WMC 2008: Less of the Same… Almost…

March 22nd, 2008

Yep, appearances at SXSW, WMC 2008, and Coachella this year… pretty wicked stuff for Simian Mobile Disco.

The Winter Music Conference is one feisty bitch. And I choose these words carefully. It is true: we locals, the party-pawns of the system, on the one hand have no room to complain. With our friend-of-a-friend at the door or our name on a list, we are happy to enjoy what we get in this Banana Dacquiri Republic. Local WMC nay-sayers are frowned upon and bitched-out in the forums, and rightly so, right? "If you don’t like it, throw a party, you asshole." True enough. But we have to be honest. We low-budget party people aren’t the sand-in-our-ass sunburned rave kids from the sticks that so-many would have us believe. We know this culture because we made it. And after "zoning" about it, texting our in-the-know friends to annoying levels, and ripping the KMart WMC sites a new one, it is time to face the mirror for the introspective truth: it’s almost a bit less of the same this year.

I say "almost" for selfish reasons. C’mon, admit it. We are all in our own little musical fish tanks. And if you can’t get at least one moment of euphoria from your chicken-scratched hit list of scheduled party stops, its time to kick back at Jimbo’s for the day, find yourself, burn the list (and a fatty), and hit the total mysteries you know absolutely nothing about. Meet strangers poolside-style.

But I am not there yet. Of course I would’ve liked to have seen Alden Tyrell, Anthony Rother, DIM, Oliver Huntemann, Stephan Bodzin, SYD, Legowelt, the Death From Abroad peeps, Emperor Machine, Bangkok Impact, and countless others. I’m sure you have your miss list, too. But, see how it starts? We get back into those pseudo-tech soap opera discussions and coffee shop bitch sessions that force our friends to turn away during conversations at the drinking table? No, we don’t need to go there.

The people searching for something "new" are probably feeling the potential for another zenith this WMC in the form of Mobilee-style minimal, which at the moment is like the chilled-out deer standing in the headlights of the on-coming, wreckless DUI cadillac that is South Florida’s indie electronica scene. The two crowds, for at least a full year, have been swinging on each other’s swing sets, playing in each other’s backyard. You can’t help but feel the anticipation of a possible explosion. This is the best thing WMC has going for itself in 2008: the real collapse of the division between the Poplife culture club set and the vibey minimal techno scene.

Chica Plastika, Anatoli Russki, Robert Blackbox, and the Nanbot… a reunion is due.

MONDAY, MARCH 24
Miami Loves Techno (FREE): How was it that Malcolm McLaren described Sid Vicious? "A beautiful disaster," I think? Well, in a completely different sense, local know-them-all and work-a-holic sugar-daddy of the traditional progressive techno scene, Nelson (aka dj Nova) is a great way to get your beautiful disaster started at this year’s WMC. With Anatoli Russki and all of the other free-party local staples present: the Midnight Perverts, Noise Artistry, and more, this is a very logical way to meet neighbors, even if you aren’t from around here. The free party is at the Laundry Bar. You will doubtlessly meet strangers you will be hanging out with the rest of the week if you attend.

Mashup Crew Miami Unleashed (FREE): Former South Florida psychedelic act Third Ear Syndrome plays live again this year at Jazid. It’s their annual homecoming and I am totally biased on this one because they are my personal friends (and almost family). The party features various styles, such as The Audit, who plays drum’n'bass. Ask him to tell you the story about his cabina in Guatamala and hiking to the volcanoes, and then try to figure out a way to fly out there and check it out yourself while kicking back on the leather couch.

TUESDAY, MARCH 25

Boyz Noize: "The speakers are dead. Again."

MSTRKRFT at Mansion ($30): I guess this is sort’ve a no-brainer at Mansion. All WMC repeat performers, "Old man" Benassi is scheduled to learn some lessons from those motherfuckers Boiz Noize. Line-up includes MSTRKRFT and Fischerspooner. Everyone with a pee for a brain will tell you to do yourself a huge favor and buy tickets pre-sale, take their advice, you dummy.

Bemba at Purdy Lounge (FREE): A bemba is a tribal drum and Purdy Lounge is a dive bar. Put these two things together in Miami and you pretty much get DJ LeSpam. Warp’s Push Button Objects will bring the IDM flavor and of course, you get the street-style of Miami in there, too. I wonder if DJ Craze will be there? Don’t answer that. In some sort’ve fucked up way, missing this free-party is like going to NYC for art and skipping the MoMA, or something. And of course, LeSpam is like the Pope-on-a-Rope in the local media. He gets tons of positive scrub and placement in all the pulps, and you get to decide what you make of it for free.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26

Venezuelans are not to be trusted… I mean that in a good sense… hahaha.

Sticks, Balls, and Techno Dolls, Part One (FREE): Well, the name of the party earns my admission alone. You’ve seen Punisher and you’ve seen Angel Alanis… but at a pool hall? I didn’t think so. This event is at Felt and starts at noon. Now, if I can just figure out when they are playing… playing pool, I mean.

Ivan’s Digs: His Vokodek Showcase Pool Party Downtown (FREE): A little thing the Sobebeats guys are doing in the day downtown. It involves a novel approach during the WMC: djs, a bar, and a pool. Message Ivan for information. Noon until later that evening. If you are Venezuelan, you already know about this party, haaha.

THURSDAY, MARCH 27
Plot: Local up-start art collective Theevanhood has great vj artists, djs, and vibes. For a taste of something bubbling to the surface in Miami’s selfless, yet intelligent South American underground scene (I know, I used the "U" word), go to this after-party that starts at 5 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. Check it out in the morning before some breakfast. You have to e-mail Pomps or Mansur for the details, homey.

Luke Eargoggle brings the deep, analog on Friday.

Psion Soiree (FREE w/RSVP): Sign up online like 300,000 other people, then get your ass outside of the Penthouse at the Raleigh EARLY (before noon) so that you can get in. The party features Digitalism, Boiz Noiz, and a free bar. Get drunk, laugh at the people down on the street in line, and realize that you really are an elitest asshole. Now, leave and let someone else in.

Surfrider Foundation (FREE): If you are a surfer, read this. If not, skip to the next listing. Hello, surfer-who-is-also-into-techno. At this point in the week, you have probably started to wonder whether all of this partying is for real. If you are from out of town, you are probably jonesing for a surf and may have even had some bad episodes on the beach: sleeping, puking, trashing. If you are lucky, maybe you have surfed already or met a special-someone during a beautiful Miami sunset this week. Either way, you may start to realize that you just need some real Florida roots. No talk of techno, or all-nighters, or seeing the same strange faces from the night before: "Is that person stalking me?" Well, this is a great opportunity to chill out a bit and learn something. Mike Watson of Surfline is going to give a talk on wave forecasting and swell predictions. There will be beer and food. Blackbox will be djing. It starts at 7 p.m. at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. It’s free.

Punisher is getting her annual winter break again this year.

Sticks, Balls, and Techno Dolls, Part Two (FREE): You’ve seen Punisher and you’ve seen Angel Alanis, yesterday… but at a pool hall? Well, yes… yesterday. But here is a chance to hustle your money back. This event is at Felt and starts at noon. I guess in reality, this line-up is split between the two-days. I’m so smart… but Anatoli Russki hasn’t texted me back with the skinny on the line-up yet, so your guess is as good as mine.

The Main Event (probably $5 to $10, maybe more): Under one name or another, there has consistently been an experimental electro party almost every year at Churchills during WMC since the beginning of days. This year,check out edIT, Jimmy Edgar, Junc Ops, Machine Drum, and Phoenecia among others at the parachute pub. Churchills is a scummy, English punk-pub that has built its glorious history on broken bottles, broken pool sticks, broken drum sets, broken toilets, bums, and tatoos. You can catch some Barclay’s Premiere League while yer there. You get a free beer if you call Mike an old, helmet-headed geezer. If you like Schematic, Warp, Circuitree, Merck… this is for you.

See Anja with us Saturday night.

FRIDAY, MARCH 28
Something Simple ($10-15): Lukas "Eargoggle" Pettersson, who has worked on labels like Bunker, KONDI, and Kommando 6, and his own imprint Stilleben Electro out of Gothenberg, Sweden, brings us a bit of deep electro from the opposite side of the pond. Gosub, One of Miami’s dark electro old school producers, has releases selling at Clone Records with labels Citinite and Transient Force, in the vein of that old analog synth sound and vintage electro style on the Florida tip that I’ve become obsessed with over the passed year and a half. Coming off the push from his new Anthiliawaters project on Isophlux Records, and with a host of talents in tow, Something Simple at PS14 was a simple decision from the start.

World of Drum’n'Bass (big bucks): When someone asked Roger Waters of Pink Floyd whether Rock’n'Roll was dead he said, "In the finished article, the only thing that is important is whether it moves you or not, there is nothing else…when people come to a show, if they don’t like it, they don’t come again." That being said, here they are again: Andy C, Ed Rush, Optical, Goldie, Subfocus, Shimon, Red One, Chase & Status, Xample, Hive, Teebee, John B, Evol Intent, and Vicious at SoHo Lounge.

Drumcode Night: Ditto of what I said above, translated into Swedish. Adam Beyer, Kyle Gieger, Joel Mull, Pär Grindvik, Kyle Geiger, and Ida Engberg at Bed.

SATURDAY, MARCH 29

Screening of a documentary on Jamaican soundsystems, nice!

In the day, it makes sense to check out the Remix Hotel / Beatport Pool and the WMC Pool Party today. The WMC Pool Party will feature among others dj Mehdi. And the Remix Hotel will have Richie, Matthew Dear, and Ryan Elliott. Good ‘cuz it’s free.

Dub Echoes Screening: Dub Echoes is a documentary that shows how the Jamaican Dub movement influenced the birth of much of what we hear today- from electronic to punk to hip-hop music. Shot in Jamaica, England, the US, and Brazil, Dub Echoes features more than 40 interviews with key figures from both the reggae and the electronic music world discussing the history and the importance of the Dub movement. Screenings are at 12 and 3 p.m. at the Miami Beach Resort and Spa.

Anja Schneider at Jakmel Gallery: Where isn’t Anja Schneider playing this year? But this is the right place, venue, and crowd to see Anja again. Also with Pan-Pot and Sebo K. For more info, click here. Our soundsystem will be plugged in for this one.

Fixed at Studio A ($25): A good opportunity to see Erol Alkan and Simian Mobile Disco perform live. Also with Boys Noize, Radioslave, and Gui Boratto. Again, don’t be left waiting outside.

The scene at last year’s Degenerates party.

SUNDAY, MARCH 30
PS 103: Sunday School for the Degenerates ($30 advance): See all of the sick bastards and realize you are one of ‘em. The Pawn Shop party starts at 6 a.m. and goes until midnight just like last year. I’m not even going to list the line-up because you won’t care on Sunday morning anyway.

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