Onslaught

So far 2009 has been a year of powerful releases like wrecking balls through tissue paper, and we're not even half-way through. There is a slew of artists that will be busting out, guns blazing with an infrastructure of aural brilliance to round out the remainder of the year. There are a few new albums that I feel are going to act as a kick off for the summer:


Bloc Party - Intimacy Remixed
This album needs no formal introduction for those familiar with this amazing band's work, however the fantastic and skilled remixes of artists such as Armand Van Helden, Villains, and Mogwai should be enough to peak any electronic fan's interest.


Uh Huh Her - Common Reaction
Similar to the style of Canada's own Dragonette, this outfit integrates a more ambient vocal style with electro-house elements flawlessly for a cohesive indietronica experience.


Wisp - The Shimmering Hour
IDM fans rejoice. The heavy hitter so far (in my humble opinion) is a work of pure brilliance from start to finish. This New Yorker melds lush atmospheric sounds with powerful yet playful rhythms to create something far beyond the standard IDM album.


A-Trak - Infinity + 1
Quite possibly the best club/dance programmer I've experienced in a while, A-Trak is proving himself yet again in this endurance-filled mixtape. Remixing artists like MSTRKRFT, Midnight Juggernauts, and Gonzales, he never fails to impress.

The 2009 CJAM Jammy Awards

'Twas Friday night,
The lights had dimmed,
The FM Lounge
All Neatly trimmed.

And inside the bar
There arose such a clatter.
I put out my cigarette
To see what was the matter.

Volunteers packed
Into all nooks and crannies.
And thus commenced
The 2009 Jammy's.

This year, the 2009 CJAM Jammy Awards did not fail to outside the last one and impress the guests, as the hard work of the stations management and volunteers really showed. The night began with food, drink, and plenty of conversations about music, the meaning of life, and how much each programmer wanted to walk away with an award for his or her show. The Locusts Have No King played the shit out of that venue also; they were amazing as per usual.

I had managed to take first blood, seizing The Prodigy's "Invaders Must Die" as the first raffle prize (which someone hated me for). But the huge surprise came when New Pulse won for "Best Electronic Show". I don't know how it happened, how many people tune in each week, or how many votes the show ended up getting. The fact of the matter is it was enough. I extend my deepest appreciation for the show's listeners and voters; this award is for you guys.

And congratulations to all of the winners and runners-up; I know all of CJAM's volunteers do a damn fine job, and each and every one of them deserves just as much credit as anyone else.

Tracklist for Tuesday April 21, 2009

Junior Boys - Hazel
Bitrate - Ecstatic Exchange
Boards of Canada - Dayvan Cowboy
God is an Astronaut - Coda
Kolombo - Sniff
Tiga - Turn the Night On [Exclusive]
Time Lock - Punchline
Thunderheist - Do the Right Thing
N.A.S.A. - Gifted
Booka Shade - Outskirts
MSTRKRFT - Click Click
Explosions in the Sky - Catastrophe and the Cure (Four Tet Remix)
Musika - So Do I
Chromeo - Bonafied Lovin' (Jori Hulkkonen Remix)
M83 - Sitting
Puscifer - The Undertaker (Renholder Remix)
Just a Band - We Are (The Shoes Remix)

Tracklist for Tuesday April 14, 2009: Going Places

So I decided a sweet theme for a show would be an "Across Canada" initiative where I sample artists from every Provicne in Canada. Though I did not manage to find anything worth while from Prince Edward Island (and trust me, I spent a hell of a time looking), I did make sure the vacation had a fantastic stop in each location's electronic scene. Awesome eh?

Travel Tracks*
[ON] Ekoplex - Into the Unknown
[BC] Psyentifica - Growling World
[QC] Akido - Reaction Shot
[NS] District - Daydreaming
[AB] Akolade - 3 + Infinity
[NL] Errand Boy - Yes with an If
[NB] Apt 202 - Moonbeam
[SK] Hado - Hand of Tao
[MB] Arktikism - Greater Power

*All of these artists and the work they've done are up at CBC Radio 3.

Filler
Time Lock - Hyber Nation
Danger - 00:01 [Exclusive]
Shinichi Osawa - Detonator
Ladytron - Black Cat
I Am Robot and Proud - The Catch
Moderat - Rusty Nails

The Saga Continues

French electro artist Danger is, once again, upping his own game with the newest chapter in his three-piece tale, EP III or "09/16/2007". Since the release of his first EP, Danger has been busy touring and promoting his fresh take on the genre, not that France needs any more street credibility when it comes to the electronic scene (ie. Daft Punk, Justice).

Danger's sound is much more varied, having no uniformed technique filling the gaps of every rhythm in each song. However there is a vibe that ties each track together giving it that distinct quality of something "fresh-out-of-the-box" in comparison to what most electronic artists are currently doing. MSTRKRFT and Justice started a trend that is now beating the electro-house genre to death, trance has been well established for a while, and indie-tronica is invading a younger and younger audience with each passing second. This is making it more rapidly difficult to find a unique and untested sound.

However, Danger is working at a different pace, both stylistically and chronologically. Though titled "EP III", this is only the second release from this mastermind. There are three EP's, three chapters to the acoustic story, which spans from 09/14 2007 to 09/16 2007. The track titles are also in reference to time, aptly named to the time of that particular day in which they correspond. Sort of a Star Wars-esque M.O., he decided to release the third chapter before the middle one, which is currently in the works. Check out EP III on March 30 and mark your calendars for a live show in Toronto (among others) on May 8, 2009.

Keeping in the Spirit of Apollo

Though this musical powerhouse has been made apparent to me before, I had never really took the time to delve into it's very deep and very talented depths. N.A.S.A. is a two-piece combo of lifelong music aficionados: Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon. Through combining huge elements of electronic programming, dub, reggae, and hip hop (along with a plethora of emcee talent such as Kanye West, The RZA, Old Dirty Bastard, E-40, Method Man and more), N.A.S.A. has produced an album that is dripping with premature success. The two explain that,

"While N.A.S.A. stands for North America/South America and contains a number of superstar artists from both coasts of the U.S., it is about as far from a tension-building geographical showdown as a record can get. Rather, The Spirit of Apollo was born with the righteous goal of bringing people together through music and art, and that is exactly what masterminds Sam Spiegel (Squeak E. Clean) and Ze Gonzales (DJ Zegon) have done." (Myspace)

I'm sure you'll see these dudes all over the place in a few months (or maybe even weeks) so I figured I'd give you an initial taste. What I like best about the duo is their lack of concern for stereotypes and sense of no external authority from anyone over what they intend to create.

"No rules. That's the M.O."

Tracklist for Tuesday April 7, 2009

Celldweller - Switchback
Depeche Mode - Wrong (Boys Noize vs. DIM Remix)
Deadmau5 - Arguru
Metric - Police and the Private
Notorious BIG - Party and Bullshit (Ratatat Remix)
N.A.S.A. - Gifted (Ft. Kanye West, Lykke Li, and Santagold)
Faunts - Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.
MSTRKRFT - 1000 Cigarettes
Tycho - Dictaphone's Lament
Royksopp - This Must Be It
School of Seven Bells - Chain
TMDP - Running
Junior Boys - In the Morning
Team Teamwork - Hyrule Field (Ft. Pimp C. and Lil Keke)
Mouse on Mars - I Go Ego Why Go We Go
I Am Robot and Proud - Something to Write Home About
Vibrasphere - Forest Fuel
Royksopp - Happy Up Here

Tracklist for Tuesday March 31, 2009

Celldweller - The Last Firstborn
Shout Out Out Out Out - Run
Junior Boys - Parallel Lines
Royksopp - Tricky Tricky
Venetian Snares - Deep Dicking
Thunderheist - Bubblegum
Lisa Miskovsky - Still Alive (Arman Van Helden Remix)
Fever Ray - Triangle Walks
Justice - Phantom Pt. II
Ladyhawke - Magic
The Notwist - On Planet Off
Faunts - Das Malefitz
Beats on Canvas - Sinking the 8th Ball in Zaire
Kero - Riversidedrive
Apparat - Hailin' from the Edge
Ellen Allien & Apparat - Way Out
Daft Punk - Television Rules the Nation / Crescendolls