattooed, aggressive — he resembled Mike Tyson in more than just looks — and with a mouthful of gold teeth, he certainly stood out.”

In 1986 He released the ground breaking album, “Back To The Old School”

“It’s impossible to describe how fresh this album sounded when first released — producer Kurtis Mantronik utilizes the Roland 606 drum machine more potently than any producer before and as its huge beats kick holes beneath Just-Ice’s gold-toothed mumble of rhymes, curses, boasts, and yelps, the party gets underway. Back in 1986, this album burned eardrums and if now it sounds less revolutionary it remains a classic early hip-hop album, one that appeared as radical back then as the RZA‘s production of Wu-Tang Clan did in the late ’90s. Neither Mantronik nor Just-Ice were to match it in their subsequent and separate solo work.”

Courtesy of AMG

A highly recommended interview here.

Just-Ice – Cold Gettin’ Dumb

A friend recently told me that Hip Hop is dead. When I disagreed and said, “what about groups like Spank Rock?” he claimed that they’re not hip hop, they’re “hipster jump off” or “hipster get up” a genre which I’d never heard of.  

Is hip hop dead?  Is there such a thing as “hipster get up” music? Are genres in general dying? 

Busta Rhymes vs Justice - Get Down (TURBOSTATION Genesis Edit)

Agentlovelette – Touch The Screen (Busta Rhymes vs Ronnie Jones)

Like you haven’t heard enough justice remixes.

Check these out from Epsilon. Pretty noteworthy. Check out their blog  for similiar remixes from the Bloody Beetroots and Digitalism.

Justice-Stress (EPsilon Remix)

Justice-Let There Be Light (EPsilon Remix)

ace from the Erol Alkan forum posted up this outta control chiptune cover of Phantoms Pt. 2 . For some reason I’ve listened to all day.

endless while loop-Phantom Pt. II Cover