ok, well i've been to plenty of parties in tokyo over the past month and i was planning on doing write ups for most/all of them. but that never quite happened. so here is a quick summary of the people i saw over the last month...
*edit* april 2010 - almost a year later and ssgs are still receiving complaints about this post. while i stand by my original assessments of the performances by the various artists, we've decided to remove the pics and a few comments both directed towards the artists and the blog that cross the line a bit. anyway, you live and learn online. but basically the post said:
good
portable
fumiya tanaka
tobias.
cassy
ok
audio werner
modern deep love quartet
bad
miskate
deadbeat
mike shannon
the mole
ok, that just about covers it. a mixed bag. seen some amazing stuff, some average stuff, and some really awful stuff that makes me wish ableton was never invented.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
best report ever. thanks for the effort :)
ReplyDeleteThe stuff of legends.
ReplyDeleteI think you just started a trend with this review. Classic and funny at the same time.....
ReplyDeletejeezes christ that was perfect.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteProbably the most hilarous gig report i've seen. Well done Chris!
ReplyDeleteI meant hilarious...
ReplyDeletehaha, well done
ReplyDeletemore reports should be like this
great report for a single go-round, but let's not let the ssgs turn into the perez hilton of techno.
ReplyDeletei have no idea why i'd think that would happen. keep up the good werk.
mmm.. well.. seems quite flippant as usual, but better to have an opinion than nothing... just remember the ambience.
ReplyDeletex
wow, sorry to see personal attacks on people, definitely takes away from the site.
ReplyDeleteI think ageha could have had it's own section with a picture of all the fucked up douches and skanks grinding their jaws and staring off to the distance like there's no tomorrow and a caption saying 'this is what hell must be like'
ReplyDeleteGod what a serious hell hole.
@ the last anon: i don't think i have actually attacked any of the artists personally. it is some of their performances/music i have attacked. and i can back up/explain any of the comments i've made if you want.
ReplyDeleteChris; Maybe Anon is referring to the other Anon's comments on miskate..
ReplyDeleteI had to miss Dan Bell on Saturday - very unhappy about that, but hopefully will make up for that by getting along to Cassy next week.
@ Chris,
ReplyDeletesorry - it was not towards you but towards the first Anon. I found your reviews pretty funny actually.
Shame about Mike Shannon, when I saw him a few years back, I really enjoyed it. Seems to have gone of the boil a bit lately, still I enjoy when he reverts back to the old organ sounds and Tactile Blue is still a great release. Oh Well!
ReplyDeleteWas deadbeat really mediocre?
The whole review was funny, like a man disaffected with just about everything but spray paint.
Thanks for coming out to the party Chris. Would love for you to come and do a Berlin party report at some point. There are times when the internet's power to connect people at great distances can be very frustrating. Some things are just so much better said in person. By all means please let us nice Canadian boys know when next you're in town. Would love to have a chat.
ReplyDeleteDeadbeat
one of the funniest techno reviews i've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteway more efficient then conventional methods!
started a new trend? yeah right... this is just a copy of the absolutely ridiculous perez hilton blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty disappointed in mnml ssgs posting this shit. I'd have to agree with Zane on this one. Immediately when I saw it, Perez Hilton was the first thing that came to mind, and Perez Hilton is the last thing you want to be compared to.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I think some of the comments were funny or spot on, but I come to expect reports from you guys that don't dumb it down for the lowest common denominator. There is nothing wrong with having a laugh and taking the piss, but when you do this, it brings the idiots out of the word work who reply with meat-headed comments like "miskate really sucks.
she's fucking ugly, fat..."
We're not here to comment on the looks of a woman (who has natural beauty in person btw, even though her music does suck). Also, to those of you who say this is the funniest review you've ever seen, you should probably read more.
Yes it is bad when people insult other people's physical attributes, almost as bad when condescending people tell others to read more for finding something amusing, amusing.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what Perez Hilton is, perhaps I am not reading enough, is this what people who read a lot read?
@ deadbeat: yep, would be very keen to see you guys in berlin because club ageha is just so awful i think it would be really hard to play well there.
ReplyDelete@ some of the other comments: ok, just googled perez hilton. i had never heard of that site before. the idea for this post came from one a picture i did using ms paint with dan bell last year.
also, a complaint we regularly receive (and there is some fairness to it) is that we sometimes take ourselves a bit too seriously and the blog can be too text heavy. this was just supposed to be something a bit different, and a bit lighthearted, not a sign of things to come. as i said, if anyone wants more details i am happy giving a fuller explanation of any of the specific events i went to.
My advice; if you are going to say Deadbeat is bad (which in my honest opinion, he is) stick to your guns vs. bending to blame the club like he wants you too.
ReplyDeleteOnly whiners blame the club. I've seen shows that were basically a laptop running through a guitar amp and they had outstanding energy. I've also seen Deadbeat play in Detorit multiple times and his derivative nature bored me to death.
Also, just who gives a fuck that your Canadian and/or nice? Why do Canadians feel the need to explain this? God forbid somone thinks your an American...
@ last anon: fair call. my honest opinion is that i haven't liked deadbeat's recent stuff at all but his early work on scape was good and shows he does have talent. chances are if i saw him in berlin i probably wouldnt like him, but there would be a much greater possibility. i cannot emphasise to you how bad this club was. everything about it was completely wrong. model 500 is playing live there in a few weeks and there is no way i can bring myself to go.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteriddle me this, chris...if the club is so abysmal, why did you go in the first place?
ReplyDeletejust sayin'...
i love me some scott monteith, and he is a really nice guy (he and i spent about three hours setting up atlantic.waves in detroit, trying to troubleshoot a bunk dsl connection and firewall, all the while laughing, drinking, and discussing how he'd missed a big spot shaving his head that day), but everyone has their bad gigs, and no one is flawless.
@ eric: easy answer. it was my first time there. people said it was a place i should check out once, but no one had quite warned me for how awful it was. i should have known better. i do now. never again.
ReplyDeletesecond question...
ReplyDeletewhat exactly makes it so bad? i'm quite curious, 'cause we've got a couple stinkers for venues here in nyc that make me want to claw my eyes out.
@ eric
ReplyDeleteat least you have venues.. philly's getting worse by the week
lol
i just poked around the website for ageha, and wow...what an interesting place. the sound system looks quite nice yet completely chaotic at the same time, but the layout looks a little frustrating, as well does the shi-shi kitsch and glam of the rest of the place.
ReplyDeleteoh, and their calendar reads like a bad case of hemorrhoids.
@ eric. ageha. where do i start...
ReplyDeletethe sound system is such a waste. it is so, so expensive and over the top but the sound quality is not good. the bass is really muffled and it was up too loud. plus having a huge subwoofer stack in the middle is just awkward.
they have pole dancers. yes, pole dancers. i cannot tell you how odd it was listening to mike shannon while watching pole dancers.
the crowd is the worst of the worst. gaijin (foreigners) in japan are a special breed, and you really get the worst of them here. and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
i used to be able to go and enjoy music anywhere. now i need more. i need good sound. i need a good crowd and vibe. ageha has none of them.
i think i even prefer womb to ageha.
so its the japanese version of pacha...
ReplyDeleteOliver said...
ReplyDeleteYes it is bad when people insult other people's physical attributes, almost as bad when condescending people tell others to read more for finding something amusing, amusing.
I have no idea what Perez Hilton is, perhaps I am not reading enough, is this what people who read a lot read?
-----
Nice try at a jab, but a swing in and a miss! Saying a woman is fat and ugly is nowhere near as bad as suggesting someone should read more. It's not even comparable. Last I checked, suggesting reading is not slander. And Perez Hilton, the choice of heavy readers? Jesus Christ, if you're going to debate, then bring something to the table! That was just one poor-ass comeback.
@Anonymous, Oh dear!
ReplyDelete@Jamie....I'm in philly too. Is there any kind of techno scene in this city?
ReplyDelete@anonymous above...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rizumu.us/
thanks Eric.
ReplyDelete@ Anon.
yeah, the rizumu site is great for information. tom and crew really know whats going on.
I've been doing parties for a while now but have slowed down since having a kid. We have Surgeon coming labor day weekend and i think Justin (inciting) has Par Grindvik coming in October (but im not 100% on that). If you've been in the city for a bit you've probably met me. I've been doing events for about 14 years now. Theres lots of stuff going on, best thing to do is sign up for either Incitings or Rizumu's email list.
cheers
j
Pictures from the ageha party are up on RA...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.residentadvisor.net/photo-gallery.aspx?set=7227&page=1
How deceptive photos could be... These actually manage to make it look almost like a cool party! In reality, Ageha is where the scum of the scum of Tokyo go to NOT listen to music, but to get completely fucked off their faces and act like obnoxious mother fuckers. It's truly a horribile place.
While the brvity and aesthetic here was appealing, the snide comments about Miskate - more by Anonymous - were rude and shallow. Male DJs or performers are never ridiculed in this manner (Even ugly ol' Falko Brocksieper on RA was teased in a chmmy way). I even thought the ssgs comment was harsh - could you please elaborate on why her music and performance were so bad as to generate such contempt? I'm not defending her, barely know her stuff, but interested to know where the hate comes from.
ReplyDeleteAlso - I really like Deadbeat, there's some great 12"s of recent times, and his way of releasing both dub-techno and dub-reggae cuts on the one record is welcome.
@Dan
ReplyDeleteI really liked Deadbeat too. Even though he sounds too much like R&S. I really did like Deadbeat.
Until I heard him play live.
@ dan: to be honest, if anything i held back with miskate precisely because she was a female and i didn't want to get accused of being sexist.
ReplyDeletemiskate's performance was, i think, in the top 3 worst 'international' billed acted i've ever seen (and i have seen a lot of shit over the years). i left after an hour and basically the whole thing was a horrible unchanging bass with different sounds and loops going in and out over the top, which i struggled to hear proplerly anyway. i think the bassline literally changed twice in the whole time i had to listen to her. it really was such incredibly bland, boring, uninspired minimal (and i am using that term in its worst possible sense).
i had never seen miskate before or heard her records, but i figured she'd be alright. she wasn't. the contrast to portable who played directly before her was incredible. his set was diverse, textured, nuanced and deep. miskate's sound was just so shallow, uninteresting and pointless.
it has nothing to do with her sex. it has to do with her music. and it was awful. i will stand by all of this 100%.
Thanks Eric and Jamie. I've just signed for rizumu email list. Looking forward to Surgeon. Can't believe I missed Regis/Function! Guess I should pay more attention.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris, that answered my question - sounds just terrible. Just checked out her track 'Drillbit' online, nasty.
ReplyDeleteYurinator - Not sure how bad his live show was but I saw him last year in Italy and he was great - heavy dub reggae, no techno, short set.
Come'on guys, I was joking !
ReplyDeleteMiskate's music is exceptional and she plays superb minimal/glitch (burps & farts ?) with the great, fantastic, amazing Ableton Live (we all should kill Logic users, Logic is lame if compared to Live) while Marcel Dettmann (a poor idiot if compared to her) plays old, dirty vinyls of obsolete techno music.
hope I wrote the right comment.
a_nus forever !!!
Imagine if i was dull enough to write a comment on the internet and think.
ReplyDelete1) i had a valid opinoin
2) anyone would read it
3) wha ? you still here?
4)
5
.
I read. I laughed. So you chaps DO have a sense of humour. More please.
ReplyDelete;-)
Caught Deadbeat play solo in Bristol earlier this year, and I have to say that I was heartily impressed. Horses for courses, but maybe he was having an off day?
ReplyDelete"seen some amazing stuff, some average stuff, and some really awful stuff..."
ReplyDeletei'm gonna trust you on this one. and btw... portable/bodycode, does indeed rock.
Nice original report - I like :)
ReplyDeleteI have not ever seen a weaker, more half-assed and juvenile review ever. Seems to me that you had a deadline to meet and scabbed something together, POORLY.
ReplyDeleteI guess appealing to the lowest common denominator(See Perez Hilton) is the easiest way. Having seen Deadbeat, The Mole, Mike Shanon and Modern Deep LEFT Quartet many times, I've gotta say it must've been an "off" night (Maybe your vibe brought 'em down).
And yes, Dan Bell is in a different league, and has been since the Gratiot days.
@Motor-City Pillow Talk
ReplyDeleteIf you've been reading this blog at all, you would know that these guys take their music fucking seriously and they would not post anything weak, half-assed or juvenile. Personally, I think the comments sum up each night extremely well.
@ yurinator
ReplyDeleteObviously, I think these guys take (other peoples) music seriously. I spend time reading it and I'm spending valuable time here now.
Do you think the artists take their music seriously?
Scribbling comments with no back-up (I realize that we must request explanation) is weak, half-assed AND juvenile. I would not call it genius or legendary. I'm quite sure that if Chris can dole it out, he can take it just as well.
@ Motor-City Pillow Talk: no disagreements there. i'm not expecting everyone to agree with this, and presumed it would annoy some people, and that's fine by me.
ReplyDeletelove you for this review :)
ReplyDeleteive only just got round to reading this, but im absolutely staggered and astounded that youve been able to post this stuff chris, its fucking genious!
ReplyDeletei have to firstly agree wholheartedly with your views/assessments.
1. mistake is SHIT. how can anyone still be pushing this bullshit neo-minimal crap and still be getting away with it.
2. portable (live) is on of the best acts ive seen (better than shed who he performed alongside).
3. wagon repair as a whole is a misguided, altogether tragic label. what has happened to mathew jonson's early promise? and again, not really my thing either.
4. tobias. is sick. anyone who plays 808 live is a legend in my eye.
5. fumiya tanaka is a man on the rise and people should take note of his dj talent,underated in my eyes.
p.s chris when will you return from j-land?
> 1. mistake is SHIT.
ReplyDeleteI don't even care if this was intentional or a typo. I was waiting for somebody to do this.
well you must have done something right to piss off so many people. keep it up.
ReplyDelete@ erosion: a few follow ups.
ReplyDelete3: agree about wagon repair, but i think jonson is back on form. his latest release is good and 'symphony for an apocalypse' from last year was amazing. and from what i could see, most of the good stuff coming out of the modern jazz deep quartet (or whatever they are called - i always get it wrong) was care of jonson.
5. tanaka isn't on the rise, quite the opposite. he really peaked as a dj late 90s/early 00s. i love the man and still think he is great, but he definitely isn't the same dj he used to be.
i'm back in wales from mid-august. see you soon in manchester no doubt!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete@ last anon: ah, you have found me out. how very clever of you.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE YOU TEKNO!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE YOU MUZIK!
see?
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing original or clever about this report. It was blatantly plagiarized from that celebrity blog by Perez Hilton, which is sad.
ReplyDeleteThe personal attacks on artists? That's just typical blog nonsense.
Nothing to see here, move on, just another moron on the internet scratching his asshole in public. Don't give up the day job guys.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete@ the last 2 comments: if you don't like it, don't read the blog, don't download the mixes. simple.
ReplyDeleteahaha..
ReplyDeletesimple?
"If you dont like those artist you are slaging off , dont write about them , dont go see them play ,dont download their mixes..
simple yeah ...
very simple.
chris, you suck.
ReplyDeleteand your stupid narrow-minded followers suck too.
Great review asshole. A complete and total waste of time and so far off base it's ALMOST funny for it's shear stupidity. I've been to AgeHa and anyone who isn't totally deaf and a complete fucking imbecile would easily agree that it is one of the best sounding systems in the world bar none. I've also been to several Wagon Repair parties in Berlin and they were easily some of the best I've been to in the last few years and consistently filled with top notch performances across the board. I hope you take Deadbeat's invitation to go to one at some point. I also hope he and all those other "nice Canadian boys" do the right thing and kick the shit out of your snide little ass.
ReplyDelete@ last anon: you must be a complete fucking moron if you think ageha has one of the best sound systems in the world.
ReplyDeleteI've been there too and agree it is a seriously bad ass system. The only moron I see in this place is you Chris, don't quit your day job chief...
ReplyDeleteGTC
You people have obviously not experienced a perfect sound system...
ReplyDeleteThink of the first decent pair of headphones you bought and compare it to your current pair. Chances are, your first pair sounds like shig compared to it. Go figure...
you know something Chris..this is your blog..write whatever the fuck you wanna write! mnml ssgs is probably the only blog i DL from...i have no time for mediocre shit...we need more reviews like this..weed out all the weak shit. people take shit tooo seriously...boo-hooo-fuckin-hoooo!!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete