PROFILE: DJ Juan Atkins

As History often relates, originators are not always the ones to benefit most from their vision. Others more adept at capitalising on it often take the spotlight.

One such figure in the history of modem dance music; is 26-year-old Juan Atkins, the originator of Detroit techno music and a shadowy but important figure in the birth of Chicago house.

Atkins first came to prominence in Cybotron, an early ’80s techno/electro group which achieved some success but was eventually split by conflicting musical directions. Since then he has worked as Model 500, releasing on his own Metroplex label polished minimalist hi-tech dance-music gems with titles like ‘Future’, ‘TIme Space Transmat’ and ‘Interference’. Atkins is a man with a fascination for technology and all things futuristic.

Atkins’ musical output isn’t exactly prolific, and much of it is hard to find in the UK as he still has no distribution deal. He’s a musician who thinks carefully about his music, and as a result, it always sounds carefully crafted – music made to last. In person he is a quiet, shy man who you feel would rather avoid the limelight, but who nonetheless proved to be a most patient and courteous interviewee on a recent working visit to the UK.

Since MT’s interview with Atkins’ fellow techno musician Kevin Saunderson (MT September ’88), Inner City’s ‘Big Fun’ (a commercial techno track taken from 10 Record’s Techno! compilation album) has had major UK chart success, and an album is planned for January release. Atkins has performed mixing chores on the follow-up single, ‘Good Life’, while a remix of his own track ‘Techno Music’ (also from Techno!) is provisionally set for January release on 10 Records. With the charts once again opening up to groups of a technological persuasion, Atkins seems set to follow in the footsteps of the early techno-pop bands he so admires. … Continue Reading

PS1 – 2010 Warm Up Schedule

Those in the know, know about PS1 in Queens and their outdoor DJ music series. Here’s this year’s line up.

2010 Warm Up Schedule

July 3rd
Delorean / True Panther Sounds, Barcelona, Spain (live)
Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang / Sierra Leone/Brooklyn (live)
Glasser / True Panther Sounds, Los Angeles/New York (live)
John Talabot / Permanent Vacation/Hivern, Barcelona, Spain (DJ set)
Korallreven / Acéphale Records, Sweden (DJ set)

July 10th
agnčs b. presents:
Klement / Contre Coeur, France (live)
Acid Washed / Record Makers, France (live)
Veronica Vasika / Minimal Wave, New York (DJ set)

July 17th
Air France / Something In Construction/Sincerely Yours, Gothenburg, Sweden (DJ set)
Ratatat / XL Recordings, New York (DJ set)
ARP / Smalltown Supersound/RVNG Intl, USA (live)

July 24th
MoMA PS1 Greater New York presents:
JD Samson / New York (DJ set)
MEN / Brooklyn (live)
Kalup Linzy / Brooklyn (R&B, Soul, Disco DJ set)
Kalup Linzy and the Sweet, Sampled, and LeftOva / Brooklyn (live performance set)
DJ /rupture / Dutty Artz, Brooklyn (DJ set)
With surprise guests!

More after the jump: … Continue Reading

Paradise Garage Play – Thursday, June 24, 7:30 p.m.

Kyle Abraham with the work “A Ramp to Paradise,” commissioned by THPAC and based on a short story by its Executive Chairman, Alex Smith. “A Ramp to Paradise” chronicles the life and times of the famed and predominantly black gay New York City underground 1970s and 1980s dance club Paradise Garage (Thursday, June 24). The season after party will follow the final performance. Tickets: $15, $12 students and seniors. Contact Kumble Theater box office at (718) 488-1624 or visit www.kumbletheater.org.

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DJ Hypnosis – South Africa – The BounceFM Interview

DJ Hypnosis

We’ve long heard from the Sole Channel DJ/Production kru about the bubbling South African house music scene. This month BounceFM goes behind the scenes with one of its practitioners, DJ Hypnosis. Enjoy.

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SONG OF THE DAY: Running Away by Roy Ayers

A classic party starter!

Buy Roy Ayers

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DJ of the Month: Andre Collins

DJ Andre Collins

In 2010 We decided to begin to look back, 4/15/99 to be exact, when we profiled DJ Andre Collins on SpeedGarage.com which morphed into BounceFM. Here’s the profile:

Saturday night, South Bronx.  The line outside THE WAREHOUSE wraps around the block.  Polite and efficient security (What’s up St. Lawrence!) greet you at the door.  The thumping sounds of reggae, dancehall, R&B and Hip Hop thump from the lower level.  Upstairs, DJ Andre Collins, engineer of this musical locomotive, takes dancers on a journey from jazzy samba in the early evening, then into traditional African music, switches tracks to the uplifting sounds of soulful wailing divas and peaks with progressive house.  As he approaches the last stop (end of the night), Andre slows the train down by applying the brakes with gospel inspired house.

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Music’s Sales Slump Slowed–But Not Stopped–By Michael Jackson and the Beatles

Renewed interest in the Beatles and Michael Jackson slowed the decline of U.S. album sales in the third quarter, although the industry is still on track to fall for the eighth time in nine years….

Music retailers are hoping that the continued performance of Jackson and Beatles albums and a strong fourth-quarter release schedule will continue to make up lost ground.

During the quarter, Jackson’s June 25 death fueled sales of about 5 million units, and the September 9 re-release of the Beatles catalog has sold 1.3 million units so far. … Continue Reading

PROFILE: Ron Lester – Disco Party Fundraiser

This month BounceFM is proud to present a profile of Ron Lester of the Disco Party Fundraiser. Here’s what he had to say. See you on the dancefloor at their next party on 1/22/09.

WHO IS RON LESTER?
Ron Lester is love. Love is the highest vibration in the universe, and I believe that the essence of all human beings is love. Ron Lester is a 40 year old native of Philadelphia who thinks that the experience of dancing to good music is the best part about being a human being. Ron Lester is an aspiring full time fundraiser and philanthropist.

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTERESTED IN HOUSE MUSIC?
Well, I didn’t know about house music or crack until 1989. I chose house music. It was difficult to dance to because I was so used to dancing to hip hop beats. But I was with this attractive guy who I was totally hot for, so I struggled to keep dancing. I also got a summer job at a gay nightclub in Philadelphia that played house music. So that’s where I really learned to love it.  Remember Roberta Flack’s “Uh-uh ooh ooh look out here it comes”? Big hit in the summer of ’89.

I moved to New York by the end of the summer of ’89 and was completely bombarded by house music. I loved it though. It’s good that I was prepped over the summer. I went to clubs like The Tunnel, Limelight, Mars, MK, Nells etc.
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PROFILE: Gordon Mason – Director – THEY CALL IT ACID – Documentary

Gordon Mason – Director – THEY CALL IT ACID, chills on Ravey street.

New house music documentary.

THEY CALL IT ACID has been a labour of love for Gordon Mason, who over the last 10 years has been gathering together the material for this documentary. Much of the original film archive was shot by Gordon in the late 1980s – this footage is unique.

Here is Gordon in his own words. 

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ACID HOUSE FOR THOSE THAT DON’T KNOW?

In brief; Acid House was a culture that developed in the UK in the late 80s through the coming together of all night illegal parties, Ecstasy and House music. Unlike many other youth cultures that had come before, there was no bad attitude or aggression, – it was about friendliness, fun and unity.

WHAT LED YOU TO THE SUBJECT MATTER – ACID HOUSE?

I was 21 in 1988 and Acid House was the time of my life. I attended many of the first illegal parties and was lucky enough to film at some of them as I was a budding film maker. After working in television for many years, about 10 years ago I decided to take on the challenge of documenting Acid House culture and set about interviewing many of the pioneers and collecting archive film from other sources.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DIRECTING STYLE?

The visual style for THEY CALL IT ACID, developed as we went along. I always wanted each interviewee (there are over 60 featured in the film) to have their own personality and so we found locations that suited them, many of the old clubs were used. For the specially shot sequences like Carl Cox mixing on 3 turntables I chose to shoot on Super 16mm film and use a dark background set, letting you really concentrate on the action. My style as a director is to try and keep a flexible approach and let natural things happen while still keeping control.

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PROFILE: Steal Vybe Productions

This month BounceFM chats with Chris Forman of house music production team Steal Vybe. Their new EP is out and its hot!  Our favorite cut is Track 2 – The Future. Its so deep, it made our bowels move! Perfect for peak time at the dancefloor. Like that record says, “put your body into it!”
Here’s some of what Chris had to say:

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A SPECTATOR WHERE A DJ OR PERFORMER TURNED IT OUT?
I must say going to Shelter in 98…. Timmy was sick on the decks!!!  6 Hubert Street Club Vinyl!!!!!!!!!! I miss that place bad. . . .That was the garage for me!

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