My buddy EIKNARF and I had the opportunity to sit and chat with Jeff and Nate (Shuttle) of Passion Pit two weeks ago at their Phoenix/Passion Pit afterparty here in NYC. This is an impromptu/candid conversation as they look back at 2009 and what they have in store in the future.
Just remember that life is just a giant cactus and we are all woodpeckers just trying to get to that precious water inside…
The Belgian Trio Villa has hooked Asian Dan up with an hour long mix as well as answering some questions. Both shed some light on their disco/italo sound. I still can’t stop listening to their remix of Music Go Music.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/Villa%20-%20Exclusive%20mix%20for%20Asian%20Dan%20-%20asianmandan.com.mp3]
Villa – Asian Dan Exclusive VILLA Mix
Asian Dan Interview: VILLA
1. Who is Villa?
Villa is what you get if you lock two crazy djs with an even bigger studio freak in a studio packed with synths. A trio comprising of DJ duo Fredo & Thang & composer/producer Seba. Hailing from Ghent/Belgium they have been very active as DJ’s & producers over the last 10 years.
2. How would you describe your music?
While wanting to make people dance, we like to think we try to ensure that the listener gets his portion of contentfull music (whatever that is…). We stribe towards a more universal sound with a distinct personality that inspires people of all ages and genres…From haunting basslines and hypnotic leads to sugarsweet string arrangements and pop chord progressions…Inside VillA anything is possible…as long as it works for all of us… Setup wise the VillA sound is a blend of Vintage rare synths/processors and flee-market treasury..
3. What is your first musical memory?
Abba…Every morning on the road to school in the neighbours yellow MG…Queen…killed that best of tape…Eurythmics…Still in love with Annie Lennox…
Artwork by EIKNARF
After hearing the Magistrates 20 Min Mixtape – a what I would call a “scanning through the radio/channel surfing” mix/mashup, I wanted to hear more. I asked the Magistrates boys if they would craft another similar mix that would give us all another peak into their pop music minds and they graciously agreed. Get ready for 20 mins of schizophrenic pop madness. They mix Can’s “Vitamin C” into Radiohead’s “Idioteque” into Yellow Magic Orchestra’s “Rydeen” – three of my favorite tunes of all time so I cannot argue with the insanity and awesomness that is this mix. Try to guess all the tunes. Also checkout how they let Damon Albarn win in ping pong.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202009/Magistrates%20-%20Mix%20Tape%20Part%20II%20-%20asianmandan.com.mp3]
Asian Dan Presents Magistrates 20 Min Mixtape Part II
Asian Dan Interview: MAGISTRATES
1. Who is Magistrates? How would you describe your sound?
We are a collective of scientists, mathmeticians, chefs and philanthropists. The music we play alters the chemicals in your brain and makes your feet and hips groove uncontrollably.
2. What was your first musical memory?
Michael Jackson and The Beatles dominate most of our childhood. I [Galbally] have a weird memory of having Sunday Roast when I was about 4 or 5 and my Dad was playing Chris De Burgh, I think it was the whole album, and I remember at the time feeling physically sick… I’ve never been able to enjoy a Sunday Roast again.
3. How did the band form? What is the band’s vision and goal?
Our paths crossed, we all enjoyed the same things, we had the same type of mindset and we all played music; so we just put our heads together and eventually formed Magistrates. We aim to keep on making good music for as long as humanly possible, to express ourselves through it, and to send it rippling around the globe.
[Read more]
Scarlets’ Stefano & Ivan answer a few questions allowing listeners into their musical minds. Their “Boundaries” single is out 11.1.2009 – check out the video for the B-side “The Women of WWII” after the jump and checkout Stefano’s latest mix “KIMONOII”
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202009/KIMONOII.mp3]
Stefano Murgia – KIMONOII
Asian Dan Interview: SCARLETS
1. Who is Scarlets? How would you describe your sound?
Scarlets are five italian boys with a lot of sense of humour, but with a very serious attitude towards their music. Our sound changed radically during the last year. Now I guess we sound like an army charging upon the land.
2. What was your first musical memory?
Ivan:The big huge silver boombox radio standing in our sitting room playing some italian songwriters when I was 3.
Stefano: I guess my mum playing Violent Femmes’ vinyls and not liking them.
3. How did the band form? What is the band’s vision and goal?
We formed because of all the crappy bands hitting off british indie or american punkfunk. We just wanted to do something authentic. Our main goal is succeeding in writing 10 songs that we can still find satisfying after two weeks.
[Read more]
“Todd is genius and I have never been disapointed by his music. I keep telling my friends I can hear angels singing, do you?” – Busy P
Todd Edwards is the angelic voice behind “Face to Face” – that amazing tune by a little french duo known as Daft Punk. Todd is one of the godfathers of the UK Garage scene and has remixed everyone from Zoot Woman, Phoenix, Justice, Klaxons, Paul Johnson, and St. Germain. Now here is a little peak into this man from New Jersey’s musical mind and find out how the Daft Punk collaboration came about and how/why he remixed Japan’s own Boris.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Sept%202009/Todd%20Edwards/Face%20to%20Face%20(Todd%20Edwards%20Remix).mp3]
Daft Punk – Face To Face (Todd Edwards Remix)
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Sept%202009/Todd%20Edwards/Taken%20it%20all%20(Todd%20Edwards%20Soul%20Line%20Remix).mp3]
Zoot Woman – Taken It All (Todd Edwards Remix)
Also this time around I had some producers/DJs send in their own questions for Mr. Edwards -find out what Nate Donmoyer (Shuttle/Passion PIt), Pete Dougherty (Hey Champ), Emil & Friends, and GLOVES had to ask.
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Asian Dan Exclusive Interview: TODD EDWARDS
Who is Todd Edwards? How would you describe your sound?
I’m a music producer from New Jersey. ..Lot of talent in Jersey 😉 I’ve been making club music since 1991. The driving force that has inspired me to keep going all these years is God. My faith plays an important part in my music and the direction I take it. I have always described my sound as a musical collage. I take bits and pieces that I’ve sampled and fill in the spaces until I feel the track sounds complete.
What are some of your biggest influences, musical or otherwise? What is your first musical memory?
I will always give credit to the original influences that started me on the path of my sound. Marc Kinchen better known as MK introduced us all to a very unique sampling style in his remix of Nightcrawlers “Push The Feeling On.” He cut up the vocals into a two bar loop that sounded like it was saying something, but it wasn’t. The remix was huge with many to follow. I took on exploring that cut-up sample style. I also listened to a lot of Enya. Enya used a lot of her own vocals as part of her background music. I combined Enya’s vocal concept with MK’s vocal cut ups. Add some Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez inspired drum patterns and you get the genesis of what I do now. Film scores have been a great source of inspiration to me. There are chord progressions in film scores that you don’t usually find in club music. The sampling process itself has exposed me to many genres of music from disco and r&b of the 70’s to the 60’s folk music movement. I look for interesting textures to sample. What I sample plays an even more important role in my tracks than how I arrange the samples.
My first musical memory was writing a simple song in a note pad a couple days after my mother received a piano from my father as a gift. I remember when that piano was delivered. It was a great morning, and I still love that piano.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Sept%202009/CHINEESE%20CHRISTMAS%20CARDS%20-%20WELCOME%20TO%20LIFE.mp3]
Chinese Christmas Cards – Welcome to Life
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Sept%202009/Chinese%20Christmas%20Cards%20-%20No%20radar%20no%20phone.mp3]
Chinese Christmas Cards – No Radar No Phone
Myspace: Chinese Christmas Cards
Asian Dan Interview: Chinese Christmas Cards
1. Who is Chinese Christmas Cards?
Chinese Christmas Cards is young band from Barcelona that was created over a year ago and whose members are Mario Gutiérrez and Joan Sala. We met at school and fact that we shared musical interests, that Mario plays the guitar and Joan the piano was what made us bring this project together, in which song writting is combined with synthesizers and other electronic sounds.
2. What are your influences?
It is quite hard to talk about a direct influence, we think that it is all the music that we have listened to over the years that has made us do what we are doing, and it goes from the music from the 80’s, the 90’s pop all the way to the new current electronic trends. If something has really influenced us while componing that would be the songs our mothers sang in the shower, the sound of the construction work we hear nextdoor to where we produce, and the christmas cards, if possible chinese ones.
3. Are either of you Chinese? Is Christmas your favorite holiday?
Hahahahaha! The truth is no, neither of us is Chinese, but it all goes back to the school years when everybody called Joan “Chino”, which in Spanish means Chinese, because of the shape of his eyes.
Christmas is nice and is cool basically because of the days off school and the presents, but then it is too cold. If we could wear flipflops and shorts and eat ice cream in Winter then it would be our favourite holiday.
Sam, the official Asian Dan intern was able to wrangle Australia’s own, Gloves to put together this 25 min minimix for the b-log as well as answer a few short questions. I sure do love me my Australian bands and producer/DJs.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Aug%202009/Gloves%20-%20Asian%20Dan%20Presents%20Gloves%27%20House%20of%20Octavia%20Minimix%20-%20asianmandan.com.mp3]
Download: Asian Dan Presents Gloves “House of Octavia Minimix”
Asian Dan Interview: GLOVES
1. Who is GLOVES? How would you describe your music?
Gloves is me, Yama Indra. I also have wealth of talented friends that I collaborate on tracks with sometimes. A lot of the originals I have coming up feature contributions from friends. Up until now it’s been almost all disco & house orientated dance music, I have some new material I’ll be releasing later in the year though, there’ll be more dance music but there’s also some pop, soundtrack & RnB influenced tracks.
2. What are your influences, musical or otherwise? What are your first
musical memories?
Musically I have been into just about every genre at one time or another. Over the last year I’ve been listening to mainly RnB (old & new), 70’s Jazz, 70’s Psych & as always a lot of disco & house music. \
Other influences? Well I love giallo films, good food, playing tennis on Wednesday’s with Melbourne’s pop/disco/house mafia, traveling, thunderstorms, swimming, adventure & of course hanging tough with my
girlfriend & pals. The very first musical memory I can recall involved my sisters & I performing a dance & karaoke routine to Madonna ‘Material Girl’ in for our parents & their friends on a camping trip. I think we also did Poison’s ‘Nothing but a good Time’ & Michael Jackson’s ‘BAD’. Pretty lame huh. That & spending endless hours learning classical pieces on the family piano.
Pink Stallone, a cosmic disco pop duo from New Jersey crafted this Micromix for Asian Dan in honor of man’s first steps on the moon. They are championed by Erol Alkan and Late of the Pier. Erol recently dropped a track of theirs on his BBC 6 residency show and Pink Stallone’s first 12″ was released on Zarcorp records, Late of the Pier’s personal label.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/July%202009/Asian%20Dan%20Presents%20Pink%20Stallone’s%20%22Man%20on%20The%20Moon%20Mix%22%20-%20asianmandan.com.mp3]
Download: Asian Dan Presents Pink Stallone’s “Man on The Moon” Micromix
Asian Dan Interview: Pink Stallone
1. Who is Pink Stallone?
Pink Stallone is two jersey kids recording sound in the abandoned house of a science fiction writer (seriously).
2. How would you describe your music?
A celebration of the failures of Futurism, in an abandoned house of a science fiction writer.
3. What is your first musical memory?
Like your first love, only much better.
4. What is the NJ music scene like and how does it feel to be getting more attention overseas?
There’s a NJ music scene? We normally stay inside. It appears as if like-minded individuals from all over the world have developed a heightened ability to locate one another, and we are grateful that such a process has enabled us to become part of a scene much larger and less literal.
[Read more]
I found out through twitter that, Van She, one of my favorite Modular Records bands follows the b-log 🙂 Van She Tech was kind enough to put together an exclusive 26 min minimix for Asian Dan that showcases their ability to move hearts, minds, and feet. Nick also answered a few questions about Van She’s musical history, revealing that Hall & Oates’ “Private Eyes” is one of their favorite dance tracks. Anyone who says that understands music the true meaning of music in my mind.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/July%202009/Van%20She%20Tech%20Asian%20Dan%20Exclusive%20Minimix%20-%20asianmandan.com.mp3]
Download: Asian Dan Exclusive Van She Tech Minimix
Asian Dan Interview: Van She
1. Who is Van She?
Van She is Nicky, Michael, Tomek and Matthew
Van She Tech is Nicky and Michael
2. How would you describe your music?
Krautrock/Pop i guess
3. What are your biggest influences? What was your first musical memory?
Well Mikey is Italian and his father was into Italo Disco and all the classics, Matt loves krauterock and Punk Funk like Liquid Liquid and Konk and Tomek and I grew up listening to MJ, Icehouse, INXS and all the seventies stuff … So we are all pretty different in backgrounds … I remember my first cassette tape was Icehouse electric blue and bananarama and MJ Bad … It was a 3 for the price of 1 deal
My intern Sam was able to get in touch with 25 Hours A Day for a brief Q&A/Interview. Check out what 25 Hours A Day has in store, including another remix for Phoenix’s next single, “Fences”.
Asian Dan Interview: 25 Hours A Day
Who is 25 Hours A Day?
25had is me, Pierrick Devin. Some people said that my tracks sounds
like a band but it s a solo project. I did remixes mostly, so far…
How could you describe your music?
It s a kind of mix between indie rock and dance music.
What are your main musical influences?
When I was 15 I was really into “French touch” bands like Daft punk, Cassius etc… And at the same time I was listenning to pop bands like Supergrass or rock bands like Sonic Youth, weezer and Pavement. These days I really love all the DFA or DC recordings releases, I’m also listening to classics bands like Talking Heads, Liquid Liquid or
Suicide. I like some garage bands too : Jay Reatard is great, the Black Lips etc…
How would you describe your relationship with Phoenix?
We are friends. I first meet them when I was working as an assistant in plus xxx studios. We spend a month working on the mixing of their 3rd album “Its never been like that”, in fact I was patching some
audio gear, line up the tape recorder and making coffee and we became closer. They shared many mp3 with me, I discovered a lot of music thanks to them. One day during this period, they listened to a track I was working on and they really liked it so they asked me to remix their track “Long Distance Call”. I was really excited and nervous at the time. It was my first remix.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Nov%202008/Phoenix%20-%20Long%20Distance%20Call%20(25%20Hours%20A%20Day%20Remix).mp3]
Phoenix – Long Distance Call (25 Hours A Day Remix)
All music shared on this site is copyrighted by the artists and are only meant as samples, please buy their music, buy their merchandise, see them live, support them, tell your friends about them, love them, cheers.
