Sunday, May 30, 2004

Almost forgot: also tonight is this party, which should be uber cool.

Burnlab's Movement 04 periphery events recommendations for tonight:

Stop in for the closing reception of Liz and Clark's 'Sacred and Profane' exhibit at the Detroit Artists Market between 5 an 8pm. Kill Memory Crash live at the Substance party, 2130 Michigan Ave., 12am sharp. Cannonball Run (aka I Killed Cannonball) with our good buddy Traxx (Gigolo Record DE), BMG of Ectomorph and Sal Principato of Liquid Liquid live and Carlos Souffront at Oslo, 10-4. Plus I'll be helping out at Rob's voter registration booth early in the evening and checking out some local faves around Hart Plaza, including our very own superstar Mike Servito at the Techno Blvd. stage at 11pm. See the official festival site for the full schedule.

Saturday, May 29, 2004

Movement 04 is off to a great start, and I haven't even been down to the festival proper yet. Alter Ego and Matthew Dear simply killed us at the Ghostly event last night. Unfortunately I arrived too late to catch Geoff White's live set, and Alter Ego never actually said, "Vee are going to transphooooorm you", as much as Ryan Elliot and I would like to think they did. They might as well have. The extended live version of Rocker just floored everyone. Incredible, relentless German gnarz-acid-electro.

As promised, some more info on 'Word em Up' Monday night, featuring Magda, Troy and Shawn Reeves: Simply go to the Tavern On the Park at Midnight Monday night (that's the former Flame Grill space at Woodward and Grand Circus, above the Peacock - where we do Les Infants Terribles of course, ) and ask the bartender where the party is. You'll get directions to what will be the highlight afterparty of the whole weekend. That's all you need to know. :)

Since Blackbx and the Run.Stop.Restore crew are being all underground with this and sticking to the word of mouth theme, please don't post these instructions elsewhere, but DO tell people. We figure if you're reading this site, you're already in the 'clique', if you will, and we want to see your face Monday night!

Friday, May 28, 2004

Not appropriate for Memorial day weekend, but...wow!

[thanks to Jonathan]

Thursday, May 27, 2004

Due to family issues, Martin Atkins has had to postpone this summer's Damage Manual tour. (Details at the Underground Inc. site.) However, they will performing one show in Chicago on Friday, June 11th. Since there's a very likely team Dorkwave roadtrip to catch this show, the next edition of Les Infants Terribles is tentatively scheduled for Friday, June 18th. (The day after the Skinny Puppy show in Detroit.) Stay tuned for more details.

Here is a comprehensive list of Movement 04 after, pre and side events - with the glaring exception of 'Word em Up', featuring Magda and Troy Pierce on Monday night. The location is still secret, but plan to close the weekend in a style that will shame even the legendary Magda vs. Dinky parties at 59 Canal. This will be a preview of the reborn UNTITLED, brought to you by Blackbx: hand's down Detroit's most visionary one man promotion machine. More info will be seeded throughout the weekend.

Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Friday night in Detroit just got a lot more complicated:

The Legendary Pink Dots are performing live at the Magic Bag Theatre. I've seen them twice, and its nothing short of amazing. Edward Ka-Spel is some kind of Martian psychedelic goth genius who will make you equally inspired and frightened, with a voice as seductive as Brian Ferry's. So good. Although the Dots have always been somewhat in the shaddow of peers like Psychic TV, most people are probably familiar with The Tear Garden, Ka-Spel's side project with Skinny Puppy (sans Ogre) and their Joy Division-esque 1992 radio hit Romulus and Venus.

Oslo presents Rob Hood, Perspects and Legowelt this Friday. If it were any other night I'd be gushing all over this event. Any one these guys alone would be incredible. Dammit! I'm going to stay true to the family, and will be spending the whole evening with the Ghostly crew though. Really though.... 'Nuf said.

By the way, the proprietor of Oslo told me tonight that Burnlab is their #5 web referral. They now have a real site, so lets' kick it up. :)

Tuesday, May 25, 2004

re: Rob's post today - I'll be at the Movement Festival working the voter registration booth, and we strongly encourage all our editorial staff and regular readers to donate an hour of their time. There couldn't be a more important cause, and you get a bit of shade (or shelter, depending on the weather.)

On a related note, as of this afternoon exactly 800 American soldiers have died in Iraq since the beginning of the occupation.

This blog is the Ricki Lake of online gaming addiction. Ever lost a husband or significant other to a computer game? It's all for you..

Hey Guys.

Normally I don't like to air political views on Burnlab, but this extends beyond that. This year I've had the privlidge of working with a non profit, non partisan organization to establish a voter registration drive on the grounds of this year's Movement festival. There has been an overwhelming amount of support thus far from the electronic music community, but as it stands right now we are in dire need of volunteers to help work the booth.

I'm proud to be a part of this, and I think it's the best gift that I could give back to a community that has given me so very much over the years.

This is a chance for you to make it personal, and make it count. I'm sending out a request to all of my friends, all of you who read this site on a daily basis, to help volunteer.

Please email me, should you be interested in helping out. I can't offer you anything but my gratitude this time around, but I think this kind of stuff is its own reward. I strongly urge you to consider donating an hour of your time this year to a worthwhile cause. I know there are a few of you who read this that have already signed up, and for that you have my thanks and deep respect. But for those on the fence, please consider taking an hour of your time (especially if there's no one on stage and you're just sort of hanging around) and volunteer.

Thanks.

Monday, May 24, 2004

Cause:
"I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things."
- George W. Bush, June 4, 2003

Effect:
click

If you want to pack your evening with music, culture and design this Friday in Detroit, start off at Cranbrook before heading downtown for the previously mentioned Ghostly event at the Masonic Temple. The Cranbrook Art Museum presents Thrownig Curves, a documentary about the matriarch of American industrial design, Eva Zeisel. I got to see a preview of the film in New York last year, and I dare say the story of Eva's life is even more extraordinary than her highly influential and prolific work. 5/28, 7pm, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills MI.

Coming up at Cranbrook: Architects Tea and Coffee Towers opens Saturday 6/5. Featured designers include Future Systems, Thom Mayne of Morphosis, MVRDV, Jean Nouvel, Greg Lynn, and many more. Looks to be pretty incredible show.

Friends of Dorkwave in New York this week:

Tuesday 5/25 is the final installment of Damaged at the Leopard Lounge, with your hosts Gibby Miller and Dave Elliot, plus a very special appearance from newbie Berliner Troy Pierce. Open bar from 11pm-1am. Free! 2nd Ave. and 5th St. above Sin Sin.

(Also, Gibby is selling some of his fine threads on eBay. Check it out. The hipster cred that comes with an authentic Gibby-sweated-in (and god knows what else) XIU XIU tour shirt is priceless...)

Sunday 5/30 Motherfucker NYC celebrates their fourth anniversary with an appropriately decadent extravaganza at Spirit, 530 W. 27th St. between 10th and 11th Aves, $15 w/ flyer (available online.) Tons of give-aways from Paper, Emperor Norton, 4AD, Matador, etc. etc.

My apologies for not posting last Friday's Penetrate event with Sammy Dee, Plexus and Heartthrob in time. We'll see all you kids in Detroit this weekend, right?

Archinect v2.0. Seamless. Nice work Paul!

The Movement Festival officially opens this Saturday in Detroit's Hart Plaza. I'm still all broken up about Ellen Allien not being able to play, but our dear friends at Ghostly International are bringing some rare and delightful German elektronik acid our way in the form of Alter Ego (Klang/Playhouse, Frankfurt). Not only that, but live sets from Geoff White and Matthew Dear, plus a whole host of talent from the ever-expanding Ghostly stable at the very elegant Crystal Ballroom in the nation's largest Masonic Temple.

Friday night, 10pm-4am, 500 Temple Ave., Detroit, $15, fancy attire appreciated
(This is the one event all weekend I promise not to sleep through!)

Friday, May 21, 2004

this was not the pitchfork site i had in mind

Thursday, May 20, 2004

LA Weekly had a cover story on the Andy Kaufman hoax last week. He certainly laid the potential out for this rumor. Genius

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Show me your reality, I'll show you mine.

This Friday: The Detroit Opera House presents Bravo Bravo!, its anual fundraiser - billed as the hottest event of the cultural season. With food and drink provided by over 30 of Detroit's best restaurants and music from the likes of our own Liz Copeland, it's a great excuse to dust off that suit or dress (I haven't decided yet myself) and do some schmoozing with the philantropic set. Also on hand will be some of the areas most renowned visual artists, as part of a special exhibition curated by the Contemporary Art Intitute of Detroit (which so happens to involve Andy Malone, Liz and myself.)

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

You may have already heard this: our number two Berlin girl (next to Magda of course) Ellen Allien has had to cancell her whole US tour, apparenlty due to some customs issues. Not only was she on the bill for the Movement Festival next week, but she was slated to play at Oslo, the coolest new place to open in Detroit since... well... since... well....

This makes me so sad I think I'm just going to listen to side B of The Downward Spiral [tape] over and over while driving in the rain with my headlights off.

On that note, here's what the dirty haired record store clerks at Pitchfork have to say about the upcoming Nine Inch Nails album. (You'll never get a job at The Onion with wit like that guys. Hell, you couldn't get a job writing copy for grocery store coupons with wit like that... Congrats on name-dropping Current 93 and Noam Chomsky at least.)

Skinny Puppy

new label site

US tour dates (thanks to our good friend Bethany, who happens to be designing wardrobe for the tour!)

June 11, 2004 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
June 12, 2004 Seattle, WA Showbox
June 15, 2004 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
June 16, 2004 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
June 17, 2004 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre
June 19, 2004 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom
June 20, 2004 New York, NY Irving Plaza
June 21, 2004 New York, NY Irving Plaza
June 22, 2004 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
June 23, 2004 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
June 25, 2004 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
June 26, 2004 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
June 27, 2004 Houston, TX Club V
June 29, 2004 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
July 1, 2004 San Francisco, CA Grand Ballroom
July 2, 2004 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
July 3, 2004 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
July 4, 2004 Anaheim, CA The Grove of Anaheim

As previously mentioned, the all new Archinect launches next Monday.

Monday, May 17, 2004

got a chance to see detroit-native amp fiddler this past saturday in bcn. thanks to seeing his name on the movement festival lineup i went to check him out. he is a very cool mutherf***er, definitely check him out at movement or on tour, or check out his new album "waltz of a ghetto fly"

Friday, May 14, 2004

maxalot is a graphic design studio, gallery, and shop. their gallery is currently featuring the first ever eboy exhibiton in spain, and be sure to check their online shop under "toys" for some very cool little ways to spend a few bucks.

been making my way through the highly recommendable bbc miniseries the singing detective, the story of a detective novel writer, suffering from a debilitating skin disease, his mind wandering between mystery plots, his difficult childhood, and his difficult present. the eerieness of lynch mixed with the grimness of english dramas. there is also a recent film version starring robert downey jr. which i have yet to check out

Thursday, May 13, 2004

Many thanks to the Metro Times for making Les Infants Terribles their electronic music "Choice Pick" this week. (And many thanks to Matt Abbott for striking the nice pose.)

Wednesday, May 12, 2004

Another piece of geeky info I gleaned from the new Nine Inch Nails site: One of the many synths at work in New Orleans right now is this heavily modified Casio SK-1. Nice!

Check out the plethora of other heavily modified instruments at Circuitbending dot com.

Error might be a good indication to the tone of the upcoming Nine Inch Nails LP, as it's the most recent project from former Barry Adamson collaborator and Trent's current right hand man Atticus Ross. Someone has definitely been listening to Brainiac (and some Pop Will Eat Itself, I would venture to guess.) Kind of like Atari Teenage Riot toned down a couple BPM and not so darn serious. Noisy fun.

Tuesday, May 11, 2004

After a long hiatus, NIN dot com is back online, and it looks damn good - like a f*ucked up fax filled with hyperlinks to just about all the content you could crave. Of course the new album that was supposed to be released in February is still being recorded, or re-recorded as it were, but you can pass the time away with nice features like streaming music videos and exclusive live recordings.

This quote from Trent Reznor got me quite excited for the new album: "Lately I've been listening to (in no particular order)... early Dylan, the Polyphonic Spree, Pere Ubu, DFA-produced acts, The Fall, Sonic Youth, Wire (Send in particular), Wilco, Brainiac, Liars, and of course Bowie."

This is also very interesting: "So far I've been using a mix of real drumming on some things, old drum machines on others. One of the 'rules' of this record has been to orchestrate only using monophonic voices. No chords. Anywhere. Most of the synthesis has been done with a rather elaborate (and ever growing) modular rig and recorded live."

I'm going to send him a Dorkwave button as soon as I get home tonight.

Line-Up is here.

Much like every year- its better than expected but plenty of room to grow. Still, Ellen Allien, Claude Young, Traxx, Madlib, The Hague (aldin Tyrell, Duplex & legowelt) all get thumbs up.

Uh-oh. The brand new Dorkwave dot com is alive and packed with more info than you ever cared to know about what the Metro Times calls our "bullshit subgenere".

for those coming to SONAR, make sure to remember to buy tickets in advance for thursday night(ryuichi sakamoto), not included in the three-day pack. well worth it: last year the thursday performances of the matthew herbert big band were one of the highlights of the festival. the website is in spanish so i can walk those interested through it (deep breath).

buy tickets here and then: click "comprar entrada",then click the down arrow next to "barcelona", then next to "auditori", then "jueves 17-06", then pick "19.30" or "22.00", then click the green "acceptar", then select the area, then the seat(s), then "continuar" (or "volver atras" to go back), then fill in "nombre"(name), "primer apellido" (last name), then "nº de targeta" (card number), then "mes" (month), "año" (year), then email, then click "pagar" (pay) and that should do it. if you have any questions you can email me: chris_daniels_@hotmail.com. do it fast, just noticed seat are already pretty limited

Monday, May 10, 2004

Speaking of the ICFF, our comrades at Core77 are preparing for their anual bash this Friday... and nobody throws a rowdier design party than Core. This year's event will be held at Club M1-5 in New York, with music provided by the one and only Larry Tee.
info here

If you missed the opening of the excellent Sacred and Profane sonic art exhibit Friday night, you can still, uhm, view(?) it through May 31. Likewise, the companion CD can be ordered directly through the DAM. The highlight for me was Thurston Moore ad-libbing vocals to a recording of a Belgian noise band with a small tape recorder while driving... for 25 minutes.

had the chance this past saturday to meet, hang out with and then watch greg shiff play a great set at cube club (which is unfortunately closing to make way for a salsa club. doh!). i guess new yorkers are familiar with him (i´m pretty sure he said he played untitled too)

Sunday, May 09, 2004

Whoa, Blogger has an all new interface. Not sure what I think about it yet...

I had the pleasure of hearing some brand new Jake Fairley tracks over the weekend. Gnarzy electropunk attitude and a minimalist pop sensibility that is unique yet approachable, honest and fun. Plus he puts on one of the best live electronic performances I've ever seen. (Dragging a room full of club patrons on stage to sing along to an electro cover of I Wanna be Your Dog was a definite highlight of the year.) Word is he's shopping for a label too. Given how much his 12"s are adored by the likes of Magda and the UNTITLED residents, I'd be all over that.

Speaking of UNTITLED, the final edition at The Shelter takes place in two weeks. Look for the brand/club night/theatrical experience/grand experiment/cultural phenomenon to morph and expand into unexpected new realms as it leaves the comfy confines of its homebase for the past year and a half. Before it does though, give this chapter one final farewell on May 22 with the best collection of residents working anywhere: Derek Plaslaiko, Matthew Dear, Mike Servito, Ryan Elliot and Tadd Mullinix, plus all the folks who made the back room one of the most interesting and eclectic venues in town with Team Dorkwave, Shaun Reeves and Chuck Flask, a live set from Warp pin-up boy Jimmy Edgar, and Todd Osborn. Many thanks and much love to Blackbx and Ghostly International for all the madness and the unrelenting quality.

Friday, May 07, 2004

Looks like the next three Fridays in Detroit are all accounted for with top notch music and culture events. It's a good time to be in the D.

Ghostly International presents The Three Fates Friday May 28, in tandem with the Movement Festival (formerly known as the DEMF.) The Three Fates will take place in the spectacular Crystal Ballroom of Detroit's Masonic Temple. With 1037 rooms, it is the largest Masonic Temple in the world, and one of the most ornate and architecturally complex buildings of its type ever created. With our own Jon Ozias [Blackbx] on event production, expect to be totally blown away by the whole experience. Artist lineup TBA shortly. Dressing fancy suggested.

Star Trek Apartment for sale.
Wow.

In other DAM news, our good friend Rob Walker's new arts organization The Protoculture Group presents Concrete Zen next Friday May 14 9pm-2am, following the CCS student show. Concrete Zen features the art and fashion design of Brian Douglas and video and audio performances by MI-6, Kero, Basir, Dwayne Patterson and Row2.
[thanks John Balousek]

Of course we have to plug ourselves here: Follow up a packed evening of culture next Friday with strong drinks and sleazy synths from Tamion 12 Inch's Sam Samuels and your favorite Burnlab dorkwavers at Les Infants Terribles, held the second Friday of every month at The Peacock - the most awesome cabaret lounge/afterhours goth diner in Detroit.

[The astute reader may notice that I spelled Sammy's last name wrong on the flyer, but I can't even keep track of all the names he uses... you get the point.]



Reminder that tonight is the opening of Sacred and Profane at the Detroit Artists Market, curated by Clark Warner and our very own Liz Copeland. Sacred and Profane is an audio installation featuring work from the likes of Tadd Mullinix, Richie Hawtin, Warren Defever, Jack Dangers and Thurston Moore. If you can't make it to Detroit, see the really nicely done microsite, plus a limited edition of 1000 CDs will available exclusively through the DAM. ("Purist stuff" indeed.)

Friend and hero Michael Place, a.k.a. Build has two new products which will be available at the My Favorite Conference in Singapore May 13-15 and the IdN Pro Shop very soon: a sharp Build logo totebag and swanky little sketchbook, "compatible with a wide range of pencils/pens." I do wonder, who actually uses totebags? Gotta be Euro thing.



If you're in the 'Pore at the My Favorite Conference, be sure to say hi to Cher Suen and a our good good friends from Multimedia People.

Thursday, May 06, 2004

The new issue of Vice is out.
[thanks Gibson]

Happy birthday Allen! Now you're old enough to drink... oh... wait...

Birthday wishes to Mr. Allen Goodman, who is celebrating this festive occasion today hopefully in a very special way

Wednesday, May 05, 2004

I believe you have my stapler?




After seven years of "pimpin' architecture", Archinect.com is about to launch its first major site redesign. Those who've been waiting patiently the past couple years as Paul Petrunia has toiled away through countless revisions will be more than pleased. Archinect 2.0 is huge leap forward in terms of content depth, usability and flexibility. Keep yer eye here for updates on the relaunch.



We just get weirder every month.

Tuesday, May 04, 2004

Serious geeks can own a piece of computing history: MacMall is offering refurbished G5s from the Virginia Tech supercluster.

should be a good weekend for music in barcelona...thursday is the recently-mentioned iron and wine, friday a double bill of goldfrapp and ms. john soda are playing at the same time that, in another part of the same music complex, geoff white opens up for gza with an (instrumental?) hip hop set, and finally saturday the icelanders mum drop in

check out zuzanium, the excellent fashion design website of a two new residents of barcelona: sarah kawasaki and zuzanna grimm...the barcelona/berlin invasion continues

Monday, May 03, 2004

Wrecked 'em? Damn near sent 'em to Coachella.

For those who have never spend two days in the desert with the mercury well over 100 (107 was hit on sunday) lemme tell ya, its a lot like hanging out inside a hair dryer. Still, once the sun goes down- its the most unbelieveable place on earth. And the excellent facilities (cheap water, good amount of shade and a perfectly manicured lawn) made it feel like heaven.

Pixies are god!!! I have no other words. A band that important, playing a festival that amazing, and bringing it so hard, on a system that immaculately loud (we're pretty sure Steve Albini was working the soundboard) can not be topped. Not as far as a festival setting. Janes Addiction at Lollapalooza in 1990, New Order at the Gorge in Washington, Bowie last week at the Greek theater — nothing even came close to what I saw Saturday night. Even Radiohead could do little after the Pixies onslaught. And the best part, from what we could see via jumbotron (we were a good 300 yards back from the stage, and the guitars still peeled your face) was the big Black Francis was hardly trying. Just standing, singing, strumming and smiling.

WOW


Man of AKTION and NYC Dorkwave champion Cowboy Mark can be heard playing metalo-disco, chimp-synth, acid-haus and robo-disco right at your desk on East Village Radio today and every Monday, from 4-6pm, e.s.t.

Sunday, May 02, 2004

These are a few of my favorite things...

Great articles on Jim Jarmusch and Einsturzende Neubauten in Time Out New York magazine this week. [Not online unfortunately.] Worth picking up at the newsstand or you can borrow mine when I'm done. Yeah yeah, I know I don't live in New York anymore but I still need my weekly T.O.N.Y. fix to function... and sound smart at parties.

Jarmusch's new film Coffee and Cigarettes plays at the Tribeca Film Festival May 5th and 8th, and opens in theaters May 14th.

Gorgeous work from Danish architects Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen.

74% metrosexual, 14% grunge, 63% evil genius.
More stupid quizzes.

Saturday, May 01, 2004

Here is a good photo of the Einsturzende Neubauten show Thursday night, from Bethany. It's incredible that after 25 years they just keep getting better and are still sharper than most people working in music or conceptual art. Plus they haven't gone off the deep end into total weirdness [and not the good kind of weirdness] like some of their contemporaries. An absolute quality and inspirational performance, as always. (Also, Blixa signed a CD for me and I got a rad 'primitive man' logo tie tack!)

Reminder: The Ravonettes at the Magic Stick, and Mike Servito vs. Ryan Elliot at UNTITLED tonight.

I'm really bummed there wasn't a greater presence of Detroit chapter Burnlabbers at Music From the Wires For Ears III last night. What's with that? Tamion was insane, Mike Dykehouse was a total rock star, and our man Seth was there, straight from his high school prom. (Seriously.) The only valid excuse is if you were at Stylus. Otherwise, you suck. No, not really, but come on now. (By the way, Ghostly is looking into booking Nick Cave for the next Wires For Ears event.)

The highlight of last night was Ron Zakrin (Goudron) live afterwards at the 2500 Club - a totally sketchy bar in the lower Cass Corridor with the best bar staff in town. Ron was absolutely brilliant and cool as a cucumber, despite the obligatory late night drink throwing and art school girls electro-moshing dangerously close his equipment. I'm really looking forward to more live shows from Mr. Zakrin, and hopefully a return appearance at Les Infants Terribles quite soon.

It was also a real treat to have dinner at the official opening of OSLO with Servito and Ian Clark. I think I should have shut up and just let Ian talk. He knows more about music than I could possibly absorb in two lifetimes. The sushi and interior design at OSLO are both excellent. A much welcome addition to Motor City dining options.

You are 50% Goth. Oh My Goth! You Goth, Girl. There is a good chance you're bi. Freakiness pumps through your viens, but you can still laugh at yourself.

Hmm. I do love these stupid quizzes found surfing Live Journal entries. Goth Test