Hole in the Sky

TORTOISESHELL SINGLE LAUNCH @ GOODGOD

2010-08-22T04:35:00.000-07:00

This coming Saturday the 28th of August we've got a very special Hole in the Sky party happening down at Goodgod Small Club. Tortoiseshell are launching their single This Girl which we released in June/July, digitally and on vinyl. The song has had only positive feedback since its release and caused quite the stir amongst various bloggy types. It has also since been added to rotation on FBI and Triple J.

We're particularly excited about this Hole in the Sky party for three reasons:

1) This will be the FIRST time Tortoiseshell have played live as Tortoiseshell! Previously called Tennis, they've been in hibernation working on some amazing new songs and this will be your first chance to hear them.
2) Goodgod Small Club recently reopened! And considering the integral role Goodgod has played/plays in Sydney's underground music scene, you can understand why this news has everyone feeling pretty jazzed.
3) This Saturday marks the first in a series of Hole in the Sky parties that we'll be hosting down at Goodgod. So there are a whole lot of reasons why this Saturday is going to be great. Details on the flyer below...

Hole in the Sky night

2010-08-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight we've got a little Hole in the Sky party happening at New Guernica in Melbourne. Taking care of business behind the ones and twos will be Nervous Jack, who's supreme radio show Noise in My Head keeps people constantly happy and inspired, the Delicate Genius; the man responsible for Hole in the Sky's 4th release and Roman Wafers from the legendary Bamboo Musik party, who also has a killer 12" coming out on Hole in the Sky soon! Details on the flyer below, hope to see you there! Oh and Canyons are playing too...

Annie Orangetree clip

2010-07-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

We're very excited to announce that POND's album Frond will be released around the planet on the 6th of September. The album will be available on CD, vinyl and digitally. In celebration of this wonderful news we've posted POND's brand new clip to their latest single Annie Orangetree below, so you can get as excited about this release as we are.

TORTOISESHELL 12" OUT NOW

2010-07-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

This Girl by Tortoiseshell has garnered its fair share of attention in recent weeks since being released digitally. Now available on 12", the release includes a beautiful full colour sleave with artwork done by the band. Available at all the online stores...

TORTOISESHELL // HITS 008

2010-06-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

This Girl, the first single by Tortoiseshell was released digitally on Hole in the Sky a few days back. Already causing quite the commotion this single is the debut release of these talented gentlemen who you'll undoubtedly be hearing more from in the near future. Keep your ears and eyes pealed for the 12" which will be out July 5th (artwork above) and an EP down the track.

JACQUES 'JACQU-MASTER' RENAULT

2010-05-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 29 HITS' brother in arms Jacques Renault returns to Oz to play the Civic as part of the 'ADULT DISCO' parties Future Classic have been throwing lately.
It goes without saying that this is going to be a super good time of a night. I you haven't heard this man play records before here's a little taster of the JR vibe (actually a RUNAWAY mix but he's 50% of that project too)

You can pick up Jacques Renault - 'Favicon' out on HITS here

POND PREVIEW SHOW

2010-05-17T04:58:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday the 19th of May sees POND preview their new album FROND at Spectrum, Sydney.
It'll be your first chance to hear the album so we suggest taking some time out to attend. Details on the flyer below.

POND // Annie Orangetree

2010-04-25T03:01:00.000-07:00

Annie Orangetree is the second song to be released from Pond's upcoming album Frond - and this time it's free! Head over to The Fader to download the song. Frond will be released on CD, vinyl and digitally next month, with the exact date yet to be announced. Peep the album artwork above.

FUNKY REBELS

2010-03-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

If you head up to the rooftop of Sweenys hotel in Sydney's CBD (Clarence st) next Sunday April 11,you'll find yourself under an auditory siege at the hands of the FUNKY REBELS.
There's a BBQ going on too with all sorts of goodness to be had. If you're in the area, come down and rinse out the last bit of summer with...the FUNKY REBELS

send us an email at management@aholeinthesky.com to be on the $5 guest list

DOUBLE TROUBLE

2010-03-05T03:43:00.000-08:00

HITS 002 (Canyons' Lovemore EP) and HITS 003 (Tame Impala EP) have been repressed and are now available - proper artwork and all! We didn't press many though so if you don't already own them and you'd like to own them then we suggest making your purchase soon. Both are already available from Juno and soon to be available everywhere else. Pond's second single is coming soon...

POND CLOUD CITY OUT NOW!

2010-02-22T01:39:00.000-08:00

We're very pleased to announce that Cloud City, the first single from Pond's highly anticipated and soon to be released album FROND, was released digitally today. It's already available from Juno and itunes and will soon be on sale everywhere else. The Cloud City 7" is on the way too, as well as the second single from the album; Annie Orangetree.

CANYONS BEATS IN SPACE MIXXX

2010-02-13T21:42:00.000-08:00

Canyons did the latest mix for Beats in Space, download link below:

Canyons BIS mix

Head over to beatsinspace.net for the track-listing...

HIGH SPIRITS

2010-02-09T01:53:00.000-08:00

High Spirits is a new night starting up this year by buddies of ours Harry Sounds & the Steele Bonus.
The focus is on deep-jackin house music from across the ages and it's going to happen every 8 weeks or.

This taken from the email Harry sent us:

"Want to get a deep night going with the quality of djs in our own town.
Will have a bozak mixer/dopereal isolator set up and propper sound"

Good music policy, good people, good sound!! -----Need we say more------- If you're in Sydney please support this night!

HIGH SPIRITS / FEB 20 / GOOD GOD

SUCCESS ON THE D-FLOOR

2010-01-27T23:55:00.000-08:00

Big thanks to all those who came down to see POND push their heaviness around town and help raise some cash for the Haiti earthquake victims at Good God last Friday!
The night was a whole lot of fun and a big success in that we raised $4000 which will go to UNICEF and Medecins San Frontiers.
The vibe at the party was so great, thanks again to all the good good people who turned up to party down - HITS loves you!!

snaps courtesy of Wolfgang

POND, Canyons & Steele (and earthquake fundraiser)

2010-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

This Friday the 22nd of January we have a special party happening in Sydney and attendance is essential. There are two main reasons for this; the first being that Pond are playing live and if you haven't witnessed them then you need to. Pond's recently completed album 'Frond' will be released on Hole in the Sky in the near future and the first single, Cloud City, will be hitting the radio very shortly. You'll no doubt get to hear it if you tune in to FBI this week. Pond's album is honestly some of the most exciting music we've heard in a while, so we highly recommend checking them out. Once Pond have weaved their magic, Canyons and Steele will be DJ'ing up a storm into the early hours of the morning.

Main reason no. 2 for attending this party is that we are donating ALL proceeds to a Haiti earthquake relief fund. The recent earthquake in Haiti is beyond tragic, and it is impossible to fathom what it must actually be like over there. So please head down to Goodgod this Friday if you're in Sydney - the music will be amazing and the cause is essential. See flyer below for details...

JUAN MACLEAN DFA/SCION REMIX EP

2009-12-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

Shit Robot, House Of House, Gavin Russom, Canyons - Have all just remixed various tracks off The Juan Maclean's latest album as part of a Scion / DFA promo marry up.
All mixes are sick as you'd expect from the mentioned artists.
You can pick up the digital HERE.
CD and 12" versions will be out early next year!

DAWN RAIDER DOOZY aka Le Snak

2009-12-21T16:59:00.000-08:00

Epic mix by our mysteriously illusive man in Melbourne town who goes by the name Dawn Raider Doozy aka Le Snak.
Jungle soul/funk, prog, kraut, psych, rock: all the goodness in these 49 minutes.

Remember to file under 'D' for ----------> DOOZY! <-----------

Le Snaklist -

Lucky Dragons: Open Melody
Amon Düül: Da Guadeloop
Robin Trower: Bridge of Sighs
Rocket From The Tombs: So Cold
Hunters & Collectors: Holding Down A "D"
Gang Of Four: Love Like Anthrax
Nitzer Ebb: Control I'm Here
Free Choice: Green Groove
Can: Spoon
Amon Düül: Traveller

Circa 1979 : Signal To Noise

2009-12-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

As part of the Sydney Festival 2010 the Mods have put together what is more like a mini festival within the whole event focussing on Australian post punk, avant-guard and experimental electronic music.

Circa 1979 opening party kicks off on January 15 at the Seymour Centre with a key note address John Cale from the Velvet Underground.

The event includes live shows across the city from bands such as Severed Heads, The Reels, Steve Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire) as well as art installations from hoarders of this period and there is a series of moderated panel discussions discussing the once lost musical and film catalogue.

For the full info and all dates/venues check here

Download Harvey's edit of Severed Heads' Bless The House

This is set to be an epic few days of great music, art and all sorts from a scarcely documented era in Australian music. Hats off to people at Modular and Sydney Fest for setting this doozy up!

JACQUES RENAULT HEAT!

2009-11-30T15:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our fifth release hit the stores - a four track 12" by the very talented Jacques Renault. The record is titled 'Favicon' and features 4 outstanding edits by this revered DJ and producer who is also one half of Runaway. The release is already being played and praised by My Cousin Roy (Wurst), Cosmo Vitelli, Alex Frankel (Holy Ghost!), Prince Language, Mark E, Jim Stanton (Horse Meat Disco) and Robin (David Gilmore Girls) which (at least in our books) is a pretty reasonable indicator of the quality of said release.

We've got lots of great releases coming up, including an album by a band that we believe are going to have some serious impact so stay tuned to the space tornado...

STRANGER..

2009-11-24T19:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a mix from a way's back by Rong Music's Ben Cook aka Stranger titled 'He's your husband, I'm your man'.
We met Ben in August while out in LA where he passed on a copy of the mix. After being on constant repeat for the last 3 months we thought we had to post it up as it's some serious all time vibe.
Cannot recommend this enough!! DL here

1. Lalo Shifren - Quiet Village
2. Tony Wilson - Can't Leave It Alone
3. Manzanera - K Scope
4. Arlyn Gale - Take A Nightflight
5. Barbara Mason - Darling Please Come Home
6. B.B. Baker & the Chocolate Co. - Dreamer
7. Steely Dan - FM (No Static)
8. Milk and Honey - Touch
9. Orb - Little Pink Fluffy Clouds
10. Maze - Twilight
11. Wally Badarou - Spiderwoman - remix
12. Shelter Classics - Gypsy Woman
13. I Cube - ???

Ben also took a little time out to chat about the mix and other bits and pieces.

Can you tell us the story behind this mix? What were your thoughts going into and what was it initially done for?

I did the mix for a record store in Japan a few years back. I took my time selecting the music, maybe three months or so. I'd come home from drinking or whatever and listen to a small stack of records looking for material. It was actually quite a rewarding experience. Fun to have a purpose when your listening to your favorite songs. I had to attempt the blend mixing 4 or 5 times to get what I was after. After sending it off and passing some out to close friends, I shelved it and didn't listen again for a good year or so. A friend had it on when I was with her and that made me appreciate it fully again under those circumstances. I like it so much actually, I haven't attempted another mix since. Will take me a few years to get up the gumption to repeat the process. Anyways, listening to what I'm sayin right now, I sound like a wanker so I'm gonna move on to the next question.

You're one half of Rong Music along with DJ Spun, how did you guys come to start the label?

No fuckin clue actually. Just happened, was very organic. We liek the same things and from there grew the label, that's the best way to explain I guess.

How was growing up in San Francisco through the 80's & 90's? What a great time to be there and what amazing music came out there from that period right!

The bay area will always be home to me. My introduction into dance and club culture happened at a very special time in SF. Unforgettable actually. Like having a master key to the city after dark.. I'd honestly be out 5 nights a week. There was so much going on, and so many colorful and crazy characters involved, it was quite special and unique.

You're regarded as a pretty serious record collector across the board, what is the record you're most looking for now when you hit the thrift stores if i may be so bold?

Ha! I tell you, you tell someone else.... Nahh, I'll throw a real one out there. One that I always look for but have had a hard time placing my greedy mits on over the years is Montana Sextet - The Mixown EP. If ya got one, ring me, I'll trade ya a big stack o disco for it. Well.. a medium sized stack actually.

You've produced records also, the most recent being Woolfy's latest album 'If You Know What's Good For Ya' Can you tell us a little about that experience?

Was my first engineer job w/out being a producer as well actually. Was time consuming but rewarding.

What artists / labels are you currently feeling?

Favorite artists right now - Harry Nilsson. Favorite label - My mind doesnt really think about music that way. I have favorite music and artists really.

Can you tell anything about what's coming up on Rong next?

Coati Mundi remix by Lee Douglas, James Chance 12" and then Coati Mundi's LP!

What is the best/funniest request you've been asked while DJing?

Too many to mention. I seem to attract the crazies when I DJ - without fail, crazies everytime. I put off a scent that crazies smell. Wait, heres one - I almost got hit once for not playing Car wash once. that was pretty funny and ridiculous.

Thanks for taking the time to talk Ben!

Your welcome mate

SMAC AWARDS

2009-11-15T03:52:00.001-08:00

Canyons have been nominated for a SMAC (Sydney music, arts and culture) Award!
To help them stand a chance in winning said award please vote here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Au_2f7ytkFWQoGO0zsHguuIQ_3d_3d

Thanks!

Sydney Fire Eyes launch

2009-10-07T00:34:00.000-07:00

This saturday night Canyons play at GOODGOD Small club to celebrate the release of their DFA debut in their (kind of) hometown of Sydney. With support from Jimmy Sing, Steele Bonus and Toni Toni Lee it should be a real winner of a party. $10 before midnight or if you're on the guest list and $15 after midnight. Come down and vibe out in the basement jungle.

News and Things

2009-09-12T02:38:00.000-07:00

There definitely hasn't been much action around here lately... We're in the process of getting a new Hole in the Sky website happening, which will ultimately function as a blog too. Information on releases and events will be updated as well as other stuff we find interesting like interviews, photos and the odd mix. Basically we'll be combining this blog and our website into one thing to make it easier for everyone concerned.

In other news, Canyons just returned from a mini tour in the US to promote their release with DFA records. Below are some photos from the trip.

DFA boat party

Wurst BBQ

El Relaxo

DJ Spun likes to pack his record bag like this

Harvey likes to DJ like this

SF's original odd couple

Casual indoor skating

Blackdisco pool party, Palm Springs

Canyons in NYC

2009-08-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight Canyons play the DFA boat party on the Hudson River in celebration of their DFA 12", which was released yesterday exclusively through the DFA web-store and itunes. Hooray! The record, which will be available everywhere else from August 25th, contains 3 songs; the title cut 'Fire Eyes', Jacques Renault's 'Living in the Jungle' remix and 'Dancing on Silk'. Head to the DFA web-store to take a look.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which way you look at it) the boat party is sold out, but if you're really keen to get aboard then head down early as a few tickets may become available if people don't show up. And there's a rumour that if you don't dress boaty, you won't be allowed on board. Just a rumour, but a rumour nonetheless.

Head to the DFA myspace for details on Canyons' other US shows.

SHIP AHOY

2009-07-02T02:30:00.000-07:00

Canyons set sail for New York in August to promote their forthcoming 12" on DFA titled 'Fire Eyes'. To celebrate the release (set for August 11th) they're playing a DFA boat party presented by People Don't Dance No More. If you've not heard of the aforementioned party people then follow the link and familiarise yourself, as they put on some of the best parties New York has to offer. The ship departs when the clock strikes 12 on August 13. Canyons will be DJ'ing alongside DFA's Justin 'Lighthouse' Miller, Runaway's Jacques Renault (whose amazing remix of Fire Eyes graces side B of the 12") as well as PDDNM residents Robot Blair and David Bruno. All the specifics are on the flyer below.

Saving FBi

2009-06-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

There are a bunch of great shows coming up to raise money so that Sydney's FBi radio station's radio waves can continue there galactic orbit and wind up in your ears. Every clam earned goes to FBi so there's no excuse not to come and not to pay. There's more info on all the gigs here.

MILKY DISCO VOL 2

2009-05-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you that missed Lo Recording's Milky Disco compilation the first time around and for those that enjoyed it take a look at Vol 2, titled Let's Go Freak Out, as it has compiled some lovely music and artwork. Hole in the Sky is represented on the compilation via Canyons' track Big City Lights. You can listen to samples of the songs and purchase a copy here. Take our word for it though; it's one well worth picking up.

Track-listing:

1. Hatchback - Midnight Jogger
2. Pollyester - You Are Amen
3. Secret Circuit - Roll
4. Ghost Note - Pissed and Passed Out
5. Chilled by Nature | Black Mustang - Otherness (Black Mustang Frozen Moon Jam)
6. Gatto Fritto - Hungry Ghosts
7. Lukas Nystrand and the Ageema Blues - Knivar
8. Soft Circle - Don't Just Stand There (Eric Brouceck Mix)
9. Black Devil Disco Club - Is Sorrow (Brain Machine's Lucifer Rising Dub)
10. Glass Candy - The Chameleon (Johan Agebjorn Remix)
11. CFCF - A Raining Patterns

CD 2

1. Black Mustang/Kerrier District - Life's a Gas (Dub)
2. Soft Rocks - Leave Your Earth Behind
3. Pink Stallone - New Fate
4. Canyons - Big City Lights
5. Nite Jewel - What Did He Say
6. Expanding Head Band - Sound of Breaking Glass
7. Black Devil Disco Club - Free for the Girls (Richard Sen Remix)
8. Georges Vert - Jovan Freak (Rune Lindbaek Nomaden Mix)
9. Chilled by Nature - Otherness (Windsurf's Golden Bear Dub)
10. Subway - Crystalline
11. Milky Globe/Sorcerer - Soft Sea

The Delicate One

2009-05-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

HITS 004 is finally out in 12" form. It consists of four excellent edits by The Delicate Genius along with some always on point artwork by Steele Bonus. This release is kind of like a variety TV show (accept good) in that it touches on a few different styles. If you're in Australia and unsure of where to purchase your copy, head straight to Spank!. If you're in the UK or Europe then Juno is probably the spot and Groove for the US Of A. Happy listening.

Cool in the pool...

2009-05-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Now it may be cooling down here in Australia but things are warming up in the North and we've got a couple of new mixes for you to cool in your pool to. Len, who runs the always excellent site coolinthepool, has done not one but two mixes for the blog - a warming up AND a cooling down mix. If you're unfamiliar with coolinthepool then make yourself familiar. It features interviews with and mixes from some of the best people in the game, and a record store has also recently been added to the site. Len only stocks records he's feeling (once you take a listen to his mixes you'll trust the man's taste). His inspiration for the store has stemmed from the fact that it's becoming surprisingly difficult to buy certain releases over in the States; Len is doing his bit to keep the vibe alive. There's also going to be a focus on stocking records that will never make it to digital.

Coolinthepool mix 1

Coolinthepool mix 2

Track-listing:

The Groop Recruit

2009-04-27T00:18:00.000-07:00

Our buddies at Modular are using their powers for good not evil by opening their doors to creative people with good ideas. This is a pretty sweet opportunity for anyone interested in the creative thinking side of running a very successful , INDEPENDANT label. I wish we had done something like this before we foolishly started putting records out..

To apply for the Groop check their website.

Big Ear's Brasilian mix

2009-04-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

Chad aka Big Ear is pretty much one of the loveliest guys you'll ever meet. If everybody was a little more like Big Ear the world would be a much nicer place to live. A man of many, many records, Chad's music collection is one to be envious of and his taste is right on. He also lays down a serious groove on the kit or the congas. Lucky for us (and you) Chad is a generous guy and has done a mix for the HITS blog. We hope it's the first of many.

BIG EAR'S BRASILIAN MIX

Stay tuned for Big Ear's 100% Australian soul mix...

TOKIO DISKO MIX

2009-04-21T02:57:00.000-07:00

Das Moth aka Timothy Sullivan has generously given us a mix he did to promote a night he'll be running in Tokyo called Tokio Disko. It's gonna go down at le Baron de Paris in Aoyama, and locals and internationals alike will be on the ones and twos. The party starts late July so if you're over that way be sure to look it up. You'll find some info here.

As for the mix:

Tokio Disko Mix

Track-listing

HITS 003 REPRESSED!!!

2009-04-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Tame Impala's debut 12" release on Hole in the Sky has finally been repressed after many requests from the people that missed out first time around. Once again it's a very limited run so if you still don't own a copy we'd suggest hopping to it pronto. HITS 004 is out very soon also!

The Good Ship

2009-03-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

Canyons and Rub n Tug's Thomas Bullock had everyone dancing in the sunshine on the top deck of the Starship for Circoloco as it cruised through Sydney harbour in all its glory. Safe to say, nobody had a bad time.

A Magical Journey

2009-03-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

Get ready to go on a little magical journey. Niles from Cosmic Disco has put together a splendid mix of obscure gems for us that will surely satisfy fans of good music. The mix is titled Magical Journey and it's our third mix for the season of Autumn. For those unfamiliar with www.cosmicdisco.co.uk, it's a music blog from Manchester that covers a wide array of great music. They also podcast all of their guest mixes which are definitely worth checking out. If you're in Bristol April 4th then head to the Ghettospheric club night at Start the Bus as Niles and Baggy will be DJ'ing up a storm. They'll also be DJing alongside Cosmic Hero Daniele Baldelli at the Futuresonic Festival in Manchester, May 16th.

MAGICAL JOURNEY (HITS AUTUMN MIX VOL 3)

Thanks for putting together such a fantastic mix for us, can you tell us a bit about it?
It’s a collection of weird bits and bats that I’ve collected with Simon (Baggy) whilst we’ve been out digging in the wastelands of East Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire. A little bit of Far-Eastern instrumental stuff, some cosmic chuggers, a healthy dose of Funk Rock and some synthy tracks. It’s the music Simon and myself have been picking up mostly on our travels recently.
You and a few other Mancunians run the always excellent Cosmic Disco blog. Who else is involved, when was it conceived and what was/is the motivation behind www.cosmicdisco.co.uk?
Mark (THP), Simon (Baggy) and myself (Niles) are behind the site. Mark bought the domain back in the late 90’s, I believe, as he was into the Derrick Carter mixmag mix of the same name. I met Mark through his legendary Soap Bar residency at Sankeys Soap and whilst we both spent the late 90’s and early 2000’s playing house we regularly talked about our passion for Boogie, Disco, Italo and Synth Pop (with the WBMX resident dj’s as our main focal point of inspiration). When my house night stopped and Mark began to get jaded with the Sankeys residency we started putting together a site to host the radio shows from our Unity Radio slot in podcast format. Around the time we started the radio show I asked Simon (who we knew from mutual friends El Diablo’s Social Club) if he’d be interested in getting involved and he became the third member. Mark is an all powerful internet wizard and ensures that we constantly have a spanking new, future proof blog. His technical input is invaluable as it’s ok having the content and mixes but you need to know how to present it all. (He’s also a pretty tasty dj and promoter and runs the much recommended www.cutlooseclub.com). Simon is the main contributor to the site and the best dj stalker you’ve ever met. His biblical length interviews (check out the Wally Badarou one) are the stuff of legend. I’m just there to look pretty, play bollywood tracks and add glamour to the site. I think. That and be a disruptive presence on the Podcast with Simon.
What was it like growing up in Manchester, music wise. Surely you've been to some memorable gigs worth a mention. The Hacienda?

I’m a Burnley boy (about 20 miles outside of Manchester), Mark is from Warrington way (same distance in another direction) and Simon is a Bury lad (where I now live). Bury’s about 10 miles outside of Manchester so he’s our nearest to a local. Manchester though is like a huge magnet for anything creative in the north west and from the age of 13/4 I was making trips into Manchester to hang around Afflecks Palace and look vaguely interesting and different. I moved to Manchester when I was 18/9 and have lived in or around the city ever since. Gigs wise I think I’m a little young for the Hacienda halcyon days but I’ve had memorable nights at Sankeys, Electric Chair, Robodisco etc on the clubbing front as well as catching some great acts at the Roadhouse, Apollo and the Academy. The first gig I went to was Rage Against the Machine though when I was 13 (at the Apollo) so I think the less said about that the better ;)
Mark is a Legends fanatic and can spend hours waxing lyrical about the resident dj Woody and his low bpm Balearic warm-ups. Check out Mark’s mixes and you can see the influence.
Simon went to the Hacienda but I’m pretty sure it was to a funky house night and he went to perve on girls.
What is the music scene in Manchester like these days?
The Club world seems to be as healthy as ever with El Diablo’s Social Club, Naïve Melody, Cutloose and the occasional Cosmic Disco party providing everybody with their cosmic/balearic/disco/italo fill. There’s obviously the colossal Warehouse Project once a year where you’ll find pretty much every act worth seeing for a period of a couple of months and Sankeys is, whilst perhaps not to our tastes anymore, still something of a market leader on the ‘alternative’ dance music scene. Band wise, I’ll be honest, I’m not too sure. Obviously the Ting Tings would be the most famous recent example of a Manchester (Salford) band making it big. Everyone seems to be a dj though. But that’s always the case isn’t it.
As a record enthusiast, what do you foresee for the future of vinyl in terms of it's survival?
I’m a little fearful. One of Simon and myself’s most favourite haunts is under threat of closure and that would mean a mine of about 100,000 records (at least) having to be rehoused and a great source lost. The recession here is destroying our regular high street and the retail sector is a particularly wounded beast so I’d like to think the record shops would survive it as a collector but as someone that works in the Financial industry in the day time (I know - not very cosmic at all that is it?!) I fear for them. The thing that makes me think they might make it through and continue is that they have all been there and seen this before. No 2nd hand record shops ‘crop up’ from nowhere. Most of them are well established and have been going forever.
The internet hasn’t done them any favours though. Rather than go out, dig, get their hands dirty and ‘discover’ unhidden gems people are too happy to listen to a DJ Harvey mix, go ballistic over a track then spend hundreds of pounds to buy them. Harvey get’s his tracks from digging around in stinking basements of old record shops and you never know, go on a little digging trip yourself and you might discover something he’s never heard and really wants.
What are some labels/artists/songs that you have been particularly excited about of late?
I love Italians Do It Better. They are a label that is constantly on point. The combination of the ‘Nu Disco’ sound and the old Synth Pop sensibilities really appeal to me. And they all seem to be bands with really hot girls in as well which is always a bonus. Mike Simonetti is a great guy and I really hope that label continues to flourish. Bearfunk is always consistent and bringing through new artists as well which is great to see. The recent Max Essa LP is excellent and there should be a mix on a Manchester based music blog very soon from him :) I’m really looking forward to the new Phoenix album (Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix I think it’s called) that should be out in May. They were unbelievable when we caught them live a couple of years ago (2 drummers!). I got a great promo of a guy called Stax Dempsey last year as well. Really nice West Coast American rock 2 track it was. I’ll be keeping an eye out for him. And Canyons. They did a half decent EP I suppose. That got a bit of play from me.

HITS AUTUMN MIX VOL 2

2009-03-15T23:58:00.001-07:00

Number two in the Autumn mix series comes courtesy of Melbourne DJ and friend of Hole in the Sky Dan Beck. Dan has DJ'd all around the place, from the UK to Indonesia, and his taste in music is supreme. If he's playing somewhere where you are then make sure you check him out, but in the mean time download the mix he recorded just for us.

Download mix:

AUTUMN MIX VOL 2

Track-listing:

1. Supermax - Ain't Gonna Feel - Elektra

2. ???

3. Direct Current - Everybody Here Must Party (instrumental) - Sidewalk

4. Dada Nada - Deep Love (Instrumental) - Polydor

5. Romanthony - Falling From Grace (Ethereal mix) - Azuli

6. Daniel Wang - The Twirl - Balihu

7. Daniel Bell - Warped - Elevate Special Projects

8. Kez YM - Sweetly confused - 4Lux

9. 40 Thieves - Yo Spaceship! Megamix - Life is Special - Rong

10. Kat Mandu - I wanna Dance - Rams Horn Records

11. Discolexic - Straight From the Heart - Discolexic Edits

Also head over to www.richardmaheragency.com for some more info...

A match made in heaven

2009-03-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

You never know who or what you might run into walking through the back streets of Surry Hills, but seeing Chris and Johnny Ladd from the modular office out on lunch in their matching outfits was worth a photo.

HITS AUTUMN MIX VOL 1

2009-03-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

Sadly summer is gone for another year. And with the passing of summer comes an end to the summer mix series (until next year). What next? The Autumn mix series of course. First off the bat is a guest mix Canyons recorded on air a few weeks back while on Triple R's excellent radio show Noise In My Head. Do yourself a favour and tune in on Sunday nights from 10pm to Noise In My Head and let host Michael Kucyk take you on a seriously deep journey. As for the mix, it's a little rough here and there but the jams are hot and good times were had.

Download here:

HITS AUTUMN MIX VOL 1

Head over to Noise In My Head for the track-listing if you're interested...

HITS 004

2009-03-03T21:09:00.000-08:00

Pretty soon HITS 004 will be hitting the shelves! It's a 12" by Melbourne's The Delicate Genius and features four sensational edits by the man. Head over to the HITS myspace page here to listen to a couple of the jams featured on this release. The exquisite artwork was done courtesy of Mr Steele Bonus who is also responsible for one of the recent HITS summer mixes. You can check his website here. We have some pretty special releases lined up for 2009 and The Delicate Genius 12" will be the first for the year. More info on the other releases we've got lined up will be posted here soon so stick around...

Layne and Cory from 40 Thieves fill us in.

2009-03-01T23:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the mix. What did you initially record it for?

LF: We recently did a remix for FineArt Recordings from London and they asked us for a mix to help promote. The label just scored themselves a show on Samurai FM, and we hear ours may kick it off which was a nice bonus.
You guys are working on an album. When's it due out, what should we expect and any clues on who will be releasing it? Will there be a tour to promote the album?
CB: Yes, we are busily at work on a 40 Thieves album, so busily that we have no idea when it'll be released. Hopefully before the end of the world, which we've slated for late fall. So yeah, late Summer would be ideal. We've had multimillion dollar offers from all the majors, but since we're both heirs to indescribable fortunes, we'll probably press up triple gatefold, goldleaf wrapped, 340 gram vinyl, a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 7 personal copies. Kidding aside we want to finish the record before we think about even pressing that many.
LF: The goal is to deliver the unexpected, artfully shoved up against the expected. As for a tour I guess it's a little easier to plan something like that around a full-length, but we've never done anything like that before so we'll have to wait and see. It would be great though to tour with the players we're using on the album and put on some sort of 40 Thieves live show together. On the other hand it's tough enough for promoters to fly 1 or 3 of us out to DJ these days so if we do it better be pretty smokin'!
As well as making music at part of 40 Thieves you also run Smash Hit Music Co. When was the label formed and who else is involved?
CB: We launched SHMCo. in late 2004 .
LF: With 40 Thieves we keep as many people involved as possible because it seems to serve the music well. The label is Corey and myself, as well as a silent partner named Ricki who floats back and forth between the West and East coast. Now that you mention it we could really use an intern or someone else to help out!
You've got the Gary Davis 'Chocolate Star' EP II coming out soon on the label. How did you guys originally tee up with P&P to organise these Gary Davis releases? Tell us a bit about the release.
CB: Through friends we met Mr. Chinn who was in regular touch with Gary and things flowed from there. Gary is still in touch with P&P co-founder Peter Brown but we planned the releases with Gary, who wrote all the new material along with Mr. Chinn.
LF: The release itself is actually an interesting story. It's a little known fact that Richard 'Groove' Holmes was Gary's uncle, and shortly before he passed a few years ago Gary recorded him jamming out on his organ, no drums or anything. He probably got about 10 minutes worth, and enough to build a song around them. He laid down more tracks including vocals by his wife, Sonia, and the resulting song was called 'So Good'. That along with some other tracks Gary had recently written with Mr Chinn were the real impetus for EP II. From there Gary reached out to James Pants and knocked out another tune, "Sticky Situation", which James co-wrote and sang on. At the time Greg Wilson was in the mix from his remix of 'Professor Here', so Gary asked him to turn in a version of '1 Lifetime' for EPII.
Then, the drama hits. Shortly after we locked down the track list for the EP there was a call from Groove Holmes most recent wife, claiming rights to his estate and threatening Gary with a suit if he used RGH's name in connection with the project. Apparently this song may be the last thing he recorded before his death, and that's not what the estate wants the official story to be. We had to change the name of the song and not give credit where it was most certainly due, but in the end Gary owned those recordings and the entire family supported his decision to release them except for her. Hopefully it won't come back to haunt us, but this is really the only place we're mentioning it...
What other releases have you got in the pipeline for Smash Hit?
LF: Next up- a ditty by a band of youngsters outta Utah called Return to Sender and the song is called 'Dutch/Boyz/Dance Floors'. The band is really just a bunch of rockers but this one song on their last album really struck me as cool in a post-punk disco way, so we licensed it from the label for remixes. Of course this isn't news to you since Canyons are one of the remixers but we've also got one from Anthony Mansfield as well as an in-house number from Corey and myself aka Ruffy & Tuffy. Gotta say, your mix is right on the money, really great stuff!
After that we're going to help re-introduce the disco world to one Johnny Dynell, NYC circa 1983, who 's probably the coolest human I have ever met. We're doing a re-issue with remixes of 2 of his Atlantic hits from '83, 'Jam Hot' and 'The Big Throwdown'. Looks like Ilija Rudman, DJ Spun of Rong Music, Clouded Vision, Tensnake and Johnny himself will be on remix/edit duty there. A couple of other bits are in the works, but yeah, we're actually slacking a bit there. Demos are welcomed! hahaha
As someone running an independent label, what are you thoughts on digital vs vinyl releases etc? Will Smash Hit continue to press up records?
LF: I should say first I work a 9-5 at a digi distributor, so my views may be slanted. It's clear to most people though that digital music is the direction things are headed, and if you try to avoid interacting with that side of things you're probably missing out on more and more opportunity. As a label you're constantly struggling to balance what you want to do versus what's going to keep you in business, so every label has to pick a plan for themselves that works. We all love vinyl and wish it were feasible to press and sell 3000 copies of every release but it's just not the reality anymore. SHMCo. hasn't officially given up the waxy format, but we've released our last few as digital-only and licensed the tracks to Rong Music for the 12", which has worked out nicely for everyone. Chocolate Star EP 2 and the Johnny Dynell are both slated to be pressed up this year.
What's the scene like in San Francisco at the moment for the sort of music 40 Thieves are producing/DJ'ing?
CB: As Producers, we're getting a lot of love and encouragement in SF. The so-called New Disco sound (you jokers know what I'm talking about) was partly conceived and developed in San Francisco. Folks dig how widely we range, musically and stylistically.
We've had some great dj experiences here, the people who come out to hear us are real music-heads: they SERIOUSLY know what they like. It's really gratifying to have them boogie-ing at our gigs. They know the house, they know the disco obscuro and the freestyle and the boogie.
LF: Musically there's always so much going on in this city no matter what scene you're into. The scene here is still very much club/house-oriented so to get the freaky shit you gotta pay attention! SF is also one of those places with a long list of local heros who have been keeping things truly burning for years. Im talking about Gunclub, Green Gorilla, DJ Jeno, Pacific Sound/Sunset, Honey Soundsystem and lots of others. That's the true SF only people who live here or come here get a chance to know. We're also really lucky in the respect that promoters and clubs are constantly putting themselves out there to bring talent into the city. There's always a great party to go to on the weekend, and usually some type of after-party if you want to rave out.
And lastly, a few artists/labels/songs that have been doing it for you of late...
CB/LF
Well Canyons' mix of Dutch/Boyz/Dance Floors is really doing it for us right now and Hole In The Sky is just the business! Some other artists/labels that we think are putting out interesting music- Throne of Blood, Whatever We Want, Kranky, Permanent Vacation, Tirk, our bros at Rong, Maurice Fulton (relentless as-ever), Norwegians (in general), Optimo, Bumper, Toby Tobias, Mock N' Toof, really digging the latest In Flagranti stuff!

HITS SUMMER MIX VOL 5

2009-02-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

Up next for the HITS summer mix series is a top mix put together by 40 Thieves (pictured above).

Download here:

HITS SUMMER MIX VOL 5 (40's FINE ART MIX)

Track-listing:

1. holly dolly - kano

2. dutch/boys/dance floors (canyons remix) - return to sender

3. ragazza - unbekannt

4. fly the wind (beats)

5. earth (toby tobias 3pm mix)

6. don't try to stop me - kano

7. right in the socket - shalamar

8. jungleman life - loud e

9. rock bed (original)

10. snl - ncam

11. tomorrow - (dfa remix)

12. norway man - hot coins

13. can't be beat - quiet village

And stick around because soon enough we'll post an interview with Layne from 40 Thieves and you'll find out why they recorded this mix, what's happening with their album and some other stuff of interest...

HITS SUMMER MIX VOL 4

2009-02-11T13:13:00.001-08:00

VOL 4 of the HITS SUMMER MIX series has arrived! It's an excellent mix put together by an excellent DJ and lovely lass named Kali. Kali has impeccable taste and is responsible for pushing good music into peoples ears by day down at Spank Records and at night on the steely wheels across town. On top of this Kali has had a hand in bringing to our sunny shores such talent as the Idjut Boys, Richard Sen, In Flagranti and Felix Dickinson. And thanks to Kali, in the following months we'll be seeing Lee Douglas, Lovefingers and The Revenge down under(!).You can catch Kali playing alongside Pete Herbert this Friday night at the Lady Lux, so head down and thank her for making Sydney's musical landscape a nice place to be.

HITS SUMMER MIX VOL 4

Track-listing:

Triple J Mixup

2009-02-06T00:48:00.000-08:00

Canyons are the resident DJ's for triple J's Mixup show throughout February. Each Saturday they'll be playing some jams they like on air from 9-10pm so tune in and vibe out. You can stream it here:

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/mixup/

HITS summer mix vol 4 on the way!

HITS SUMMER MIX VOL 3

2009-02-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

Here's installment number three of the summer mix series we've got going on. As with the other mixes we've posted this one is jam packed with the good stuff. It comes from a man with an incredibly long name which he himself, in order to avoid confusion and mispronunciations, has decided to cut down to one syllable - Radge. The guy is somewhat of an enigma: swimmer, part time photo taker and full time internet dweller, Radge is beardy in appearance and burly in stature. He cuts the rug like nothin' else, owns a pair of balearic shorts for every day of the week and on top of all this gets nice on the ones and the twos. Friend to many and enemy to none, Radge is the guy everyone likes to like. Occasionally he needs to be reminded that life isn't always a party. But not today. His mix isn't of the party variety, just a pleasure to sit down and listen to. So download the mix, dive in and let Radge lead the way.

HITS SUMMER MIX VOL 3

HITS SUMMER MIX VOL 2

2009-01-25T18:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Australia day to those of you in Australia! Though this particular day has the potential of being ruined by racism disguised as patriotism and too many southern cross and 'made in australia' tattoos, I have hope that today will be a good one. Stranger, more amazing things have after all taken place this year...

Next in line for the new HITS mix series is a mix titled Worship the Sun by Steele Bonus. The big guy is pictured above. Steele has put together a fantastic mix exclusively for the HITS blog. It's a real smoker so download it now and listen to it today:

HITS SUMMER MIX VOL 2

Track-listing:

Now Steele Bonus has a pretty snappy blog himself - you can check it out here. It's definitely worth a look as he posts lots of great music from time to time. And if you're in Sydney be sure to keep an ear out for his monthly Wednesday night party Tropical Social Club at the Dug out Bar below the Burdekin. There's no cover charge and you'll hear hot jams that you won't hear played out anywhere else in Sydney, guaranteed.

2009 AND BEYOND...

2009-01-20T03:54:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year friends! We hope you sailed into 2009 smoothly and smiling. It's going to be a great year - we've got some special releases teed up, so stay tuned... There have been a few internet related complications around the HITS camp recently but they're all cleared up, which is a good thing as we've got some superb mixes and things to post.

First up is a mix from a fellow that goes by the name of Shunji. Shunji resides in sunny Sydney and put this mix together especially for us. It's the first of the HITS Summer Mix series that we're embarking on, and it's a real douzy. Here it is, track-listing and all.

HITS SUMMER MIX VOL 1

Track-listing

1. Curt Cress - Sundance

2. Serious Intention - You Don't Know

3. Jellies - Jive Baby on a Saturday Night (Betty Botox edit)

4. Laughing Light of Plenty - The Rose

5. Ragtyme - Fix it Man (Marshall Jefferson mix)

6. John Rocca - Move that Body

7. JM Silk - Jack your body (dub)

8. T-Coy - Regret

9. Adonis - Rockin Down the House

10. Kikokos - Jungle DJ (Prins Thomas edit)

11. Cesaria Evora - Angola (Carl Craig mix)

12. Supermax - African Blood

13. Liquid Liquid - Optimo (Optimo mix)

14. Patrick Cowley - Get a Little

15. Shirley Lites - Heat You Up

16. Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody (Hallocinogenik Version)

Recession snaps

2008-11-27T00:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everybody who came along to the Recession party hosted by Hole in the Sky the other week. It seems a good time was had by all. Here are a few entertaining photos from the evening...

"This is definitely a jam"
"Yep"

"Look, we all want to dance, can you play something dancy?"

"I think this is quite 'dancy' already"
"Whatever... jerk"

A moment with New York's Duane Harriott

2008-11-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

We recently caught up with well respected New York DJ and general all 'round music buff Duane Harriott. Duane is/has been involved in a lot of interesting musical ventures and projects over the years. We thought it'd be interesting to interview Mr Harriott and it certainly proved to be. We were also given a sensational mix from the man for your listening pleasure, which you can download here:

Duane's Trophy Bar mix

1. Where are you from and where do you reside?

I was born in Queens.(NYC). My father was from Kingston, Jamaica, My mother was American with strong ties to the South..New Orleans to be exact. I spent most of my formative years in Lincoln, Nebraska..a University town in the midwest known for it's Corn production...and that's about it. I moved back to New York when I was 22. I was living in Harlem for 8 years, but I just moved to Brooklyn with my Girlfriend 5 months ago.

2. Tell us about the mix you generously gave us and about Trophy.

Well, it's a live recording from one of two residency I have in the Rotten Apple. Trophy is this cool bar in Williamsburg that has only been around for 6 months, but they have one of the best music policies of any new bar/club in NYC. Already they've had Lee Douglas, Tim "Love" lee, James Murphy,Jaques Renault, Dj Vadim and Brennan Green play there . They always record the sets and post them up on their blogsite (www.trophybar.com if you wanna check 'em out), but they generously allowed me to give this recording to you.
They've actually been a godsend because It's very difficult for a lot of well-regarded NY Deejays and producers to hold onto residencies in the city right now. We've been overrun with expensive bottle service style clubs and there isn't a lot of places you can play now...All of the aforementioned artists all live here, but can't get a residency for crissakes!
But the owners of Trophy are really into providing a home for local talent. So I love them for that. It's a very small bar, with a kick ass soundsystem and cheap drinks..what more do you need??

As far as the mix is concerned...What you are hearing is exactly the way it went down at 3 am in a small bar, with 30 people on the floor having a proper get down. I've been deejaying since I was 15 for all sorts of mixed crowds and in order to keep a job, I had to learn how to keep a crowd moving all night long over a 5-6 hour period. Over the years I've amassed a lot of dancefloor records, be them disco, house,reggae, rock, funk, hip hop, new wave, whatever both new and old and so I generally start at one place and end up somewhere completely different by the end of the night. I think the first song I played the night of that recording was "Shadow Dancing" by Andy Gibb....and then I ended up at Ron Hardy's edit of "I can't turn around" at 3:30 am as you hear on this mix.
There's also a lot of re-edits on here done by me and colleagues of mine..some of them are exclusive ,so if I hear them posted anywhere else but here..You know that I know where you got them:)

3. Some new and old music that you're really feeling at the moment?

I'm always inspired by my friends and colleagues here in New York. My Bim Marx partner in crime Jorge Velez aka Professor Genius just put out a new digital-only ep that's brill. I'm loving the new Andy Ash double pack on stilove4music. The new Morgan Geist record (especially "Detroit") is great, can't forget my boy Dam-Funk in LA and his soon-to-be-classic "Burgundy City" '12....I'm also loving the new Dungen, Solange Knowles and Deerhoof lp's.

As far as old stuff...i'm always kinda stuck in the past, listening to more old stuff than new, but as of this morning it's The Temptations psych-soul masterpiece, "1990" ..Norman Whitfield R.I.P!!!

4. Give us a rundown on Audio Archeology.

It's basically a music consulting company/DJ/production crew that consists of myself and my best friend Alec Deruggiero. Alec used to be the music director at APT here in New York.He's also put out a couple of great Italo disco mixes under the alias "Italo Deruggiero"... seek 'em out if you can.
We've done a lot of cool work on the mainstream side of things, a few commercials, fashion shows for Zac Posen and H & M,Marc Jacobs...remixes/ production for Jennifer Lopez, Deejaying Elton John's 60th b-day bash!!! If you wanna check out more go to www.audioarcheology.net.
The thing about New York is that you really have to hustle and keep your hands in 2 or 3 projects at a time in order to survive here. The greatest thing about this city and the worst thing is that it's very competitive and you have to always be ready to seek out new challenges and learn to master them quickly, 'cuz everyone here is pretty talented and/or savvy . It can burn you out if you're not careful. But we've had a lot of good things come our way ... it's been exciting and starting the company with Alec is probably one of the smartest things i've ever done.

5. Is it true that you're related to reggae singer/producer Derrick Harriott?

Uh-Huh......."Uncle" Derrick is a very talented cat. My whole family seems to be musically inclined on both sides. My mother was a great gospel singer and pianist, my Father is an accomplished percussionist and directs a large community choir as a hobby. My younger sister is an amazing Gospel, Jazz and Classical piano/singing prodigy. My Uncle Chester is a retired cabaret performer in the UK..my great uncle Joe Harriott is considered one of the finest Jazz musicians to have come out of the UK..his "Indo-Jazz Fusions" LP on Atlantic is absolutely stunning. I'm quite the under-achiever by comparison:)

6. You used to put on Negroclash at APT with Prince Language and DJ Lindsey. How did Negroclash come about and when did it finish up? Share a memorable moment with us from one of these parties if you'd be so kind.

Well, it all start about 6 years ago when "Electroclash" was all the rage in New York and beyond.
Lindsey, Language and I were all friends and we found ourselves at one of those parties and we just thought it was a fiasco. I think we all kind of looked at each other and decided we could do better.

"Negroclash" was a term we used jokingly amongst our friends, poking fun at the fact that there were hardly any black people at the party and that they never really played any old "Electro" there. We were
wondering how you could call yourselves "Electro" anything and not play "Planet rock" or Cybotron and
we'd be like "oh that's negroclash, that ain't electroclash". But then the more we talked about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. So for like 3 and half years every 3rd Thursday at APT, we threw that party. We invited Juan Atkins,Mr Fingers, Afrika Bambaataa, Red Alert, Maurice Fulton, Freddie Fresh, DJ Spinna and DJ Technics,and a bunch of others to come and play with us. They were All amazing, epic and special parties in there own way. Hearing Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers play was really special, because the last time he played n New York prior to that night was in '86 at the Paradise Garage! DJ Technics debuted in NY at our party...but the thing I'm most proud of is the fact that so many people who attended regularly still regard itas one of their fave NYC parties of all time.

It ended as a monthly in like December of 2005...We basically got exhausted putting on such a party/event every month, but we're still good friends and we still play together occasionally. We just did
something together about a month ago actually.

7. Tell us a bit about the Bim Marx project you're working on and any other musical projects you're currently involved in.

The Bim Marx is a fun re-edit project Jorge Velez( aka Professor genius) and I do. We're both huge fans of early productions of Armando, Danny Krivit, Kerri Chandler and those dirty Chicago edits of the late, great Hardy. We kinda felt like the human, jackin' aspects of that sound has all but disappeared, and we wanted to do something that tapped into that urban, dirty, off-kiltered sound.

We have a mix cd coming out in a month that is all re-edits of stuff we did together and there's a 12 inch coming out in November on stilove4music, which features keyboard work from Dam-Funk....the "Adam & Eve" edit you hear at the beginning of the mix is a "Bim Marx" edit"

I'm just now starting to work on some remixes for Tom Vek, NYC all-girl experimental band RIngs, and some hip hop stuff that'll probably be out late this year or early '09.

8. How do you think digital downloads are effecting the way both consumers and artists relate to music these days? Do you see there being more positives than negatives to the digital era or vice versa?

Wow, well I've worked at Other Music in NYC for over 6 years and that's probably one of the most successful indie record stores in America. They've started a digital download site last year and they've found it's harder to get someone to pay a dollar and change for a download than it is to get someone to pay $25 for a record they really want. You can't make or expect people to pay for something that they think they should be getting for free.
I think that digital downloading is here to stay, but it does make music a bit of a disposable commodity for a lotta people i'm afraid...the upside is that it makes it a lot easier for artists to cut out the middle man (labels) and present the music on your own terms and build a grassroots audience from the ground up.It has however spawned this fickle indie-hipster blogging crowd and if you are embraced by them, it's a lot harder to keep their attention,'cuz they'll be on to the next big thing and won't necessarily stay loyal..especially amongst dance music communities. I don't think that a lot of people like something 'cuz they think it's great music..i think they like it 'cuz it's new music.Once it's not new anymore, there's no real reason for them to revisit it. You don't have to stare at this cd or record in your collection anymore, you can just delete the mp3 and forget about it forever.
If you a buy a record, cd, tape, etc. You're already a bit more emotionally invested in it,
'cuz you have to unwrap it and put in a player, or pull it out of a sleeve and place it on a t.table and take the time to listen to it. Even if you dislike it, you had to attempt to connect with it. Records and Cd's kind of demand that attempt at a connection with you..mp3's don't necessarily.
I love the convenience of them mp3's as a dj I must say, but I think that convenience has made it a lot harder to connect with listeners in an honest way.

That said, I think that it's great that people from around the world can find a music community and connect with likeminded artists on line and share music easily..i mean, I just gave you a dj set from a teeny bar in NYC to post up. When I was a teenager in Nebraska, I had to reeeally dig to find just 10 people in my town who knew and cared about Detroit Techno in '91. Now, that same teenage me in '09 can go to an Australian blog and listen to a bunch of dj mixes, one of which was recorded at a
bar in NYC and discuss it with a bunch of other people around the world if he chooses to. That's amazing!!!

9. Best/funniest request you've ever had whilst DJ'ing? We'd love a detailed discription.

Oh my god...i've learned to tune them out over the years, so they're in one ear and out the other.
But the most amusing one from the past few months was one from Spike Lee.
I was deejaying a pretty bourgie cocktail party in May and he came up and demanded to
hear "Sensual Seduction" ...I was like "really"? "It's 5 in the afternoon..it's kinda early don't you think"?
He was like .."this party neeeds some seduction". Amused, I obliged him and he preceeded to
two-step in front of me yelling "Snooooop..that's my nigga" the whole duration of the song, then he asked me for a mix cd...

Big thanks to Duane for taking the time out to answer our questions so extensively and for the great mix he gave us. Make sure you check out his new Bim Marx project with Jorge Velez (the Professor Genius). This link will take you there...

Recession Party

2008-11-09T22:44:00.000-08:00

Recession is a new weekly party presented by the Modular folk, Thursday nights at Tatler's and it's free, free, free. This Thursday, Hole in the Sky will be hosting the evening with music by CANYONS, DJ SILVIO (Paradise Lost) and Steele Bonus.

Cheap booze and great music all night to get us through these tough times.
To get your name on the list, please RSVP - ASAP - Here

Best Art Vinyl 2008

2008-10-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

We are very proud to announce that Tame Impala (H.I.T.S. 003) has been nominated for Best Art Vinyl 2008. The cover artwork was painted by Mr Kevin Parker himself and the design was done by our very good friend Jonothan Zawada, who came to our rescue after our original design was rejected by the manufacturers!
There are 50 releases nominated and voting begins today. You can check out the nominations and vote (for Tame Impala of course) at Best Art Vinyl 2008 See more of Jonathan's incredible work at a zawada.com.au
Enormous thank you to everyone who helped make this release possible and to everyone who has supported it.

Fairtilizer Love

2008-10-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

A few months ago we discovered Fairtilizer, a great online musical playground that allows artists, labels and media to share, promote and distribute new music. When Oliver got in touch with us to see if we would like to do a feature we jumped a the chance to be a part of what they call the 'do it yourself' music club. And that is the best thing about this site, they give you the ways and the means to go forth and do it all yourself, rather than be flogged over the head with what they think you should be listening to.
Hole in the Sky's playlist is currently featured on the site and includes an interview with Canyons. The playlist contains some old, some new and some yet to be released H.I.T.S. material.
FAIRTILIZER

Tame Impala Remixes - Digital Release

2008-10-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

The Tame Impala remixes from H.I.T.S. 003 are out now in digital format!

Available from all major online stores.

Half Full Glass of Wine - Canyon's Drunken Rage
Skeleton Tiger - Re-tamed by Canyons
The Sun - Fred Cherry's Eclipse

"This is the kind of release I love. When 60's rock and modern dance culture blend so well you can't help but party down." Justin Miller (DFA Records)

"Space Bass"

2008-09-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a fine mix by our friend from the end of the earth... Dj Ben Taffe
Download "space bass" mix
Tracklist coming soon.....

Get 'em While they're Hot...

2008-08-31T21:51:00.000-07:00

About 1 year ago now a funny thing happened.Funny now, but not so funny then…
H.I.T.S. 001 had just been sent off for pressing and we were all really excited about getting the records back from L.A. When we got the call that the records had arrived in Aus, we excitedly rushed to the depot and carefully packed up our shipment and drove them home. When we opened the first box we were surprised to find that there was no artwork on the record, not single a drop of ink on the labels, or the sleeve. At this stage we thought that maybe they had sent us some extra records for promo? But as we continued to unpack our precious cargo we released that we had been sent an entire pressing of white labels. Hmmm, not so great when it is you're first release on a new label. So what to do?....
We quickly put our heads together and decided that the solution to the first problem was to screen print the sleeves with our intended artwork, cool, we finally found someone that could do this and were now left with the problem of the labels. To fix this, we designed some donut-shaped stickers, one for each side of the record, done! Ok, so the scenario now is that we have 500 empty screen printed sleeves, 500 records with no labels and 1000 little donut label stickers. So one by one, sitting on our couch in our lounge room filled with boxes, records, stickers and sleeves we hand labelled each side of every record and carefully put them inside their new sleeves. Yes, this did take a very long time….
To mark this triumph and to celebrate our first release we used the same silk screen that we used to print the record sleeves, to print some t-shirts. Given that all our money had gone to getting that artwork done, we could only afford to print a few t-shirts, which have since travelled across Australia and are now at home in the hits studio in Sydney. If you would like to take one home for your very own, 30 clams (+p&h) will get you one. Just send us an email using the H.I.T.S contact link with your choice of size and colour (as seen in the photo) and we will send you our payment details.
….1 month after we had solved our artwork crisis we got a phone call saying that our records had arrived (What!?). Low and behold another shipment of 500 records had shown up with the artwork on, but without sleeves!

Hole In The Sky Mix by Mari.cha

2008-08-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

Our very first H.I.T.S. Mix was kindly put together by Dj Mari.cha (Greece). Check the track listing below (which speaks for itself) and tune out to the voodoo...

01. BRIAN BRIGGS - Aeo - SONAR KOLLEKTIV
02. THEO PARRISH - Nefarious Stranger - UBIQUITY/SOUND SIGNATURE
03. KLAUS WEISS - Dirt Track - COSMIC DANCER
04. 40 THIEVES - Dark and Long - RONG MUSIC
05. JIMMY SPICER - The Bubble Bunch - MERCURY
06. LINDSTROM & CHRISTABELLE - Music [in my mind] / Dj Harvey rmx - FEEDELITY
07. TIM TOH - Two - PHILPOT
08. CODEK - Tim Toum - SONAR KOLLEKTIV
09. CAPTAIN SENSIBLE - Wot - THE DARK SIDE OF DISCO
10. JUJU & JORDASH - African Flower - SUBTERRANEAN EPISODES
11. MOODYMANN - Meanwhile - PEACEFROG
12. VENUS GANG - Space Woman - COSMIC DANCER

13. HISTORICAL ARCHIVES Vol. 1 - MBO Theme - MEMBERS ONLY
14. THEO PARRISH - Love Is War For Miles - SOUND SIGNATURE
15. JAZ - Leg Room - SIXTY FIVE
16. MAXESSA - Lamma Island, 5 am - BEAR ENTERTAINMENT
17. TOM TOM CLUB - Lorelei - THE DARK SIDE OF DISCO

Download Hole In The Sky Mix by Mari.cha

H.I.T.S. 003 Coming September 1st 2008

2008-08-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

Hole in the Sky is proud to present hollow-boned, introspective sun children, Tame Impala. This is what music is all about. This three piece stirs an excitement that is inescapable and relentless.

Tame Impala make psychedelic, soul rock music using fuzzed out guitars, dirty bass and phased drums, contrasted with sublime, melodic vocals that results in a sound that has EVERYBODY asking, who is this band and where did they come from?
Produced and remixed by Fred Cherry and Canyons makes this record even more interesting. The B side remixes take the current disco/cosmic movement into a new, perfectly matched direction that seems completely natural, yet is so original.
The recording and production has a warm, garage-like glow that is rarely recreated so authentically today. From dance music producers, to acid rock heads, to your mum and dad; this record is one for people who really and truly love MUSIC.

Limited Vinyl - Original Tracks Only Available On Vinyl.

LADYHAWKE - (CANYONS DISCO GARAGE REMIX)

2008-08-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

Our good friends at Fader magazine made this excellent piece of artwork that was just too good! We thought that we had to share a laugh, he's what they had to say......

There are definitely pluses to living in New York, but also there are minuses like not being able to have band practice in your dad's garage with your trebley Ibanez guitar starter set. We're not sure if New Zealand's Ladyhawke or Australia's Canyons ever really got the chance to move a lawnmower to set up a drum set, but after listening to this it sounds like they did. Think about it, is it really that hard to picture dudes plugging in their guitars and being confused about if they like disco, but going for it anyway? We can totally picture Canyons calling their mom from the kitchen to have her come in with some Tang and also to do some hand claps because it's what would really pull the song together.

And the track......

Download: Ladyhawke, "Dusk Till Dawn" (Canyons Garage Disco Mix)

2008-08-14T04:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Hole in the Sky blog. After many, many months of the H.I.T.S. website seeing no activity at all it has finally been updated. And along the way we set up this blog to ensure things are kept up to date on the regular. So please visit again soon - hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised. There'll be mixes to download from our artists and friends, information regarding new releases and gigs, exclusive downloads and possibly even prizes (not sure what though). We will also post some snaps and other things of interest.