You guysssssssss

Yesterday we clocked over 10,000 views, seems y’all don’t mind you a bit of DFT. I thought I’d take this opportunity to strike while the iron is hot and make you all aware of something going on this friday that I think you might be interested in.

One of In It For The Money’s favorite synth-wielding electro duo’s, Bag Raiders, are appearing for their official ‘Shooting Stars’ single launch alongside dance legend Ajax, Megawuoti (can DJ), myself (Joshua), and a host of others this Friday at Roxanne Parlor.

Thanks to the guys behind the party, we have a double pass up for grabs today – all you have to do is be the first to email through to forthewin@initforthemoney.com.au with the subject line ‘Bag Raiders’. If you’re not lucky enough to score the double pass and would still like to pick up some tickets feel free to contact me at josh@initforthemoney.com.au or on facebook and I can help organize some $20 tickets for you.

I’ve posted most of these before, but incase you missed them -

Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars
Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars (Shazam Dub Mix)
Jordy183 – Shooting Bad Bitchez
Bag Raiders – Fun Punch
Bag Raiders – Turbo Love
Cut Copy – Far Away (Bag Raiders Remix)

Dancefloor Terrorism’s debut mix is here, and if last week’s numbers were anything to go buy, you guys are clamouring at the bits for it.

Accompanying the nearly hour-long mix is an epic music video directed by Melbourne’s Ontercore, who we detailed last month.

Dancefloor Terrorism’s monthly appearances at Unlucky have certainly been a highlight over the past year or so, particularly in recent months with the birth of the DFT Live project, and with upcoming appearances at major festivals and an upcoming show at Streetparty’s WOW, the future looks bright.

The mix, entitled ‘HDFT’ is a layered, expertly crafted piece of electronica, destined to have kids dancing in the bedrooms in much the same manner as those on the Unlucky dance floor for the past months. As an electro mixtape, it’s near impossible to fault it – it has all the bells and whistles and polish of a high budget, highly refined work, that of two men who are masters of their craft.

Without further ado, I give you HDFT -

Dancefloor Terrorism – HDFT

One of our favourite Melbourne acts, Dancefloor Terrorism, have provided me with a teaser video for their upcoming music video/hour long mix entitled ‘HDFT’, both of which will debut here next monday. The DFT live show is a true sight to behold, combining the best of new DJ technology for a true ‘live’ experience.

The video is produced by Ontercore Media, the same guys who brought you the Unlucky + Don Rimini videos earlier this year, they’re definitely one to watch as with a small team that is fast gathering experience they’re already coming out with some amazing a-v.

So enjoy the teaser, but be even more excited for the mix when it drops because it is going to blow minds/shatter expectations/insert third clichéd analogy.

HDFT – Teaser Trailer from Ontercore Media on Vimeo.

Hey guys, first off sorry, I didn’t get a chance to post yesterday’s Tunesday, which was due to be brought to you by E-603, so that will be up tomorrow instead.

I’ve stressed on this blog many times before how important I think it is for DJ’s and Producers to make music that focuses on people being happy, and having fun, rather than going over the top and trying to be cool, and so today I have a few songs for you that focus on exactly that.

The first is the new song from the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna. It comes as part of her new greatest hits compilation, and is a fantastic dancefloor anthem that is sure to send crowds of all manner of sexual preference into a frenzy as it seeps it’s way into setlists around the world in the coming months. This Benny Benassi edit hones it to perfection, rendering the original completely pointless.

Celebration (Benny Benassi Radio Edit) – Madonna

The second was plastered all over The Hype Machine this week, and rightly so. It sits alongside Raindrops as one of the years greatest euphoric dancefloor destroyers, and as one of the ever brilliant Lifelike’s best efforts yet.

Everyday (Lifelike Remix) – Killa Kela

The third, a Don Diablo re-construction, is practically bursting at the brim with dancefloor energy. Fantastically versatile, appropriate for all manner of sets and timeslots, it is a disco-funk infused bomb. The song appears to be the sign of a new direction for Diablo who recently toured Australia and performed alongside many of our residents at Melbourne’s Room Nightclub. I hope that he continues down this path, as this is one of the most fun songs you’ve likely heard in some time.

Linus Loves – Prom Night (Don Diablo Remix)

The last two songs come courtesy of two of Australia’s greatest up and coming producers – Shazam and Jimmy2sox. Jimmy2Sox came seemingly out of nowhere earlier this year to win hearts everywhere with the best of the 472342390 ‘We Are The People’ remixes, and puts his now signature funky spin on PNAU’s ever-great ‘Embrace’ with help from friend Graz.

Shazam does a similar job with Bag Raider’s Shooting Stars, transforming it into an almost unrecognizable slice of funk delight.

Embrace (Jimmy2Sox and Graz Embrace The Disco Remix) – PNAU
Shooting Stars (Shazam Dub Mix) – Bag Raiders

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photo by blair@initforthemoney.com.au

La Roux, and Elly Jackson in particular have been being slammed lately for the apparent lack of vocal ability that Elly seems to have in a live setting. I for one, disagree completely.

Some of the greatest live bands I have ever seen – Modest Mouse, The Walkmen, Klaxons, have all ’struggled’ vocally and it makes for a very interesting show. It’s in these instances that the voice becomes an instrument, much like any other in a band setup, and it adds character – as adding effects or distortion to a guitar does.

Maybe it’s just my love for the likes of the Sex Pistols and the Ramones speaking, but I don’t think a great singer is necessarily categorized just by the notes they can hit, but rather for the effect that the voice has on the music as a whole.

Their debut album is fantastic, every song is completely enjoyable and there are some great new songs that I have fallen in love with since the album dropped. La Roux are definitely my favourite new band so far in 2009.

Here’s a video of La Roux, live on Jimmy Kimmel, in which I think Elle and the rest of the band sound amazing, and it has me all the more excited for them at Parklife. La Roux are definitely one of the main highlights for me as the festival approaches and I definitely plan on being at any sideshow they have planned.

There’s also a download link for my favourite song on the album, I’m Not Your Toy.

La Roux – I’m Not Your Toy

This week’s Tunesday comes courtesy of Melbourne nightclub superstar Hugh Waters aka Streetparty. Hugh has been at the heart of Melbourne’s indie scene for years now, and is the man behind famed nights Shake Some Action, Pogo, Click Click, Wow and many more.

The impact Hugh has had on the Melbourne night scene can not be overstated, he has given and continues to give many of those who would otherwise not go out someone to go, encouraging people from all walks of life to come together under the banner of good music and cheap drinks – and is more proactive in sorting out amazing established and up-and-coming acts for his nights than anyone else in Melbourne. In the past few months alone, Wow has welcomed The Twelves (for the best live set I’ve ever seen), Van She Tech, Acid Jacks, Le Castle Vania, Villains, Knightlife, Designer Drugs and many, many more.

In celebration of this week’s Click Click reunion (for details/tickets click here) Hugh has picked out his Top 5 music videos for us, so sit back, hit play, and enjoy.

This weeks Tunesday is brought to you by the heir apparent to the Ajax throne, One Love Sydney backroom-er, U-Go-B.

I saw H-U-Go play at Unlucky for the first time a few months back and despite my complete lack of interest in being awake/out on that particular night, his set floored me. He was able to keep the dancefloor fired up far longer/later than I have seen of anyone else at the club, his selection a fantastic blend of old and new, popular and slightly more obscure. It was a great set.

U-Go-B was signed to Modular not so recently, and the world really does appear to be his oyster. Aside from Ajax, if you’re looking for a reference point – he is the self-described ‘Sydney Tyson (Generik)’. He is also good friends with the ever-fantastic Jimmy2Sox.

This is a post I’ve been meaning to do for a while, but for whatever reason didn’t get around to.

Today, I introduce (to those of you unforunate enough to not already be aware of him) – Gregg Sandwich. Gregg, a recent resident of Melbourne since moving from NSW, is one of the One Love backroom/Unlucky Upstairs new favourite sons. Crafting his mixes with an aesthetic more Australian than Vegemite itself, Gregg gives the Australian dance scene something that it didn’t even know it needed – someone to wave the flag, to approach the dancefloor with the pop-culture references and humour that we have grown up with.

Aside from the funky-australian angle, the other thing that sets Gregg apart from the rest of the scene is his humour. His full length ‘Baguette Fest’ mix provided more laughs than any other piece of media I have consumed this year – the intro and close both drove me and several friends to the point of tears from laughter.

When explaining Gregg to the uninitiated, I have described him as ‘Generik x Rodney Rude x Crocodile Dundee’.

He has graciously provided us with ALL of his songs in 320kbps, and of course, his Baguette Fest mix. I’ve picked my top 5 rather than post them all for the sake of convenience. Before downloading and listening, I do suggest you first check out his Myspace page and it’s photo albums – they provide hillarious context and prove an insight into the character that is Gregg Sandwich.

Gregg is also a proud father to his son, Nutella Sandwich -

Baguette Fest Mixtape – Gregg Sandwich

Brothers On The Slide – Gregg Sandwich
Bumping Lowrider – Gregg Sandwich
Fix Up Solsbury Hill (9R399′5 12 Inch Mix) – Gregg Sandwich
Gettin Jerry With It – Gregg Sandwich (♥ ♥)
Sirens Gregg 12″ Mix – Gregg Sandwich (♥ ♥)

Cheers to Tyson (aka Generik), as I stole this off of his post over at Baby Got Backroom.

This, the new Jamie Doom/Gus Da Hoodrat mixtape – is so full of win I don’t even know where to begin. As regular readers are probably aware, I’m pretty sick of the over-the-top electro sound that has proliferated in the wake of Justice’ debut album/world domination. I think I made this point especially clear in my post on the Bloody Beetroots yesterday.

This mix, entitled ‘One Million Volts of Tech(No)’, doesn’t shy away from loud/abrasive sound – but it does it well. It’s expertly mixed, and puts a new spin on several favourites – it’s the kind of polish you’d expect from a Bang Gang release.

Highly recommended.

Jamie Doom/Gus Da Hoodrat – One Million Volts Of Tech(No)

The new One Love release – ‘Smash Your Stereo’ is pretty good for what it is.

The first disc, mixed by flavour of the month/wunderkid (depending on who you ask) Andy Murphy is really quite perfect. It’s exactly what it needs to be as the first disc as part of a One Love compilation – it strikes an enjoyable balance between commercial/indie that all but the most pretentious of dance music fans can enjoy. In fact, some of the highlights for me were not the obvious (Shoes, Heavy Cross, The Reeling), but rather the unexpected – in particular Tommy Trash’s new single ‘Need Me To Stay’, which is a wonderfully uplifting summer club anthem that is likely to be the soundtrack to the warmer months for many later this year.

The inclusion of Wolfgang Gartner’s Push & Rise was another fantastic inclusion – I’ve yet to hear a Wolfgang Gartner song/remix that I didn’t like, hopefully this exposure will lead to him appearing over here again sometime soon.

Consider me the newest member of the Andy Murphy fan club.

The second disc is, as has come to be expected with a One Love release, serviceable but completely forgettable.

The third disc, mixed by the Bloody Beetroots (pictured, above) is the selling point for many of the people who will purchase (or download) the compilation. While I’m sure those people be satisfied with it, it is fucking terrible. Since their recent Australian tour, The Bloody Beetroots have become the buzz band about town, much like Daft Punk or Fake Blood in lieu of their respective appearances in Melbourne. The difference being that Daft Punk and Fake Blood are both quality outfits well deserving of all hype/praise.

The Bloody Beetroots One Love disc is painful to listen to – it is noise. It is not the good kind of noise, expertly crafted to terrorize dancefloors that we see out of the likes of Mr. Oizo, Justice or even NT89, but actual noise. If I were to listen to the disc the whole way through at the same volume I listened to the first two discs at, I think I might contract actual damage to my hearing. Everything about the Bloody Beetroots screams ‘try hard’ – the lame Daft Punk wannabe masks, and the over-the-top music which presents as a thinly-veiled attempt at recreating the loud electro theme present in the French scene over the last couple of years (Ed Banger). Dim Mak are clearly banking on them being their Justice, and thankfully for them it appears there are enough people out there who don’t get what makes Justice so uniquely fantastic that The Bloody Beetroots can be exactly that.

To quote Australia’s Number 1 dance legend, Ajax – ‘They are the Ed Hardy of the dance world’.

Crookers One Love disc last year was a scene-defining release. I hope to god that The Bloody Beetroots one doesn’t create an influx of young fidget/noise DJ’s with ill-fated plans of world domination. Lord knows there are enough of those about.

Oh and One Love, before you get any grand ideas about next years release – Major Lazer also suck.

Comments, commence.

Need Me To Stay (Radio Edit) – Tommy Trash (Thanks to Tommy Trash)
Shoes (Beni Remix) – Tiga
Push & Rise – Wolfgang Gartner (Original Mix)
Who Are You (The Bloody Beetroots Remix) – Proxy (LOL)