By purchasing a ticket to the Manhattan Project concert at the Waiting Room tonight, you are consenting to an experiment based around your auditory response systems and kinetic energy. The hypothesis is that the sounds of the Rochester based EDM duo will ignite your motor system, inspire sporadic dancing, increase your dopamine levels, and annihilate anxieties and other bad vibes. They are also known to include clever re-imaginings of classic themes in their set, from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Knight Rider. You can do a trial run at home by downloading their EP here.

Before that Fat Man falls on your Little Boy, you've got to pre-game for the apocalypse in accordance with your pre-operative instructions. If you've never been invited before, Armageddon Party is as visually stimulating as they are sonically proficient. Pollock-esque backdrops, sci-fi hallucinations, and dancing men with giant white domes for heads have all been included as visual components of past concerts. You'll have to re-hydrate after their set shakes you up, and if you dig their flavor you can catch them again at the Valentine's Day Vampire Masquerade at the Hotel Lafayette.

Doors at 9PM, 18+ and $12 in advance.

Last night's Forealists show at Duke's was a joyous thing to behold: a hot young band deeply in the pocket kicking out seriously funky jams, with flashing disco-licious lights and projections, and people in fancy dress getting down and being free- there was something communal and futuristic going on and it was beautiful. But I also noticed that some in the audience wanted to dance but weren't, folks dressed for a liberating fantastical freakout but strangely not liberated by the freeing spectacle unfolding in front of them, and it sort of made me sad. These poor kids were kind of moving rhythmically in a tentative fashion like, they weren't exactly sure how to get down to the mad funky music being laid down for them, but I don't blame them. Actual dancing is making a comeback, and buffaBLOG is here to help.

When Daft Punk's Random Access Memories came out this spring, I found myself deeply amused by the critique that it wasn't originally going over with the youth because it was old hat and steeped in a history uninteresting to young EDM fans. My theory however was that the youth didn't like the new Daft Punk because they didn't really know how to dance to it after years of EDM. Dancing rhythmically with ones knees and with ones ass was of course originally what it was all about, but as the EDM juggernaut churned on that gradually went out of style, but now it's coming back, here are three videos to provide a crash course in dancing to funky music straight from the source: Soul Train and Nile Rodgers (and Daft Punk).



And before any of you accuse me of racism here for offering up some Soul Train to help fellow white folks learn how to dance, you can kiss my ass. Soul Train taught white people how to dance for decades... white people smart enough to know that Soul Train was light years better than American Band Stand. Respect Soul Train. Respect the Don. Respect African American culture that is the font from which so much American and global culture flows. And dance you mother-bleepers.



In conclusion, here's a Soul Train line dance featuring War's "Bolero." This ain't no godawful honky country western line dance. This is a Soul Train line dance. Admire the self expression, liberation, coolness, and pure fonkiness on display throughout. People got free dancing with their knees and asses to the rhythm on Soul Train, and that folks, is what it's all about.



Now you're ready the next time somebody opens up a can of funky whoop ass to dance like you mean it and dance like you want to be free. Those kids in their excellent Forealist show fancy dress should all be dancing and finding some liberation to Forealists, damn it, and I hope this helps.

It's a celebration, bitches. Remember that.

In the spirit of Memorial Day weekends past, a group of Chippewa clubs is having an Electronic Music Showcase tonight! Resident DJs at The Guvernment, Mark Oliver and Manzone & Strong, will make the trip down to Buffalo and be the featured performers of this showcase. Some of Buffalo's most popular club DJs will keep it going until 4am as always. The events will be dispersed among Soho Burger Bar, Privato, Bottoms Up, and The Purple Monkey. Though it is not stated, there may likely be cover charges at the doors of the establishments. Also the schedule and time slots for the performers will not be released until today. Follow @buffaBLOG on Twitter to get updated when that information is released. 

This new track from Swedish house music producer/DJ Jonas Rathsman is smooth. Despite the slanted sound title, this deep house tune is more balancing than downing. Rathsman is part of the label French Express who's mission statement is "protectors of the feel good." Growing up in the countryside of Sweden, he then moved to Göthenburg where his experiments with design and music took flight. His first EP Tobago received high acclaim from house music enthusiasts last year. "Bringing You Down" is a deep clubby track that is intelligently composed; perfect for the conclusion of a wild night.

Like the air temperature this winter, the climate of collective consciousness is constantly fluctuating in Buffalo. Us positivists are constantly shielding a barrage of bitterness and negativity grown out of many years of hardship and loss. Alas, we are the weight to balance these ideas, the youthful minds who will soon take over this city and lift it forward into the future! The work of change is never-ending, and only willing will rise up.

With the new year comes new happenings. It is a blessing to have some fresh things going on with a couple of new events happening this Friday. The Drum Machine Report focuses on what events and parties are going on that feature all styles of dance music every weekend in the Queen City. Check out what's happening now:

friday 1/11


saturday 1/12
Everybody loves Igloo Music! Such positive vibes and great House music fill the air every time this party goes down. This night will feature sets from CHUCK ABBOTT, PAUL KUENZI, BRANDON CHASE, GREG HOWZE, and LANCE UPPERCUT-who I believe is Kyle Moody's alter-ego. Guess you'll just have to go to find out!


Any submissions for The Drum Machine Report please forward to buffaBLOG, and keep those dancing shoes shinning Buffalo. Much Love.

Continuing on the incredible lineup of their EDM Dj series(Cosmic Gate, Oakenfold, Halliwell and Carl Cox), Rendezvous the Niteclub, welcomes Dutch EDM producer Ferry Corsten back to Buffalo. Corsten is a twenty plus year veteran to the dance music scene and can often be found at the top of the world's most premier bills. As a pioneer in creating dance music, Ferry Corsten has helped shaped the EDM scene we now see today. Corsten hosts his own weekly radio show entitled "Corsten's Countdown" and was ranked #7 on DJ Magazine's annual Top 100 DJ Poll. Corsten also just released his fourth studio effort, W.K.N.D., in February of this year. Tonight's gig begins at 10pm with special guests Jesse Aaron and DJ 3 getting things rolling. Tickets are $25 pre-sale which ends in just under a couple hours at 5pm with tickets costing a bit more at the door.

The mood was set to a sexy vibe by Mark Kloud and Perceptor's back-to-back opening set at Soundlab on April 19, for a show put on by MNM Presents.  Bass with air of dream-like qualities, it was a relatively mellow warm up.  Tiny neon green dots of light moved across the floor like lightening bugs, crawling then converging and exploding like a firework in a repetitive patterned sequence.  The venue slowly filled until there was hardly room to move freely as everyone awaited impatiently for Los Angeles native Jennifer Lee to take the stage, known by her DJ moniker, TOKiMONSTA.  

Her set was beautifully executed and the room became quite in tune with her sounds.  By perfectly blending future bass, electronic, and hip-hop elements the crowd never wavered.  It would be untrue to say that female DJs do not succeed in the EDM scene, however, it is apparent that a majority of well-known DJs are men.  Watching TOKiMONSTA flawlessly break the unspoken gender barrier was refreshing to see.  It was clear that as she performed, her personality shone through her track selection and transitions and her femininity was neither a factor nor a concern during her set.  One tune that stuck with me was a remix of "Bass" by A$AP Rocky.  From what I could tell the remix was along the same BPM as the original track which fit perfectly with the rest of her set.  Mid-way through her performance was a piano interlude.  For those aware that her musical background included playing piano, this was an impressive move on her part.  For those that did not, maybe it was unexpectedly pleasant.  This became clear when the group on the small dance floor at Soundlab slowed down and became mesmerized, waiting to see what she was going to do next.  At the end of the ditty, the room applauded and TOKiMONSTA clapped along joyfully and smiled widely at the audience.

http://www.tokimonsta.com/
TOKiMONSTA on Facebook
TOKiMONSTA on Twitter

Ranked #1 female DJ in LA Weekly, TOKiMONSTA, will be in Buffalo tonight thanks to MNM Presents. She is also the first female to join the Brainfeeder crew, a highly-esteemed record label in Los Angeles. She tours worldwide and has such talent that she has been recognized by major publications and radio stations such as DJ Mag, Pitchfork, LA Times, SPIN, BBC Radio 1, and KCRW - and that's just to name a few.

Her musical background as a pianist influenced and created the distinct sound that she has become so recognized for. Her creation of "vast textural soundscapes through the utilization of live instruments, percussion, digital manipulation, and dusty noise" is what has made her name so established in the ever-changing music world. Marrying her passion for hip-hop and EDM, she produces and performs an energetic and wavy sound. TOKiMONSTA also does not let the fact that she is a female in a predominately male environment stand in the way of blowing the minds of her listeners. Her powerful persistence to achieve has proven she's a bad-ass lady with no fear of going head-to-head with "the big boys."

Tonight at Soundlab, doors open at 9 pm and the show goes from 10 pm to 2:30 am.
Openers include Ay Fast and also a back-to-back performance by Perceptor and Mark Kloud.
Tickets are $15 at the door. +18
Check the Facebook event page for more information.

Don't miss this.

Have a listen to her original tunes and remixes on her Soundcloud.

Factory Nightlife presents DJ extraordinaire Eddie Halliwell tonight at Rendezvous Niteclub in Statler City. He has become greatly known and respected as an international trance DJ in the decade or so of his career. In addition to being a former DJ for BBC Radio 1, he has also had other phenomenal achievements such as producing seven essential mixes, in 2011 he launched his label Fire It Up Recordings (FIUR) and has spent his fifth year at Cream Ibiza as resident DJ along with Calvin Harris, Laidback Luke, and Paul Van Dyk.

"Now kids just use them, for example, Eddie Halliwell - what he does with those Pioneer CD players is fucking nuts! He had no hesitation; he just went for it and has probably got the best out of the machine," said Paul Van Dyk, a highly-esteemed Grammy award-winning EDM DJ, raising the bar for Halliwell and his talents.

For most of his career he produced only remixes, until he debuted his long-awaited original track "Neon" in the summer of 2011.

Check him on Twitter and Facebook.

The show tonight is strictly 21+ and dress to impress. For more information, check out the Facebook event page.

A good performer is characterized by work ethics, preparative focus, and energy. This is as true of DJs as it is any other artist when performing. Every performance requires different energy, and at times it can be easy to weed out those who lack the experience of getting up in front of a live audience. The moment of truth is always filled with endless variables; that’s something that one learns only by paying dues and facing the music, pun intended.

I am NOT a DJ. Nor do I claim to know about mixing tunes. But I am a performer. And what I know is true, is that it only takes time to become good at what you do. Time. And patience. I feel like a DJ as any performer does needs to put in everything he or she expects to get out! Preparation is paramount to be able to think on one’s toes and improvise if necessary. Feel the crowd and the vibe of the room. There are practiced DJs in Buffalo who have got IT. We’re lucky for that. And then there are others who are still working at IT. Will I venture to say that age/experience has something to do with this premise? Yes, yes I will, to an extent. Experience isn’t everything, but it certainly helps the performance. That’s what she said.

This weekend in Buffalo features modestly big events and some parties of the beaten path. Check up on what’s going down:

friday 4/6

10p-4a

21+

DBGB’S

253 allen st. Buffalo, NY

Featuring: BRANDON CHASE, KYLE MOODY, TOMMY D, PAUL KUENZI, and JUST DUBBS

saturday 4/7

10p-4a

$10-20/21+

RENDEZVOUS

statler city 107 delaware ave. Buffalo, NY

Featuring: EDDIE HALLIWELL

Fire It Up Radio 144 by EddieHalliwell

BLOCKHEAD

930p-3a

$12/18+

SOUNDLAB

110 pearl st. Buffalo, NY

Featuring: BLOCKHEAD, CUTLER, BONES

Also this weekend, don’t miss out on the following under the radar events featuring electronic and dance music styles:

4/7 NuSkool Saturdays at Big Bad Wolf. $5/18+ 252 delaware ave.

4/7 Peace. Luv. House! at The Golden Key. Free/21+ 367 connecticut st.

4/7 DukeFringement. Fundraiser for Buffalo Infringement Festival. DBGB’s. Cover/21+

Judge for yourself what Buffalo has to offer the world of Electronica and Dance music. And don't forget to bring a towel. Happy Spring. Much Love.

Not only was Buffalo impressed with Excision's set Monday night at Town Ballroom, but the feeling was reciprocated. "You guys know your shit, good for you!" he exclaimed into the mic as the crowd reacted to "Undah Yuh Skirt" a consistently banging track since Zeds Dead released it.

Prior to Excision was a quick set from Buffalo's own Stuntman, followed by fellow touring DJs Lucky Date and Liquid Stranger. Liquid Stranger, whom I was very much looking forward to, had a great opening set and was a perfect warm up for the intense sound to come.

The specially designed 100,000 watt PK sound system vibrated from the floor of the venue up and through to the end of your nose (no exaggeration.) Little colored ear plugs were undoubtedly in many ears that night. The "x vision" visualizer was projected upon a large geometric structure in the shape of an X, three spikes were erect on either side, the ones closest to the electric letter reached upwards like the horns of a bull. He and his decks were raised and behind at the intersection of the X.

The crowd danced without a lull and a mosh pit formed in front of the stage. When his set came to a close, everyone cheered for an encore with their arms raised and crossed to form an "x." Encouraged by an emphatic audience, he continued the show with two more tracks one of which was "Louder" by DJ Fresh. Not that the show could have gotten any louder.


If you didn't attend the after-party, you sincerely goofed. Stuntman, HXLY and SwaggleRock had phenomenal sets and the quaint underground Soundlab was jam-packed with Excision go-ers ready to rage through the night. I'm sure Tuesday morning, many were left with sore legs and ringing ears, but it was well worth it.

Paul Oakenfold, a legend to the EDM scene, will be performing tonight in Buffalo. A big thanks to Factory Nightlife for scoring such a major booking, the show will be held at Rendezvous Niteclub at Statler City (107 Delaware Ave) from 10pm-4am and "come dance all night to this DJ."

Oakenfold's DJ career began in the late 1970s and has prospered greatly up to the present. He has touched almost every aspect of media with his unique presence. His musical history tracks back and is so widespread that it's quite unbelievable how much he has done; collaboration efforts with what seems to be a never-ending list of prominent names in the business, his music has been featured on commercials and he's also taken part in developing soundtracks for films.

In 1989, Oakenfold established Perfecto Records, a trance recording label based in the United Kingdom.

His genre identity is very expansive and ranges, and is not limited to, electronic dance, progressive house, progressive trance, drum and bass, breakbeats and by the 2000s was releasing productions inspired by classic genres such as jazz and soul. An interesting characteristic of Oakenfold's music is his Goa based tunes, specifically trance. Goa music became an inspiration of his in the 1990s after discovering the electronic music genre that originated in Goa, India in the late 80s.

An intriguing track to explore is his original production, "Nixon's Spirit", which embodies hints of the Indian inspired genre and almost has an overall feel of psy-trance paired with Hunter S. Thompson's declarative voice-over.

Over the past decades Oakenfold has won numerous awards and has been top charted internationally.

Don't sleep on this one.
Check out the event page on facebook.
And his official site.




P.S. Remember this one? "Starry Eyed Surprise" Paul Oakenfold ft Shifty from Crazy Town. Oh Crazy Town...