Merry Christmas (and Gig Guide)

Sydney Xmas Spirit, 7 Yachts are Sailing town hall projections
photo by spidey78

Nearly a year has passed and with so many events and artists coming through Sydney, it definitely has been a great year in 'techno land'! Watch out for our first ever Blog Awards 09 where, we bloggers, recognise some of the artists, events and clubs that made this year so great.

As for today, MERRY CHRISTMAS to all and have a great new year. Gig Guide for NYE events here in Sydney will be up Monday next week for the undecided.


For those that follow my blog I have lots of changes and new articles on the way. Please do help by spreading the word or if would like to contribute in any way (reviews, new music, photos, whatever!) please email the blog at the address below. Thanks!

Shortino

Friday
ITS CHRISTMAS! Go open the presents...but Im sure theres something on, somewhere

Sat
Pulse Yacht Club ft. Damian Lazarus & Emerson Todd - Starship Sydney

Ladylux Afterpart ft. Damian Lazarus - Ladylux, Kings Cross

Mad Racket ft. Caldwell, Ken Clound - Dragonfly, Kings Cross

Beached On Boxing Day - Cream Tangerine, Bondi

Wham - World Bar, Kings X - Top floor techno mayhem in this famous town-house


(Sun this week)Musik Matters - Favela - Dedicated to the true house sounds of Sydney

Club Club - Chinese Laundry

Sun
Spice - Kings Cross Hotel (4am)

The Bunker afterhours - From 4:30am Bunker Bar

bSide - Beresford Hotel - The new night hosted by fbi presenter Lorna Clarkson with an eclectic mix of local DJs

Aquatic Boat Party ft. Dimitri From Paris - Syd Harbour

Sunday Sessions ft. Ben Morris, Robbie Lowe, Culbert, and Tim Jirgenson - The Deck, Luna Park - From 3pm an afternoon by the harbour

Final Gig Guide up Thursdays.
Send your event info to

Discounted tickets; Damian Lazarus Boxing Day Cruise!

That's right I have discounted tickets for all the blog readers our there! This will be a cruise to remember with pioneer Damian Lazarus on board the famous glass ship aka Starship Sydney. Also on the bill are Emerson Todd, Little Fritter, Acid Mondays and Better Days all on the one boat. Techno main floor, Disco on the open deck...

Starship Sydney, Boxing Day, Sydney Harbour in the summer with some of the best music right now. Get your tickets quick!

$60 each, email the blog

Offical Facebook Event

Sign the petition. Say no to Aus internet filtering

Say no to Stephen Conroy. The idiot behind Australia's proposed internet censorship plans. Internet censorship does not work, can be easily subverted and is an absolute waste of tax payers money. If you want to protect your children, buy an internet filter. It will work better than any proposed national system.

"It was through public complaints mechanisms like the one Mr Conroy is proposing that classic literature such as The Catcher in the Rye, Ulysses, and The Story of the Kelly Gang were once banned in Australia..."

Circa 1979; Signal To Noise

Sydney Festival is one of Australia's premier cultural festivals with so many different events across the spectrum its pretty much impossible to see it all.

I'm going to be picking out some of the highlights of the festival over the next few weeks that I think music heads and blog readers a like would find more interesting but by all means do have a flip through the free brochures that are around the city.

Perhaps one of the more interesting performances on the music side of things is the collaboration with Modular records, a company that has been establishing themselves as one of the leading record labels for promoting Aussie talent on global scale, while pushing music that still retains some originality and creativity (although I wont say that applies to all their artist roster...). The talks will explore the early days of Sydney's music scene and early experimental music labels.

From 1979 to 1985, parish halls, abandoned warehouses and run down apartments rumbled and screeched with new sounds during one of the most creative periods in Australia’s music history.

Avant garde, post-punk, new wave and early electronic styles of music cultivated a thriving underground scene, heard on Sydney-based labels M Squared and Volition. It was a period when ‘little bands’, such as Pel Mel, SPK, Voigt/465 and Laughing Clowns were more concerned with artistic expression and experimentation than commercial success.

Circa 1979: Signal to Noise is a celebration of this unique and influential period.

More info here


PS: If anyone has any digital copies or recordings of some of the early experimental electronica acts please do drop a line, sydneylovestechno AT gmail DOT com

Henrik Schwarz (live), Mortor City Drum Ensemble and Reboot at Rooftop Parties

The last couple of weekends the techno and house scene of Sydney have been an absolute hive of activity. With International guests dropping in, it seems, every day there has be countless parties, encore performances and secret afterhours. Here is a selection of some of videos and photos of the artists I took, feel free to use them for personal use but you must email the blog for any commercial uses (ie posters/promo material).


Henrik Schwarz live highlights video. The future classic birthday bash was a great success with a packed civic floor keenly waiting upon Henrik. Once he started, the energy never let up with pounding re-edit, remix and original one after another in a style akin to Henrik live. Saving some of his more well known material too last, it definitely was one set that will stay in the minds of many for a while. Housey, funky, with that techno drive, it really did strike a chord with everyone in the room and theres no better proof then when the artist opts to play for an extra HOUR! Of course no one complained...

Reboot and Emerson, visiting our sunny shores after relocating to Europe, headlined the Top Notch Rooftop parties. Suuny, steamy Sydney afternoon on top of the famous Home night club next to Darling Harbour really set the scene for a afternoon well spent. Luckily this blog has the sets so stay tuned for streaming sets from the artists soon.

Motor City Drum Ensemble played an intimate gig, 2 if you count his afterhours appearance, to only a couple of hundred punters down in the Vault. Apart from some vinyl issues (apparently got locked in a hotel room!) he played a great 4 hour set that had the room heaving in and out. Granted he could only play off his CDs it was still a great set the featured some serious deepness.

Henrik Schwarz @ Future Classic 5th Birthday Bash

Click on the photos for album links and downloads

Gig Guide (18th-20th)

Gig guide for this weekend exhibits the signs of summer down under. Great local parties and international guests everywhere you look! ha.

So Friday? Shrug with Jay Shepheard and Robbie Lowe or for those wanting more underground talent check out the Fresh Meat series in the cave, while Deepchild will be playing at the tiny velvet underground.

Matias Aguayo hits town playing on a sold out cruise before hitting the warehouse for a Kompackt Records bash. Sunday sees the new Sunday Sessions continue near Luna Park while club 202 on Broadway will be having a record fair and bbq for those vinyl hunters.

Friday
Shrug ft. Jay Shepheard - Civic Underground - Shrug welcomes its first International and definitely not its last...

Fresh Meat ft. Dance Austin (live) & Selen Parman - Chinese Laundry - Fresh meat brings in some fresh talent from the underground

Chemisty ft. Deepchild - Velvet Underground

System - Club 77 - The Weekly fri techno night continues at Club 77

Sat
Pirates of the Underground Cruise ft. Matias Aguayo & Solead - Cruise Boat

Kompakt Warehouse Bash - Warehouse Kompact stars gather at an inner city ware house...did I hear woot!

Void vs Index ft. Appleblim - Civic Hotel

Wham - World Bar, Kings X - Top floor techno mayhem in this famous town-house

Off the Beat ft. Simon Caldwell and guests - Melt Bar - Every Sat for deep disco, house and funk

Musik Matters - Favela - Dedicated to the true house sounds of Sydney

Club Club ft. Nathan Fake - Chinese Laundry

Sun
Spice - Kings Cross Hotel (4am)

The Bunker afterhours - From 4:30am Bunker Bar

bSide - Beresford Hotel - The new night hosted by fbi presenter Lorna Clarkson with an eclectic mix of local DJs

Apres @ Tilbury Hotel - Sydney Record Label Future Classic arfternoon sessions

Sunday Sessions ft. Ben Morris, Robbie Lowe, Culbert, and Tim Jirgenson - The Deck, Luna Park - From 3pm an afternoon by the harbour

Final Gig Guide up Thursdays.
Send your event info to

Simon Caldwell Sunsets & RA Podcast

Photo by Assaf f
Every Monday from 6-8pm well respected local DJ Simon Caldwell does the rounds on fbi radio here in Sydney. Presenting some of the freshest and most original material in dance and electronic music its considered to be one of the best radio shows of its type.

Also, it seems, Mr Caldwells reputation has been spreading further and wider recently mixing a RA podcast which you can stream below. Starting of slow and funky the mix progresses through house styles, then to more up beat tech and techno before capping off with the new-disco closer to the end. A great mix for any time of the day. accurately representing the many influences the man himself and this big city. Check out the interview with him on RA here

Simon Caldwell Sunsets 14th of December

Tracklisting:
Who You Are (Junior Boys Remix) - Zwicker
Voodoo Ray (Greg Wilson Edit) - A Guy Called Gerald
Forever In Their Debt - The Revenge
Death Panel My Ass Ms Palin - Deepchild
Raw Cuts #6 - Motor City Drum Ensemble
Deeper -Sasse
A Short History Of… - Missing Linkx
Let Yourself Go - Barrio Debajo
Passion - Markus Nikolai
Distant Places - Sobentein
Backroom - Deepchild
Compass - Marek Hemmann
Fantasie Maddchen (Mayer Mix) - Bodo Elsel
Summer Breeze - Sluts'n'Strings & 909
Metamat - Leon De Winter
Machismo - Let's Go Outside
Rectify - Moodyman

Simon Caldwell Sunsets 7th of December
(Just an excerpt from the show)


Simon Caldwell RA Podcast ep181

Tracklisting
Soul Center - What You're Doin - W.v. B.4
Luke Hess - Real To Real - FXHE Records
RNDM - Third Hand Smoke - Laid
Missing Linkx - A Short History Of... - Philpot
Moody feat. Jose James - Desire - Mahogani Music
Prins Thomas/Villalobos - Fizpatrick - Full Pupp
DJ Dove - Roots & Culture (Lakeof remix) - Below
Jonas Kopp - Tirados - Curle Recordings
Sascha Dive - Brother - Deep Vibes Recordings
Rui Da Silva & Craig Richards - Be There - Motivbank
Motor City Drum Ensemble - Raw Cuts #3 - MCDE
Rhythm & Sound - Free For All - (Soundstream Remix) – Burial Mix
Slowhouse - Three - Slowhouse Recordings
Caucasian Boy - Northern Lights - Matrix Records
Snuff Crew - I Like It - Playhouse
Omar-S - Oasis 13 - FXHE Records
All - Alltag - Kompakt
Linkwood & House Of Traps - Barely Eagle - Firecracker Recordings
Tal M. Klein & Anthony Mansfield - Disco Villainy - Aniligital
AN-2 - From Now On - Theomatic
Tensnake - Holding Back (My Love) - Running Back

Shrug with Jay Sheapard (this friday)

SHRUG returns for December with an early Christmas treat, Jay Shepheard will be touching down to show us why many consider him to be one of the best deep house and disco DJs around. Following on the success of the last Shrug, which featured the Deep House Project DJs, Shrug continues its 'deeper' and warmer vibes with its first international guest and definitely not its last!

Shrug happens this Friday 18th at the Civic Underground, Sydney
$10 before 11pm, $15 after

Set times
10pm-11pm – Robbie Cordukes
11pm-12am – Dave Stuart (Shrug)
12am-1.30am – Robbie Lowe (Colour/Beatcode)
1.30am-3am – Jay Shepheard(Compost black / Buzzin Fly / Diynamic)
3am-close – Matt Aubusson (Glitch)

Jay Shepheard live in Stockholm

Tracklist
1. Moxie – “Bloddy Cheaky” – Moxie
2. The System – “You Are In My System” (Tee’s Freeze mix) – Atlantic
3. Talking Heads – “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” (12″ Mix) – White
4. Sugardaddy – “Love Honey” – Tirk
5. Unknown – “Pull Up To The Bumper” (Compass 12″ Dub mix) – Ballroom
6. ESG – “Pary Music” (Party mix) – Tigersishi
7. Gerogio Moroda “I Wanna Rock You” Disco Rotic
8. Lindbeak & Lindstrom “Alien In My Pocket” (Prins Thomas mix) – Modal
9. Morgan Geist “Probs” Environ
10. Popular Peoples Front – “?” – Popular Peoples Front
11. Blackjoy – “La Stache” – Art Of Disco
12. Black Leotard Front – “Casual Friday” (instrumental) – DFA
13. Todd Terje “Eurodans” Full Pup
14. Richie Havens “Going Back To My Roots” Electra
15. Bumper “Detroit” MDEX
16. Moxie “MX006 B” Moxie
17. Casco “Cybernetic Love” Radius
18. Soft House Company “A Little Piano” Irma
19. Serge Santiago “Atto D’Amore” (dub version) Arcobalino

Gig Guide ( 11th-13th)

This weekend is an absolute killer with many lining up the events as the warm weather takes hold forcing everyone to go out and have a good time...

If your looking for that non-stop party bus, Friday sees Future Classics Party (see previous post) which will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the year. More local or smaller? The Box and Picnic will provide.

Next hit up the sun shine with a roof party of Top Notch (again, check prev. posts). Emerson Todd, and other great locals provide the tunes with Reboot playing an afternoon set before heading off the Lady Lux for another performance. Also on the Agenda DJ T will be heading the Cave in Chinese Laundry while Bug In THe Bass hosts Deepchild.

For those who cant stop, Tom Clark and Daniel Dreier will be hosting Bunker afterhours party while Jay Shepeard will be playing at Spice. Also watch out for Sun afternoon Apres session as just maybe someone big will drop in (although thats unconfirmed!).

Friday
Future Classic 5thyr Birthday ft. Heinrik Schwarz & Chateau Flight - Civic Hotel - Across 3 levels with an amazing local line up this is geared to be one of the parties of the year

The Box ft Tomas Hedberg - Bunker Bar

Picnic ft. Darshan Jersani - Small Club -Disco and house treats from the Picnic crew

System - Club 77 - The Weekly fri techno night continues at Club 77

Sat
Top Notch ft. Reboot and Emerson Todd - Home Terrace - Afternoon vibes from 12pm

Reboot @ Lady Lux, Kings X - Catch the man of the moment in one of Syds craziest little clubs

Bug In The Bass ft Deepchild - Copperlily Nightclub

Technique ft. Simon Flower - Civic Underground

Wham ft. Ben Korbel, Ben Morris, James Taylor - World Bar, Kings X - Top floor techno mayhem in this famous town-house

Off the Beat ft. Simon Caldwell and guests - Melt Bar - Every Sat for deep disco, house and funk

Musik Matters - Favela - Dedicated to the true house sounds of Sydney

Club Club ft. DJ T - Chinese Laundry - This will be epic...

Sun
Spice ft. Jay Shepeard - Kings Cross Hotel (4am)

The Bunker ft. Tom Clark, Daniel Dreier, Emerson Todd - From 4:30am Bunker Bar

bSide - Beresford Hotel - The new night hosted by fbi presenter Lorna Clarkson with an eclectic mix of local DJs

Apres @ Tilbury Hotel - Sydney Record Label Future Classic arfternoon sessions

Sunday Sessions ft. Ben Morris, Robbie Lowe, Culbert, and Tim Jirgenson - The Deck, Luna Park - From 3pm an afternoon by the harbour

Final Gig Guide up Thursdays.
Send your event info to

Future Classic 5th Birday Bash

Future Classic are one of the leading electronic focused music labels in Sydney and Australia, also a blog favourite, but tomorrow night they will be celebrating 5 years of music, parties, design and the local and internationals artists that have catapulted the label which is now recognised all around the world.

Joining the celebration will be Inversions man Henrik Schwarz who's live sets are stuff of legends. Although I personally have never seen him live, I have been told numerous times by friends and press that it is always something special! Using his laptop he creates organic and complex live sets often combing new and old material. Musically, he is one of the most creative artist in dance music today having a wealth of original material and remixes for artists like Carl Craig, Underworld, Bookashade and DJ hell among many others. An highly rated artist that will be performing live. Definitely one not to miss.

Also on the bill is Chateau Flight from Paris which consists of Parisian DJ/producers Gilb'r and Nicholas Chaix (I:Cube). With careers spanning back to the nineties both are synonymous with the Paris underground scene having set up the Versatile record label in 1996 which featured one of Daft Punks very first remixes as well as producing advant-pop with members of French group Air and Depeche Mode. There appearance tomorrow have a lot of people excited.

Also on the local side we have some of Australias' and Sydneys best, a line up thats actually deserving in its self! Jamie Loyd recently released an excellent album after an Australian tour which has many people talking. Deepchild who is back from a recent tour all around the world and has a wealth of new songs out now, will be gracing the decks and no doubt both will be playing some of their latest material. Also joining them will be Nathan Mclay, Jimi Polar, Peret Mako, Loin Brothers, Simon Caldwell, Bryan O'Callagan, Mike Redfern and The Scientist.

To celebrate, Future Classic have been releasing a song a day from one of the headliners on their soundcloud page.
5 Years Future Classic // 1 new song a day by future classic
more info

Top Notch Rooftop Party (with REBOOT & Emerson Todd)

Top Notch Rooftop party series continues with its second instalment, this time featuring ex Sydney man Emerson Todd visiting from Europa as well as one massive international who I can not name but will definitely surprise and delight many! Locals will include Robbie Lowe, Matt and Tomas, Trinity, Dave Stuart and more . As for the international I will say he is bit of the techno man-of-the-moment....

Q:For those who haven't heard of the Top Notch rooftop parties, explain a little about what inspired you to put them on and the location of the party.

The Sydney clubbing scene is very much all similar with its dark and dingy little clubs pumping out heavy tech house and techno, so we looked to create something a little different to spice up the Sydney clubbing culture. We wanted to put the focus on daytime entertainment with the main draw card being the sun. In essence we wanted to create a bit of the Ibiza daytime parties right here in Sydney. We have created a party like no one else's, having some of the best in Local and International Dj's in some of Sydney's hottest sun filled venue's.

Q:I hear there is a rather large international headlining alongside Emerson Todd, can we get the first scoop?

The International head liner with be released to the public on Monday 7th of December!

UPDATE: Reboot will be playing this Saturday for an afternoon set under the Sydney sun.

Q: Will there be more Top Notch parties in the future? And any hints as to who may be playing?

TOP NOTCH will be running once a month and will be having its residency at Home Rooftop for the foreseeable future. All monthly parties will feature massive international head liners alongside some of Australia's best local talent!

TOP NOTCH DATES UPCOMING DATES:
- 12/12/09 - Top Notch Presents Emerson Todd + Reboot
- 09/01/10
- 27/02/10
- 20/03/10

From Mid day this Sat, for more info check the facebook event and group

Gig Guide (4th-6th)

Its the Summer! This weekend sees another rather large and new festival hit town, or should I say the hills! Subsonic festival offers something a little different, carrying on from the last earth dance (watch out for my mini-review of that soon), with some great techno berliners Tom Clark and Daniel Dreier off High Grade Records as well as Jamie Jones for his second performance after last week as well as others. Spread over two days its a festival that comes highly recommended!

Also another gem this weekend will be young gun Danilo aka Motor City Drum Ensemble play and epic 5 hour set at an inner city warehouse on Pit street. Also Likes Of You hits town again with a great line up of tech and techno artists.

Sunday is definitely all about the aferparties, watch out for Jamie Jones at Spice and MCDE at Bunker!

Friday
Subsonic Festival Day 1 - Riverwood Downs Mountains - ft. Jamie Jones, Format B, Tom Clark, Alex Smoke, Daniel Dreier and more

Index ft. Clark UK - Civic Hotel

Thank Techno Its Friday ft. Claire Morgan - Copperlily Nightclub

System - Club 77 - The Weekly fri techno night continues at Club 77

Sat
Subsonic Festival Day 2 - Riverwood Downs Mountains - ft. Jamie Jones, Format B, Tom Clark, Alex Smoke, Daniel Dreier and more

Co-Op ft. Motor City Drum Ensemble - Inner city warehouse - MCDE to play an epic 5hour set

Likes Of You ft. Format B, Alex Smoke, Arnaud Le Texier - Civic Underground

Off the Beat ft. Simon Caldwell and guests - Melt Bar - Every Sat for deep disco, house and funk

Musik Matters - Favela - Dedicated to the true house sounds of Sydney

Club Club ft. Umek & Kidda - Chinese Laundry

Sun
Spice ft. Tom Clark & Ben Korbel - Kings Cross Hotel (4am)

The Bunker/CO-OP after party - From 4:30am Bunker Bar

bSide - Beresford Hotel - The new night hosted by fbi presenter Lorna Clarkson with an eclectic mix of local DJs

Apres @ Tilbury Hotel - Sydney Record Label Future Classic arfternoon sessions

Sunday Sessions ft. Ben Morris, Robbie Lowe, Culbert, and Tim Jirgenson - The Deck, Luna Park - From 3pm an afternoon by the harbour

Final Gig Guide up Thursdays.