Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Haçeteria: A Monthly Acid House and Techno Party at the Deco Lounge









Haçeteria: A Monthly Acid House and Techno Party at the Deco Lounge

Haceteria is a monthly dance party that specializes in acid house and rare techno tracks at the Deco Lounge, right in the heart of the Tenderloin. With talented DJs, great ambiance, and a vast collection of records from the late 80’s and early 90’s, Haceteria has all of the necessary ingredients for fun.

Josh Widmann, one of the founders of this local gem of a party, opens up about the origins of Haceteria, what style of music influences him, and just how he got into the scene. Be sure to check out the party this Saturday, October 15th, when Haceteria presents Claud Levi and Roche.

How did you first get into DJing?

I first began DJing in college. Many of the dance tracks I wanted were coming out of the UK on vinyl and it looked fun to try to mix them together. I was getting more into electronic music as the 90s closed and I guess it seemed only natural that I started either playing this music or creating it. For most of the 2000s I focused on DJing, although I did take an electronic music production class in college.

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Where are your favorite places to play and crowds to play for?

I used to DJ a happy hour called Radioactivity at 222 Hyde, which features a TurboSound system and a rotary mixer is a DJ’s delight. The recent American Tripps “Berlin style” ping pong parties the Haçeteria crew DJs at Secret Alley on Capp Street have been high energy and the new venue at Z Space should be just as good.

Can you describe your musical taste and how it has evolved?

My tastes have been turning more towards the 90s over the last year or so. I’ve recently been stocking up on lots of Guy Called Gerald tracks and songs from his labels. There are so many Strictly Rhythm records that are actually decent and can still be found for really cheap. I’ve also been listening to more harder American techno sounds like Frankie Bones and Ron Trent. Before this current phase I was listening to lots of Italo Disco and proto-house tracks from the early and mid-80s. Before that I was buying lots of quirky disco songs from the late 70s and early 80s as well as more danceable post punk and industrial tracks from that era. A lot of my current tastes are a rediscovery of songs I had heard about in the late 90s that were at the time known as ‘oldschool anthems’ from the late 80s and ‘breakbeat hardcore’ from the early 90s. When I first started getting into the electronic music, I appreciated songs like French Kiss, Voodoo Ray, and My House but was more interested in the contemporary harsher, faster, sample-heavy sound at the time like drum and bass and UK garage. A lot my current interests parallel the songs mentioned in Simon Reynold’s “Energy Flash” book about electronic music. Coincidentally, a lot of my post punk interests parallel tracks discussed in Reynold’s “Totally Wired” book.

Who are your favorite local DJs?

Chris Orr, Jason Kendig, Conor, and the other three most excellent Haçeteria DJs – Nihar B, Jason P, and Smac.

How did the concept of Haceteria come to be, and who helped get it off the ground?

My friend Nihar from the Warm Leatherette minimal synth party approached me last year with an open club night slot at the Deco lounge in the Tenderloin. We then attempted to come up with a name, look, and description of genres we’d play. I’ve wanted to start a club specializing in Haçienda type tracks for over ten years. Initially the club was going to showcase more Factory Records type of bands with danceable songs like New Order, Happy Mondays, Section 25, T-Coy, and Quando Quango. This is reflective in the early name and look of the club night. We then realized there are only so many times you can play “Looking from a Hilltop” or “Confusion” and branched out to mid-80s techno & house, Italo Disco, proto-rave, hip-house, and Belgian New Beat. After a cease and desist letter from New Order’s Peter Hook over our use of the club name Haçienda we decided to change the name to Haçeteria. We did this to overtly reference the old New York dance club Danceteria, hoping to let folks know that we are more of an anti-club, playing dance music for folks who probably typically go to live shows and appreciate a less polished, do-it-yourself musical aesthetic.

What type of DJs do you typically ask to play for Haceteria?

We usually ask folks who have a large collection of late 80s and early 90s dance music, especially Acid House and early techno. Since the spring of this year we’ve also been featuring live performances from bands and individuals who heavily use drum machines and synthesizers. This Saturday our live guest is Roche from Solos Records and opener Claude Lévi, who happens to be my live performance alter ego.

Check out some mixes from the talented DJs here:

Recent Haçeteria mix from Nihar: http://soundcloud.com/niharb/haceteria-mix-by-nihar-4-29-11

This month’s Haçeteria event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=279555705401844

My soundcloud with some original tracks: http://soundcloud.com/tristestropiques

http://www.examiner.com/contemporary-music-in-san-francisco/ha-eteria-a-monthly-acid-house-and-techno-party-at-the-deco-lounge

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Tristes Tropiques - 2,000 Plateaus

Brand new song and brand new Appalachian Pentecostal snake handling video to accompany it:


Sunday, July 31, 2011

Night Drive Miami
















Some recent coverage in Night Drive Miami from the wonderful Laura Sutnick:

I rarely post unsolicited music submissions, most of them are usually alternative rock bands or really bad wannabe mainstream rap crap. It’s kind of our job to filter through the garbage and post the good stuff so most of the time we share what we find and not what finds us. However, I do try to go through our submissions inbox as frequently as possible to find that one needle in the haystack. Josh Widmann aka Tristes Tropiques actually sent me an email telling me he liked Vamos a La Playa which instantly got my attention and won me over (as did the Lévi-Strauss reference).

I took a listen to Tristes Tropiques and decided I not only wanted to play his song “Lejos” on my next Vamos radio show but, it’s also NDM worthy. He’s got a bunch of tracks on soundcloud that are almost there and also some that dance floor ready. Here’s his shpeal:

Tristes Tropiques is a San Francisco based promoter, dj and composer. With origins in 1990s rave culture, Tristes Tropiques first became interested in music based on vintage synthesizers, drum machines, and samplers. When the early 2000s arrived, the post-punk and Italo Disco revival lured Tristes Tropiques further into electronic dance music, leftfield arrangements, and rhythmic experimentation. As the 2000s transitioned to the 2010s, Tristes Tropiques began assembling original compositions reflective of these varied influences while also working to toy with established genre boundaries.”

Tristes Tropiques – Lejos


http://nightdrivemiami.com/2011/07/27/tristes-tropiques/

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

New Tristes Tropiques Song: Diffusion

New original composition for your listening pleasure featuring the Yamaha RS 7000 at work. More to come. Thanks for listening!
-Tristes Tropiques

Tristes Tropiques - Diffusion by tristestropiques

Monday, May 30, 2011

Perpetual Dawn Mix















http://www.radiorhythm.org/may2011mix.mp3

1. The Orb - Perpetual Dawn (Ultrabass II) - Mercury (1991)
2. Willesden Dodgers - 112 BPM - Jive (1982)
3. Chris and Cosey - Chiron - Rough Trade (1984)
4. New Order - MTO - Factory (1989)
5. Ace Frehley - New York Groove - Casablanca (1978)
6. Cameron Paul - Suite Rhythm - Mixx It (1987)
7. Peter Gabriel - Don't Break This Rhythm - Geffen (1982)
8. Tim Toum - Codek - Delerious Grooves (1982)
9. Denis & Denis - Dio Refrena - Jugoton (1984)
10. Fleetwood Mac - Family Man (Extended Vocal Remix) - Warner (1988)
11. Emanuel Top - Cosmic Event - Le Petit Prince (1994)
12. Stereo MC's - Step It Up (Stereo Field Dub) - Island (1992)

Thursday, March 24, 2011

100 Badass Songs From The Past Five Months

MARCH 2011
Computer and the Little Fooler - Computing
Timmy Thomas - Why Can't We Live Together
Craft Spells - After The Moment
4 Hero - Mr Kirk's Nightmare
Farley Jackmaster Funk - The Acid Life

Beau-Q - Belgian Kiss
Herbie Hancock - You Bet Your Love
House Without A Home - It's Just A
Ronin Inc - Jailbreak
International Music System - Dancing Therapy

Steve Hillage - Talking To The Sun
Moebius - Urth
Kevin Harrison - Ink Man
Jump St. Man - B-Cause
Code Secret - Fantom'house

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Okinawa Song
Tom Scott - Burundi Bump
Amon Düül 2 - Fly United
Frank De Wulf - Magic Orchestra
Vangelis - Silent Portraits 2


FEBRUARY 2011
Explorers Of The Nile - We Are All Egyptians
Dirtbombs - Sharevari
Chimo Bayo - Asi Me Gusta A Mí
Neurotic Drum Band - U Got Me Dancin'
Moral Support - Living With Passion

Jesse's Gang - Real Love
Bass-O-Matic - In the Realm of the Senses
DJ Fast Eddie and Kenny "Jammin" Jason - Can U Dance
Gina X - No G.D.M.
Bananarama - Only Your Love

Pitto - Feelin
J.J. Cale - I'm a Gypsy Man
Art of Noise - Close to the Edit Extended
Gail Robinson - Bust Your Body
Brain - D.I.X.O.

Schizo - Paraphrenia Praecox
Boomerang Club Band - Dee Jay Superstar
Žaba - D'Boys
Anna - Like They Do It In The Movies
2 In A Room - Take Me Away


JANUARY 2011
Michael McDonald - All We Got (It's Not Enough, Never Enough)
Graham Gouldman - Bionic Boar
Bill Laswell - Work Song
Erotic Dissidents - Move Your Ass And Feel The Beat
Confetti - The Sound Of C

Altern 8 - Activ 8 (Come With Me)
Tragic Error - Klatsche In Die Hände
Kings Of Agreppo - Agreppo
Willesden Dodgers - 112 BPM
Chris Carter - Mondo Beat

Coda - Amin Peck
Michael Karoli & Polly Eltes - Deluge (The River)
Thompson & Lenoir - Can't Stop the House
Logo - Businessmen
Mark Shreeve - Storm Column

The Police - Walking In Your Footsteps
African Reggae - Nina Hagen
Hans Zimmer - Bobsled Jamaican Style
Jamie Principle - Your Love
Second Phase - Mentasm (Original Mix)


DECEMBER 2010
Dr. Calculus - Perfume From Spain
Codek - Tim Toum
Ministry - Cold Life
Mau Mau - Herzschlag
Renegade Soundwave - The Phantom

Syncbeat - Music
Queen - A Kind Of Magic
Antena-Bye Bye Papaye
Kinkina - Jungle Fever
Deskee - Let There Be House

Beathoven - Call the Cops
Grace Slick - Fox Face
Li'l Louis - Frequency Vocal
Die Gesunden: Der Weg zum Erfolg
Dieter Moebius & Conny Plank - All Repro

Simple Minds - Somebody Up There
Jon and Vangelis - He is sailing
Tyndall - wolkenlos
Chris Carter - Beat
Phil Manzarena - Caracas


NOVEMBER 2010
Mac Jr - Elephant Song
Mr Flagio - Take a Chance
400 Blows Pressure
Neil Young - Computer Age
Ann Clark - Our Darkness

Helen - Zanzibar
Topo & Roby - Under The Ice
Riccardo Cioni & DJFT Band - Choo Choo Train
Rational Youth - City of Night
Tri Atma - Natürliche Liebe

Exile - Kiss You All Over
Denis & Denis - Cuvaj Se
Anna Domino - Take That
Joey Beltram - Energy Flash
Vicious Pink - 8:15 To Nowhere

Joachim Witt - Märchenblau
Johnny Dynell And New York 88 - Jam Hot
Cabaret Voltaire - C.O.M.A.
Kissing The Pink - Big Man Restless
John Rocca - I Want It To Be Real