What is a dirtybird, you ask? It is progressive. It was born in San Fransisco. It is a genre-breaking sound that is unlike any other. Dirtybird Records is the brainchild of Claude VonStroke (@vonstroke) and like-minded individuals Justin Martin, Christian Martin, and Worthy. What began as a party thrown at Golden Gate Park evolved into the powerhouse that it is today. Clichés aside, innovative artists have been taken under the dirtybird's wing such as J.Phlip, French Fries and Eats Everything. A dirtybird member is not just a performer on a stage, but a friend.

Factory Nightlife brought J.Phlip and Justin Martin to the summer concert series this year which were held at Sky Bar. Now, the "Claudefather," will be performing tonight at Rendezvous the Niteclub for his Urban Animal tour.

Urban Animal was released in September and I found it so inspired, I couldn't help myself and delved into writing a review of it. You can check my Artvoice album review and find the SoundCloud links here.

J.Phlip (@jphlip) is VonStroke's main babe for the tour. "Straight from San Francisco with dirty basslines, bootylicious funk, and cute as hell—J. Phlip is the total package,” VonStroke said.

If you haven't experienced it yet, you should.

The only reason I ever really leave a show early is if the after-party is more appealing than the event itself or if my desire for a Jim's stinger sub is unmanageable. Last Friday night at Sky Bar, I was there till the lights turned on and the 4 a.m.-ers were clapping for dirtybird crew member J. Phlip as she finished her set. Factory Nightlife is flying another dirtybird into the Queen City tonight and it is definitely not a show to miss.

Justin Martin, one of the co-founders of the crew and label, will be performing at Sky Bar for Factory Nightlife's Summer Series. His productions are sexy and deep and mixing is dare I say flawless. I have a personal obsession with the cover of his 2012 album release Ghettos & Gardens; a 40 ounce filled with flowers for the poetically hood.



Opening the event are Buffalo locals: DJ Jesse Aaron, and SwaggleRock (222 Oceans and Cloud 11). Get there early.



Summer is coming to an end and September is encroaching; soon Buffalo will be blanketed by winter slush. Take advantage of Sky Bar's rooftop view, the warm weather and the breeze of the season on your skin. Get sexy and dance to the dirtybird.

San Fransisco based electronic group The M Machine opens for Markus Schulz tonight at the Statler Towers. Producing and succeeding under the wing of Skrillex, The M Machine was signed to his label, OWSLA, and have since released some EPs and various remixes.

They have an intriguing sound. They produce a genre that blends high-energy dance instrumentals with indie-type vocals. Comprised by Ben Swardlick, Eric Luttrell, and Andy Coenen, their success has grown greatly over the past few years. And to be opening for big-name trance DJ and producer Markus Schulz is an honor.

If you already have your tickets for the show, be ready for a spectacle. According to the Facebook event page, tonight has outgrown Rendezvous and will be held instead upstairs in the Golden Ballroom of Statler City. And be sure to get there for headlining opener, The M Machine.

Cheers to a great year in music. After the holidays and a little bit of "Auld Lang Syne," let's ring in the new year with hopes of progression and talent.

Electronic music innovators and world-leading DJs RICHIE HAWTIN and LOCO DICE are launching a music and technology tour of Canadian and U.S. colleges, taking the history and the future of the platform to the very people who could well be the next generation of producers, DJs, technology
innovators or simply advocates of the sound that is sweeping the continent after 20 years of trying.

The tour, entitled CNTRL: BEYOND EDM - ELECTRONIC & TECHNO(LOGY) BASED MUSIC, will be a groundbreaking North American college tour combining educational daytime lectures on music technology presented by DUPSPOT in some of the leading universities and colleges, followed by an evening of electronic music with RICHIE HAWTIN, LOCO DICE, EAN GOLDEN from DJ TechTools and their touring guest DJ's.

When I hear the name Laidback Luke, a vivid memory comes to mind: a summer night spent in the sticky underground of Soundlab.  His remix of "Out of the Blue" was a consistently played track on my iPod and could often be heard blasting from my dorm room window weaving around the religious statues and unpleasantly fragrant trees of the Canisius quad.  But this moment was particularly special: I stepped out of the dingy bathroom and as if I walked through a vortex into the enveloping sounds of progressive-house, I entered a new world.  The room was lit with light blue and I'll never forget the feeling of that ecstatic contentment when the local DJs on stage played this song out.

Philippine born and Holland raised Luke Van Scheppingen, known to the world as Laidback Luke, overtime has become one of the most highly regarded names in the DJ world.  His productions, predominantly house, and performances across the world has built him a fan base of hundreds of thousands.  Performances this year include the Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Zoo, Tomorrowland and Ultra.  In 2010 not only did he place #17 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJ list, he also won the International Dance Music Award for "Leave the World Behind." 

In 2004 he developed his own label, Mixmash Records with a mission to be "adament in it's pursuit for good music."  Names on the roster include Steve Aoki, Wynter Gordon, A-Trak, Angger Dimas, Avicii and Oliver Twizt.  Buffalo's very own DJ Dstar was recently signed to the label as well.

During an interview at DJ Mag's Top 100 DJ list release in 2010, the interviewer asked Laidback Luke about whether his success has inflated his ego. "Maybe this keeps me grounded as well, I just want to have a really good fucking party, together with the crowd.  It's not about me.  Like, yes I do bring the music but we should just have a great time..." he said.

The show is tonight June 14.
10 pm - 4 am
at Lux Nightclub (75 W. Chippewa)
$20 - 18+

Factory Nightlife has also put some wonderful local talent on the bill.  DJ Dstar and McNasty will be opening for Laidback Luke on the main stage while Mario Bee, Miosi and SwaggleRock are on the patio.

Check out the event Facebook page for more information.

@LaidbackLuke
Laidback Luke on Facebook
@MixmashRecords
Mixmash Records on Facebook

According to Factory Nightlifes Facebook page, the Dutch Dynamo himself, Laidback Luke is coming to Buffalo on June 14th!  These are the only details right now but more to so make sure to check buffaBLOG and Factory Nightlife for updates.

Visions of a dandelion wish glowed and reflected back onto the hundreds of pupils. A breathtaking moment, everyone was universally connected. Three men stood in front of me with their arms wrapped around each others shoulders, grinning and singing along. A couple embraced each other and stood still, frozen in time as the group surrounding them jumped up and down. For those two, all that mattered was that moment, their heart beats synching together. There was no tension, no unnecessary elbowing, and no rude demeanor. The vibe of the entire room was compassionately wholesome and connected. It was elevation from the harsh realities of the world, looking down on them and feeling content with all that life throws our way. This is trance.

Above & Beyond at Town Ballroom on May 11th was a life-changing experience. They had their own visual projections which were so intricate and complimenting to the motive of their music, it was surreal. For many if not all, this was a show to bring clarity, to feel complete or attended out of pure passion. Incorporating a special feature to stay connected to the crowd, they rigged their laptop to project lyrics and messages on the screen. Also, a live-feed of the crowd was synched to the screen so those in the front row could see themselves; this simple reflection encompassed the room making everyone feel as much as a part of the experience.

On screen, a grid of many squares was projected and within each square a woman's smiling face moved about gracefully. The grids disappeared and suddenly the same woman's face was larger taking up the screen, morphing into itself. It was a reminder that even the smile of a stranger can fill you with warmth. A&B captured the beauty and significance of something so simple.   The signature beat of a trance tune had everyone jumping up and down bringing back the innocence of pure excitement of being a child, eyes wide with hopeful wishes and without cynicism. 

Their mixing was flawless. There was no nonsensical and incessant interruptions as some performers feel necessary to keep the crowd with them. They chose the ambiguous rather then the impetuous. The screen went black, white letters slowly typed on the screen "Buffalo is our secret" followed by airborne visuals, from a plane window the vast space of clouds turned pink and gold as the sun arose to meet them.

The entire night tears lined my eyes. The interconnectedness and love I was feeling with a dance floor filled with strangers was incredibly overwhelming. To think that with just music, lyrics, and projections of Tibetan lanterns floating about that so much emotion could surface. This thought took me out of myself as I looked at the people that surrounded me; each person has their own story, their own hopes or crushed dreams that they deal with every single day. This is what trance does.

For those who know Brian Nelson, head of the promotional company that brought A&B, Factory Nightlife, you may have heard news of his recent motorcycle accident. My heart melted as thin lined triangles of multiple colors cut the black canvas of the screen, white letters typed out "Get well Brian."

Throughout the entire show tears of joy trickled down my face, I shamelessly wiped them away. Eyes closed and moving fluidly, suddenly I heard the beautifully haunting vocals of "Sun & Moon." I stopped dancing and watched an eclipse projected on the screen. Mental visions flashed through my mind: tearfully bed-ridden, sleepless, and staring at the sky wondering. "I'm sorry baby, you were the sun and moon to me, I'll never get over you, you'll never get over me." The whole room stopped for a moment, then the synths came in and it was like a sigh of relief washed over the crowd. Everyone simply let go and danced; it was mind-blowing.

The end of the show was like nothing I've ever seen. After performing their last track, they put on a melodic tune and there was only purple lights glowing. It was an unspeakable standstill, everyone stood, perfectly depicting the name of the genre itself. Tony McGuinness and Jono Grant started on opposite ends of the curved rail where the audience crowded around to shake hands or get autographs from either two of the three A&B members.

Three years ago, Above & Beyond changed my life. Seeing them live was a dream come true and it became clear to me that Buffalo needed some Group Therapy.

Tonight at Town Ballroom, you'll surely find me with tears of joy in my eyes for Above & Beyond.  The progressive trance DJs and producers were what introduced me to the wonderful world of this music scene.  Call me dramatic, but I would be lying if I said they didn't change my life - and based on the title of their album and tour "Group Therapy," I am not alone.  Above & Beyond sums themselves up with one word: connection.  A&B group members, Tony McGuinness, Jono Grant, and Paavo Siljamaki, emphasize their poetic lyrical art, which in addition to their instrumentals can heal the heartbroken and depressed and inspire the joyful, bringing everyone together.  “Poetry can be powerful, great literature is another great informer and educator, but few of us can remember any significant words from the great books or poems we read. But something amazing happens when you put words to music,” said McGuinness.

Under British record label Anjunabeats, Above & Beyond achieved the title of the only dance act to win the Essential Mix of the Year twice.  They host their own weekly radio show "Trance Around the World" which attracts around 30 million listeners worldwide.  Group Therapy was named Mixmag's "artist album of the year."           
“The one thing I didn't expect to happen on the scale it has, is how people from around the world have shared their stories with us as they go through amazingly positive or incredibly difficult times in their lives. It's really touched us all and feels like a driving force for new creativity,” says Siljamaki. 


Tonight May 11, 2012
Factory Nightlife presents Above & Beyond
at Town Ballroom
9pm-2am
$25 advance $31 at the door.


http://www.aboveandbeyond.nu/

 

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.