Mar 132013
 

It’s rare to find an electronic musician who can work diversely within his subject matter, producing an array of unique and original house and techno bangers, while having the energy and drive to run a record label to release said albums. This about sums up Detroit’s own Omar S. His label FXHE has released some of the hottest tracks to come out of Detroit in the last decade, and it’s easy to hear why.  Omar’s distinct flavor of unprocessed, homemade Detroit styled house and techno is easy to get lost in.

Like many of his Detroit peers, Omar S has managed to create an illustrious name for himself in the world of electronic music, while still keeping his releases underground and old school. A lot of Omar’s releases on vinyl are hard to come by and highly sought after by DJs and collectors alike. Many of the early series of his numbered, deep house gems (“001” and “002” on FXHE) are pretty much impossible to find.  FXHE runs like a true DIY operation, selling records directly from the presses to the consumer,  relying on email for all orders physical and digital. It’s truly refreshing to see these type of labels still being run by people who care about real music, like Omar S.

In addition to dozens of EPs, singles and collaborations stretched out over the years, Omar S has also put out a couple of full length albums, notably “Just Ask The Lonely” in 2005 and “It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do It” in 2011. Omar has another full length of all new material called “Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself”, which is due out on FXHE literally any day now(the release date was stated as mid-March).  Omar also released a mix for London’s Fabric, which is essential listening for late-night summer cruises in Detroit.

Make sure to check out the FXHE label site for the forthcoming Omar S release, and while your there, buy some real Detroit vinyl, straight from the source.

 March 13, 2013  Posted by  Artist Spotlight No Responses »
Mar 052013
 

NIGHT 1
UX untitled party recap 3-1-13

The UX Untitled party with Tadd Mullinix, Derek Plaslaiko, Matthew Dear, and Mike Servito was something to be remembered. Something that was a memorial of sorts also… It was an ode to the times when Detroit began it’s journey with celebrating electronic music. It was a very dark, dingy warehouse, with sonic vibrations that enveloped your body. It was beautiful how much the music really felt like the focus. The pure sensory deprivation of the whole experience truly forced you to feel the music. And the music was good. All the DJs came with a determination and dedication that was inspiring to see. They were having fun with the 4 person tag team, but you could tell they took each mix very seriously. Tadd Mullinix (aka JTC) was playing acid tracks that would make an Amish person give up religion and buy Technics. He also dropped some new gems of his own, which seemed to fit quite nicely. Matthew Dear was equally as precise as his Ghostly label-mate. Dear wove in and out of some solid deep hard stuff, with that old school vibe that I don’t normally hear, and it was right on point for this event. Derek Plaslaiko worked the speakers out something fierce. His track selection was impeccable and his mixes were hot, as were the speakers after he finished. It was epic. Servito kept it funky and quirky with his unique blends, often entering to screams from the crowd at his turn on the decks…

The party had that intanginble “energy” that the classic parties always seemed to have. Not quite something you can put your finger on, but it just felt like, if you weren’t here, you were missing out. It felt underground, it felt real, and it felt proper. It was a mesh of old school and new school, and a genuine respect flowed throughout. One thing of note that fellow colleague of Detroit Techno House, Alex Calhoun noticed, was the utter lack of cell phone use. Hardly anyone was seen staring down at their phones texting or facebooking. It was one of the nights where you just seemed content to be where you were, with who you were with. Tangent gallery provided a beautiful backdrop for this event, and all the people involved made the night run smoother than I could have imagined, based on the shear number of people in such a distinct “party mode”. Well done. Check out the videos and photos below. There is even a video of Plaslaiko dropping “End Of The Road” by Boys 2 Men at the very end of the night. Enjoy.

———————————————————————————————————
NIGHT 2
Come Feel The Acid : Interdimensional Transmissions party recap 3-2-13

Whoa. As I sit at the 5 o’clock hour inside the old music institute with 100 other nocturnal art seekers, I am in awe of the spirit and appreciation represented here. The last two nights have been something Detroit can be proud it hosted, and the people can be proud to have witnessed… We have a lot of talent and even more true soul than many regions will ever know, and it was on full display this weekend.

The acid party was about as true to the underground and artistically unique as possible. The sound was near mind scrambling, with Jim Gibbons rig on display (AVS audio). The Tin Man live was nothing short of amazing. Live acid. Done seamlessly and with an awesome control of the vibe. Watching a 303 tweaked properly is truly a blessing. BMG closed the night with some of the hardest thump I have ever heard in an acid set… With the 303 line running in and out with eeery and heart-stopping occurrences. The bass was seriously insane. Like rattle your whole body insane. Like when you thought it couldn’t get deeper, it did, a lot deeper. Ha. Knowing that that Sound came from an Ableton controller is even more testament to the evolution of digital sound. And I later found out that the sound man, Jim Gibbons, added some overdrive compression which really added some punch. Carlos Souffront went on at 5am, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. His musical selections were some of the best acid tracks I have ever heard, and the order in which they were played was as well thought out as possible at 5am searching through crate after crate of vinyl. He pulled out all the stops and made no exceptions on his homecoming to Detroit. This was an experience I am happy to say I was alive for. A strong crowd of 100′s stayed well past 5am, and when I finally called it quits about 5:45, there was still half the party raging, and a completely full dancefloor. The artistic theme was held together with a trapeze of flowing tapestry draped from all corners. It sort of felt like you were in, dare I say… another dimension? Warped by sound vibrations and further manipulated by the energy of the lifeforms inside it. Well done Interdimensional Transmissions. Well done. If I could get my brain back at some point that would be sweet. Some more pics and a video of BMG rippping apart your brain with acid below. Enjoy. Thank you for reading, I am Walter Glasshouse and this has been fun Detroit.

 March 5, 2013  Posted by  Event Reviews No Responses »
Feb 112013
 


Wednesday February 13th

Cultured Devolution @ Grassshopper Underground Wednesdays (22757 Woodward, Ferndal, MI) w/ Joe Blevins & Blatz, Jay Biggs & Dru Ruiz. NO COVER ALL NIGHT. Specials from 7-11pm. Brought to you by Walter Glasshouse.

Thursday February 14th

Circles & Zeros @ Grasshopper (22757 Woodward, Ferndale, MI) w/ Soren, Brandon Audette. No Cover.

Alton Miller @ Motorcity Wine (608 Woodward, Detroit, MI) w/ Daniel Andres. $5.

Friday February 15th

Audiojack @ Grasshopper (22757 Woodward, Ferndale, MI) w/ Hugh Cleal, Bryan Jones.

John Johr @ Northern Lights Lounge (660 W. Baltimore, Detroit, MI) w/ Eric Sutter, Jeremy Poling. 21 and up. No cover.

Ill Gates @ Magic Stick (4140 Woodward, Detroit, MI) w/ Ill Esha, K@dog, Satta Don Dada, Booma.

Thomas Barnett @ Como’s (22812 Wooodward, Ferndale, MI) w/ Jason Garcia, Adam Francesconi, Alvin R.

Bass Science @ The Works (1846 Michigan, Detroit, MI) w/ The Low Down, Calico, Adam Hazzard, K. Louie, Cameron Oakley, DJ Sheet, Benjamin Taylor, DJ Fargo, S. Morrow, Lex Morrison, Thomas G, Terrence K, Dantiez Saunderson. Brought to you by War Torn Entertainment.

Saturday February 16th

3 Chairs @ TV Bar (2548 Grand River, Detroit, MI) w/ Rick wilhite, Theo Parrish, Malik Pittman, Kenney Dixon Jr.

Justin Jay @ Sinbads (100 St. Clair, Detroit, MI) w/ Dug Eng, Joe Blevins, Ross Regits, Kev Kush.

DJ Dara @ the Works (1846 Michigan, Detroit, MI) w/ Ronin Selecta, Dilemma, Calico, Jose Pistoles, Steve Dronez, Joshua Adams, Nimbus, Disciple, Galaktis, JBizzle, DJ. R.C.U.

RJD2@ The Majestic (4120 Woodward, detroit, MI) w/ Supervision, John Arnold, East Side Jon, K@dog

Donny Whan @ Paycheck’s (2932 Caniff, Hamtramck, MI) w/ Egghead, ConkyMasta Fresh, Mr. Busy, and many more.

 February 11, 2013  Posted by  Upcoming Thangs No Responses »