Event: Kingdom in Vancouver

This is big. Like constellation big.

The fine folks at sub|division decide to grace Vancouver with their 2-year anniversary party and it’s major. Gathering at the Waldorf on December 10th will be BC’s Finest: Vancity rep Prison Garde, sub|div boss Monolithium and dub-mutant Max Ulis flank the Brooklyn badman, Kingdom. That’s a lot of descriptors! Anyway, for those not familiar with Kingdom hes all about fusion and makes music that will move you with 90′s rave meets garage with a dash of future house. Needless classification aside, it’s dance music of the highest order and I dare you to be at this party and disagree.

Here’s a taste:

Let You No [128kbps] by kkingdomm

FREE DL: I Want UR Luv by Monolithiummm

Monolithium – Simon & G-Funk [Prison Garde Remix] 12" wax on ERRORBROADCAST by prisongarde

Garde + Eames – Chicago Transit by EAMES

Max Ulis – Seven by King Deluxe

Gooey by C▲L▲M▲LK▲

Rhythmicon + Atma – Anti Gravity (Original) by Rhythmicon

Told you it was big.

Event: Falty DL in Vancouver

This one concerns anyone who is even vaguely interested in dance music. Falty DL’s You Stand Uncertain remains the years best dance record alongside Machinedrum’s Room(s), and it seems unlikely that either LP will make any room for another contender. It’s a thoughtful, expansive record that incorporates all the best elements from electronic music’s more dexterous moments and compresses them into a suffocating alt-UK bass music. I’m going to go out on a limb predict a similarly crafted live set on Novemeber 12th at the Electric Owl. Special Guests have been revealed as Vancouver’s very own resident dance floor destroyers Prison Garde and Eames, which pretty much guarantees a hot start to the cold season.

Top 5: 08 08 2011

Another edition of Top 5: my favorite beats and pieces from this last week.

5:

Knxwledge - Hexual.Sealings.LP

 

Remix LP. Dilapidated funk and unique technique. Knx is proving to be one of the most original cats in the game.

 

4:

Small Professor – Elderly Jawns

Second of the Jawns series to make the Top 5. Expertly crafted hip hop beats.

 

 

3:

Hudson Mohawke - Satin Panthers EP (Stream)

Hud Mo follows up his seminal Butter LP with an EP focused on huge sounds and theatrical dance floor eruptions.

 

 

2:

Prison Garde – Systeme Hermes LP

Free debut LP from Prison Garde. Movers and shakers of every shape, size, and tempo. Quick review here.

 

 

1:

AstroLogical - Far Far Away

I’m very happy to have been tipped to this one. An impressive selection of beats that incorporate live instruments and vocals, synths, and samples to fantastic effects. Easily one of the best instrumental records released out of Vancity this year.

Interlude: Yours, Truly

The dude Rob Squire has been on the radar for quite some time now, acting under a few aliases (Sixtoo, Speaker Bruiser Rob, Prison Garde) and steamrolling through whatever musical scene he wants. One thing is for sure: party-goers in this city owe a lot to him. Whether it’s acting as the curator of hot shit, headlining events or repping alongside other great artists (taking pictures on stage with Black Milk is a fond memory), his presence is always a guarantee that the night will be worth the morning struggle.

His latest incarnation as Prison Garde signifies his movement towards a more mature, scene-stalwart type, a natural progression from the balls-to-the-wall bass assaults of the Speaker Bruiser Rob/Megasoid era (an era which I enjoyed very much, thanks). Change is good right? Right. Systeme Hermes is the first thing I’ve heard from the Prison Garde moniker (except for a slick Weeknd remix) and it’s just what I expected: somewhere between haute-couture and rugged late-night ass-shaking. I hope you like 808′s, because the joint is loaded with them and all kinds of viscous vintage synthesizer love. It’s fairly undefinable because dude goes the extra mile to give a little something to everybody, so just have a listen. This shit will be destroying dancefloors in no time, trust.

Speaking of dancefloors, August 6th sees the inaugural edition of Yours Truly, a club night designed for the “discerning individual”, not unlike the aesthetic presented on Systeme Harmes. If you like the album, be at the party.

The free download and interview are over at Subdivision.

Event: Lunice, Jacques Greene, Prison Garde in Vancouver

Bass junkies in Vancity already know this: Prison Garde (who is known by a plethora of other aliases, ripping through every urban music genre you can think of for almost 20 years) has been a very key player in the attempt to bring an actual progressive electronic music scene to this city over the last year or so. A Montreal transplant, he brings Quebecois’ Jacques Greene and Lunice (of the multifaceted and crazy stacked LuckyMe collective) to Seymour 560 (spacious and loud) for an excursion in live, high-grade sound collision. Throw in an A\V set from Prison Garde himself, which should be nothing short of eye and ear candy, and you’ve got yourself a night. Should be sweaty.