Happy 2011 + WHAM BAM
Next week I’m co-directing and performing at the 4th annual Wham Bam event, bridging music and technology in a theater setting. I’m very pleased and excited to debut a new show and host a panel on Innovative Performance Techniques.
Friendly Integration, Electronic Creatives, Dubspot and Droid Behavior present:
WHAM BAM 2011 (4th Annual)
:: MUSIC CONVENTION INSPIRED FUTURE SOUND AND TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE ::
Celebrating New Dubspot Online Classes & Dubspot LA 2011
Friday, January 14 2011
6:00pm – 3:00am | $10 – $15 | 21+
Elephant Theater
6322 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Powered by [[FUNKWORKS / FUNKTION 1]]
SOUND
Jimmy Edgar, Richard Devine, WE ARE THE WORLD, Thavius Beck, Drumcell, Laura Escudé, DJ Kero, Derek Michael, Eezir, Professor Nalepa vs It’s Not Over Quebec
DISCUSSIONS
6:00pm -9:00pm
Controllerism Workshop with Moldover
“Apps for Next Generation Music Interaction” with Gareth Williams from Liine
“Innovative Performance Techniques” panel with Laura Escudé of Electronic Creatives
ATMOSPHERE
Exemplary visual and physical interactions by CPU, KERO, CELL, VJ Culture, VJ Synesthete
THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY:
Akai
Ableton
Create Digital Music
FXpansion
Keith McMillen Instruments
iBallzforipad.com
Livid Instruments
Native Instruments
Roland
GIVEAWAYS FROM:
Akai
Ableton
Dubspot
Electronic Creatives
Fixed Noise
Five12.com
FXpansion
Keith McMillen Instruments
Liine
Livid Instruments
Native Instruments
Roland
www.futuresoundandmotion.com
www.electroniccreatives.com
www.droidbehavior.com
www.dubspot.com
————————————————–
ROOM 1: ELECTRO : EXPERIMENTAL : TECHNO
:: Hosted by Friendly Integration and Droid Behavior ::
Jimmy Edgar (Live PA) – Warp : K7 // Detroit – Berlin
Street-smart and wise-beyond-his-years, Jimmy Edgar wanders the desolated streets of junky occupied steaming sewers, an urban ghost town under deconstruction. Reeling through a jungle of industrious landscapes, abandoned buildings, isolated alley ways and homeless people. In the midst of which lies intense feelings of jadedness and despair that makes the city all the more musical in its thriving evolving decay, and being the inspiration to a unique style which critics rant as being: Songs with “a richly textured character –softly softly blending a hazy arrangement of static with an engrossing nighttime beat. Scratches galore and moody electronic pulses… via some glorious Detroit Neon,” Boomkat 2002. Poster child of sound couture Jimmy Edgar, who dropped studies in fashion and design to concentrate on making music, has a background of art production and style which reads much like an urban landscape dissertation. Snatching all kinds of influences from his Detroit dwelling: the city’s decay, urban fashion, and the city’s eclectic music scene, Edgar manufactures unique and provocative ultra modern sound environments.
Richard Devine (Live PA) – Warp : Schematic // ATL
Richard Devine is one of the most talented (if not prolific) of the producers organized around the Miami neo-electro haven of Schematic Records. Based in Atlanta, Devine’s productions have the rigid breakbeat swing of prime electro recordings, but also a high degree of DSP (digital signal processing) magic in keeping with Schematic’s acknowledged heroes, Autechre. After EPs for a sublabel of Woody McBride’s Drop Bass Network and the Devine EP on Schematic, the producer began getting a reputation in advanced electronics circles with remixes (of material by Aphex Twin, Chris Deluca, Slicker, and Schematic’s own Phoenecia) as well as compilation appearances (Ischemic Folks and Lily of the Valley, both on Schematic). Turned on to Devine’s work by praise from Autechre and his remix of Aphex Twin’s “Come to Daddy,” Britain’s Warp Records hired him in 2000 to record a full-length. The results, Lipswitch, were jointly released one year later by Schematic and War
WE ARE THE WORLD – Echopark Records // LA
A boundary-defying experimental performance project blending dance, costume, video, and performance art with dark, heavily percussive electronic music, We Are the World came together in the late 2000s in Los Angeles’ Echo Park neighborhood. Germinating out of collaborations between choreographer (“Sir”) Ryan Heffington and musician/producer Robbie Williamson which were initially presented as part of the latter’s monthly performance event/dance party, Fingered, the group’s early shows included as many as 15 people on-stage, but its lineup soon solidified into a tight foursome: Williamson on production (and live percussion), his wife Megan Gold as lyricist and lead singer (the couple, who initially met in Tacoma, WA in 1992, were also performing at the time as the band Work), with Heffington creating costumes and choreographing alongside Fingered co-conspirator and dancer/film artist Nina McNeely. We Are the World’s dynamically theatrical shows, which draw from a range of aesthetic and cultural sources to explore issues of political ideology, gender identity, and religious fundamentalism (their heavily stylized wardrobe has been known to include burqas, nightmarish black-and-white masks, and outfits inspired by ninjas, guerilla revolutionaries, Chinese peasants, and French mimes), have inspired great amounts of both confusion and enthusiasm and earned them a rabid local following. Offstage, the group have contributed tracks to two tribute albums (honoring the Cure and David Bowie) on L.A.-centric label Manimal Vinyl; the single “Clay Stones” appeared in 2009 on I Am Sound, with a predictably bewildering accompanying video by Alma Har’el, and their debut album of the same title followed on Manimal in April 2010.
Drumcell – Droid Behavior : CLR // LA
Drumcell is the founder of Droid Recordings and co-founder of Droid Behavior along with the Vidal and Vangelis Vargas. Since the mid Nineties Drumcell has been a firm believer in the power of techno and over the past decade become one of Southern California’s greatest champions.As a graduate of the Musician’s Institute, a veteran performer at parties, and longtime recording engineer Drumcell harnesses a strong musical background with a gifted sense of technological intuition. The delicate balance keeps him pushing the limits of his gear continually as a way to develop his artistic express. Forming the Droid Behavior collective with Acid Circus earlier this decade was another other major step in this ongoing development. In turn, the collective has helped expose other local artists as well as established DJs to the growing legion of techno fans in the Los Angeles basin. In the past five years, he’s played alongside nearly every major DJ in the genre via the trio’s signature Interface parties. This year he also did a mini-tour of the US which culminated in him playing the main stage at the prestigious Movement festival in Detroit. Recently, Drumcell has also had a string of additional successes including remixes of techno legend Chris Leibing on Leibing’s own CLR label as well as the seventh anniversary of the now legendary Interface parties These gatherings have brought the best of the old school warehouse vibe together with intense new school multimedia presentations that defy explanation. He is currently developing a audio/visual performance to be unveiled by the end of this year in hopes of elevating his performances at these events to the next level. Drumcell will definitely be one artist worth watching in 2010.
Derek Michael – Detund : Friendly Integration // LA
ROOM 2: AMBIENT : IDM : AUDIO : VISUAL
:: Hosted by Electronic Creatives and Dubspot ::
with MC Shelley ShellShock
Laura Escudé – Electronic Creatives : Dubspot // LA
Laura Escudé is a critically-acclaimed violinist, composer, sound designer, music technologist and educator. She specializes in the software program Ableton Live and became one of the world’s first Ableton Certified Trainers in 2008. In 2009 she worked on Cirque du Soleil’s “Viva Elvis” as an Ableton Live programmer, toured Europe with acclaimed world music band Niyaz, was a tour consultant for Kanye West and recorded violin on EastWest’s Silk sound library. She has worked with diverse directors, artists and composers such as J.J. Abrams, Jason Reitman, LMFAO, Mark Isham and Carmen Rizzo. In 2010 Laura released her first full length album Pororoca, a beautiful marriage of cinematic strings and edgy electronics, along with an animated video designed by Scott Pagano (Trifonic, BT, Michael Jackson). A Renaissance artist for the New Age, Laura’s mastery of cutting edge musical technologies and experimental techniques, complemented with her classical training and experience performing in symphony orchestras, sets her apart in a class of her own. Her solo project encompasses a myriad of genres, utilizing live electronics, synthesis, found sounds, samples and violin affected by hardware and software. Learn more at: www.lauraescude.com
Thavius Beck – Mush Records : Dubspot // LA
Thavius Beck is an electronic musician/producer/programmer who has worked with various artists ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Saul Williams. He is currently signed to LA-based label Mush Records, where he has released several albums. His previous works are known for their distinctive sound which melds equal parts rock, hip-hop, soul, industrial, and electronic music, showcasing his diverse musical influences in everything he makes. With a heavy focus on beat making, editing, and multi-track recording, he has used Ableton Live for the majority of his work (live and in the studio) for the past four years, giving him extensive practical knowledge of the software. In addition to making his own music, he has held electronic music workshops in several colleges, given one-on-one tutorials to various artists on Ableton Live, and has been hosting a monthly Ableton Live workshop at The Downtown Independent in Los Angeles since 2009.
Professor Nalepa vs It’s Not Over Quebec – 1320 Records : Dubspot // LA
LA-based producer, professor and mad scientist collector Steve Nalepa is an electronic musician revered in avant-garde circles for his studio alchemy and genre bending: he’s produced tracks with such legends as Bill Laswell and Pharoah Sanders, performed with the LA Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and shared the stage with some of the most revered electronic musicians and video artists in the world. Nalepa’s music technology classes at Chapman University Conservatory of Music have become a breeding ground for new talent, and he has teamed up with his former students It’s Not Over Quebec for some heavy, live electronic excursions.
KERO – Detund : Friendly Integration // LA
Eezir – Friendly Integration // LA
ROOM 3: DISCUSSIONS AND PANELS
Moldover – LoveTech // SF
If technology and music are your life, brace yourself- Moldover is about to reformat your soul. Hailed by 700,000 YouTube viewers as “The Godfather of Controllerism”, Moldover is a new breed of music icon. Combining the charisma of a rock star, the mad genius of a basement inventor, and the radical inclusiveness of the DIY internet generation, Moldover is “literally throwing away the rule book and reinventing the wheel” (Remix Magazine). Witness his balls-to-the-wall live show at a club, experience his multiplayer music installations at a festival, or pick up and play the “light theramin” packaging of his debut album and understand why the next paradigm for music is a one-man-brand called Moldover.
Gareth Williams- Liine : Trapez // Berlin
Gareth Williams is a musician, music technology expert and one of the founders of Liine. Whether producing or performing music under his Raw Hedroom pseudonym, building performance systems for Richie Hawtin’s Plastikman Live show or creating next generation music devices for the iPad at Liine, Gareth always has one eye on the future. Liine, a group of passionate music technologists including Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva, is at the forefront of exploring the music creation possibilities offered by the new generation of touch devices such as the iPad. Gareth’s talk will include insight into the future of the Griid Ableton Live controller (including Cliip and future modules), the next incarnation of the innovative Kapture device, as well as Liine’s vision of interactive music with Remiix. http://liine.net
VISUALS:
CPU – LA
VJ Culture – LA
One of the United States top VJs. (Source: UK’s DJ Mag)
VJ Culture brings to the screens over 12 years of experience. Always ahead of the curve in design and content. VJ Culture’s current style blends simple shapes and primary colors with complex algorithms that generate organic forms.
PARTNERS:
Friendly Integration – LA/Detroit
Founded By Derek Michael and Kero of Detroit Underground, the FI event production group has been integrating people music and media through innovative products and parties since 2000.
Droid Behavior – LA
As a Record Label, showcase promoter and musical catalyst, Droid Behavior stands at the hypocenter of the West Coast techno explosion. For over seven years they have fostered LA’s techno movement and presented its constituency with the genre’s greatest. Maintaining momentum with countless one-offs and both club and underground collaborations, Droid lays siege to the city every few months with its incomparable multimedia experience known as Interface. They feed their fanbase with a roster of some of the city’s most inspiring live performers and DJs, including Acid Circus, Drumcell, Audio Injection, Subversive, and Dean Paul. Droid’s artists have consistently hypnotized crowds at major clubs and warehouse parties alike as well as toured rigorously across North America , Mexico, Japan, and Dominican Republic in support of their music releases and vision.
Electronic Creatives- LA / SF
Electronic Creatives is a music and technology consulting firm based out of California (Los Angeles San Francisco) that specializes in the creation of cutting-edge work-flow for audio/visual performance and production. We offer creative solutions for composition, performance and technology integration with both sound and visuals across multiple programs, mediums and formats. E.C. focuses on personalized work-flow solutions for live performances, tour configurations and production techniques. We offer quick solutions and long-term support as well as one-on-one training for those who want to learn more about our process. Performance / Production clients include: Cirque du Soleil, Kanye West, Drake and Lady Gaga and personalized consulting clients include J.J. Abrams, Sean Beavan, Lili Haydn and Jason Reitman.
Electronic Creatives is one of the only Ableton Certified Training Centers in the world and is directed by renowned music technologist, violinist, composer and Ableton Certified Trainer Laura Escudé.
Dubspot- NY / LA
Dubspot is a cutting-edge electronic music production & DJ school in New York City & now ONLINE.
One of the original Ableton Certified Training Centers in the world, Dubspot NYC has become the premier music school for experienced and aspiring artists alike.
We know coming to New York isn’t an option for everyone, so we’ve decided to come to you…
Introducing DUBSPOT ONLINE – The Electronic Music Production School for All Citizens of the World. Dubspot Online stems from the same idea that founded Dubspot in NYC; music technology is only as good as the music you make. In essence, we will remain focused on our student’s musical progress throughout their time as a student and a part of our community.
Also look out for Dubspot LA in 2011…
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