http://www.noizemag.com/index.php en ronn@spongeworks.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-09T02:26:47+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_manuel_de_diego http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_manuel_de_diego Hailing from Spain, DJ Manuel de Diego is the latest dance floor discovery by Masterbeat and the resident DJ of WE Party. Inspired by every genre of music and a passionate maestro to any crowd, the DJ/producer/remixer is a unique voice in the blur of DJ culture.  noiZe caught up with him to pick his brain over music, Masterbeat and the importance of getting enough sleep.   What influenced your love of music, or why did you become a DJ? My love for music was born with me, something I’ve felt from my first memory. I have always had a love for all styles of music, from jazz to R&B to pop to house, even classical. Fate brought me to the DJ booth and then on to studio production, and I couldn’t be happier. Who gave you your big break, or what was your first big gig? My first big break was to play for WE Party’s launch in Madrid, and since then we have gone around the world and grown together. Now I’m the resident of WE Party and a Masterbeat exclusive. I’m proof that dreams really can come true. How do you prepare for your gigs? Anything special? Sleep! The most important thing for me is to be well rested before I land in the DJ booth so that I can give all that energy to the audience in my set. While everyone else may be out partying at the pre-party, I’m home resting. In fact, one of Masterbeat’s favorite stories is that they sent a driver to the house to pick the WE Party team up for WE Formula at Universal Studios last year, and it wasn’t until everyone arrived at the park that Brett Henrichsen asked, “Where is Manuel?” They had left me home sleeping in bed! Now that you’ve started playing at WE events in THE USA, how do you think the clubs or audience compare to Spain? Musically speaking, I have not noticed much difference. I maintain my musical style regardless of location, and people have been very supportive both in Spain and the USA. What DJs have inspired you? Although I enjoy many different DJs and their styles, I have not been specifically influenced by any singular DJ in particular. I strive to create my own sound. What has been your favorite place (or event) to spin, and why? My favorite place was last summer at Ushuaia in Ibiza. It was so special to me to play in front of more than 8,000 people in a venue where, on any given day, superstar DJs such as David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia and Avicii headline. It was such an amazing experience. In America, while the club scene remains segregated, gay and straight, what’s your experience in other countries? Generally the club scene is segregated all around the world. But there are more and more mixed parties (special events and festivals) that are gaining popularity and are uniquely fun for me to play. We understand you are straight. Do you enjoy playing for the gay crowds? Are you single or dating someone special? My musical style has been very much welcomed by the gay community, and it is always great to play for them. My music fits very well with the gay public — they are a group and an energy I feel very akin to. And, yeah, I´m single. My heart is free at the moment. What is coming up next for Manuel de Diego? Any exciting events or production work? I’m excited to be working on a few new original productions as well as remixes of classic favorites, including “Love” featuring Mc Levit, “Say What You Want,” and “To the Moon and Back” featuring Mario Larrea (this Savage Garden classic has become a huge hit for me around the world.) Where can we hear Manuel de Diego next? In the USA I play exclusively for Masterbeat, and you can catch me at the WE Party Around the USA tour on June 1st in Orlando, June 8th in Los Angeles and August 30th in New York. And for more information you can visit http://www.wepartyontour.com See y.ou on the dance floor! 2013-05-01T19:58:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/oren_nizri http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/oren_nizri Israel has given mankind lots of things, among them the Bible, Jesus Christ and the entertainment industry (also known as “Judaism”). In recent years, it’s also become known for some extraordinarily beautiful men —and, oh yes, having one of the most unique and influential dance music scenes on the planet. Among the Israeli DJs who have made international names for themselves are Offer Nissim, Micky Friedmann, Yinon Yahel and Maor Levi. Now you can add to this lineage of superstars handsome, hazel-eyed Oren Nizri.   After jumping the Atlantic to Miami, Nizri has been steadily ascending the ranks with his brand of big-room techno and progressive House. In the last eight years, he has been pounding dancefloors across the United States as well as venues in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Europe and even Asia. Nizri has headlined White Party events in Miami for several years, myriad Gay Pride events across the U.S. and Canada; Brazil’s Hell & Heaven; Sound Festival in Lima, Peru; Summer Sound Festival in Mexico; and Miami’s Ultra and Winter Music Conference. He currently serves as resident DJ at Fort Lauderdale’s Manor Complex. I managed to catch up with Nizri over the holidays and picked his brain to discover the man behind the addictive beats and sexy stare. Let’s start at the beginning … I grew up in a small town on the southern side of Israel called Dimona, where everyone knows each other. I couldn’t wait to get away from there! I visit my family at least once a year. I’m very close to my family, especially my two younger sisters and my adorable new nephew, Ore, now six months old. What influenced your love of music? I found myself drawn to music at a very young age. I would sit next to the radio for hours as a little kid and explore all styles of music. I will never forget, as a kid I took a test with a music teacher and she told my parents I didn’t have any kind of ear for music at all. Guess who’s laughing now! For some reason, I never really connected to what was “hot” back then. While everyone would listen to the typical pop music, I discovered and started listening to artists like Sting, Kate Bush and Suzanne Vega, which I still do today. When I turned 16, my taste really came full circle.Did you always aspire to be a DJ? As a kid, I thought I would be a movie director, but that plan didn’t last too long. The minute I got hooked on music, I knew that was what I wanted to do, first as a radio DJ, and which I did successfully for a few years and opened doors for me in important nightclubs in Israel and Europe. When the House music scene exploded, I knew I was meant to be a club DJ. I was so blown away by DJ David Morales’ mix of Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy.” Even today, it’s one of my all-time favorite club mixes — 11 minutes of pure magic. Who gave you your big break? My business partner and manager, George Coronado, our former business partner Arnold Matteson [now deceased] and I started a weekly party eight years ago in Miami Beach. We held our party in a very sophisticated high-energy lounge that belonged to Cafeteria, the NYC brand that had just opened in South Beach. We had the party for almost a year, and it was a big success. It was really a fun party, and it gave us the opportunity to build up some great relationships and to start getting bookings in different clubs in the South Florida market. Mike Mazer, former owner of the legendary Salvation in Miami, heard me years ago and has been a big supporter of my career ever since. How do you prepare for your gigs? There’s only one goal for me: to give the crowd a magical night on the dancefloor so they can forget about everything and join me on a musical journey filled with good vibes. I never plan my sets, and that’s what I love the most about my career. You never know which crowd you will get that night, so I build my sets depending on the vibe and the crowd. You never get the same kind of crowd every night, so it’s definitely a challenge. How does the scene in Miami compare to Tel Aviv? Tel Aviv today has a bigger and more diverse club scene in general.  People still spend a lot of money when going out, and that of course helps the producers to create bigger and more exciting productions. It’s no secret that the scene in South Florida and all over the States in general has been affected a lot by the economy in the last few years. However, we still have some great parties here in South Florida. Which DJs have most inspired you? I grew up on the classic House sound, so I’d name guys like Danny Tenaglia, David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, Roger Sanchez and Grant Nelson. Every time a new mix by one of these guys came out, I would try like crazy to hunt it down until I found it. The House scene in the mid-‘90s was truly fantastic. What was your favorite place to spin and why? I have the most incredible memories of South America, without a doubt one of the best places to be when it comes to clubbing. They live for it and it’s part of their culture, which makes a huge difference for a DJ. They can be demanding, but if you get them on your side they are the best crowd you can ever ask for, especially Brazil. The scene there is insane, and I can’t wait to go back again in February and March. In the U.S.A., the list would include White Party events in Miami, the Manor in Fort Lauderdale, the End Up in San Francisco, Jungle in Atlanta, Parliament House in Orlando, Hydrate in Chicago, among many others. I would love to play in Australia and Ibiza. With DJ tools changing all the time, what are your favorite pieces of equipment? I always say less is more. Give me two CD players, a mixer with effects — Pioneer preferred — and a really good sound system. That’s all I need. The music will speak for itself. How have the club scene and dance music changed since you started? Eight years ago, you could see the transition from big-room clubs to smaller, more intimate places and lounges. Today, the whole big-room, huge-club era is almost gone. Most of the clubs are smaller, and also the crowd is different. It is younger and they are more familiar with commercial music. So you see mostly crowds in their 20s who only know what’s current on the charts and have no history or background of what real House music or a House party is. But as a DJ, you should be able to adapt and play to the crowd, doing your best to keep your brand and your style. How do you feel about dance music finally becoming mainstream? I know a lot of people will disagree with me when I say that the music out there these days is crap. I’m all about good pop music when it’s well done, but let’s face it: Most of the tracks today have limited effect and won’t stand the test of time. Ten years from now, I doubt anyone will ever remember any of these songs. They’re not even current six months later! Meanwhile, pop music from the ‘80s and ‘90s still sounds good.In America, while the club scene remains segregated, gay and straight, what’s your experience in other countries? In the U.S., it’s very clear: You don’t see straight guys in gay parties, and vice versa for the most part, which is a shame. The End Up in San Francisco, a mixed club, is the only one that stays open for afterhours. You see all kinds of people there and the vibe is so fantastic. In Europe, it’s very mixed. People will go because it’s a good party. They could care less if it’s gay or straight. In South America, it’s slightly more mixed, but not much. In my experience, mixed crowds are the best. Straight crowds can be really fun or really boring. Gay crowds are for the most part super fun, uplifting, colorful and vibrant. We want to know. Single? Or coupled? I’m single. I’m focusing 100 percent on my career right now, so a relationship is not an option — but you never know what can happen. Oren Nizri’s website is currently being redone, but to follow his rising influence in the club scene, go to http://www.facebook.com/oren.nizri.3 or li,sten to his latest podcast at http://www.djorennizri.podomatic.com . Photos by Dale Stine   2013-02-15T10:20:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_ralphi_rosario http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_ralphi_rosario For readers of this magazine, the name Ralphi Rosario is already known to you as half of the highly successful live-set partnership with DJ Abel, Rosabel. Well, he just also happens to be one of the biggest names in dance music today. Chances are, if you’ve set foot on a dance floor in the past two decades, you’ve been enjoying his music. The Chicago native has one of the longest strings of hits with nearly every dance diva out there. He’s also played gigs all over the world, both straight and gay. But wherever he is — in the studio or DJ booth — he always brings with him the signature bass line and syncopated percussion of his hometown sound, House music. If not a musical prodigy, Rosario certainly represents what hard work at a young age can do. Born in 1966 of Puerto Rican parents and raised in the Humboldt Park section of Chicago as one of seven siblings, he started DJing when he was only 14, although by the age of 7, he was already grooving to Motown soul, R&B and the nascent disco. Jackson Five, the Commodores, Donna Summer … those were his big influencers, and you can still hear their heavy bass and staccato rhythms in Rosario’s studio work. While still in high school, he became a founding member of Hit Mix 5, which helped popularize the music style that DJ Frankie Knuckles had formulated at the Warehouse, a club whose abbreviated name became the byword for this new music, House. Hit Mix 5 lasted from 1981 to 1989, and the remixes heard on radio station WBMX-FM became the crucible where Rosario forged his own musical vision. “My brothers were musicians,” he recalls, “a trumpet and sax player. The radio show became my life.” He readily credits Knuckles, as well as Junior Vasquez, another follower of Larry Levan, the legendary resident DJ at New York’s Paradise Garage, for helping him formulate his style. The young DJ was already getting gigs, although in bars that had a mostly straight clientele. Back then, it didn’t matter so much. “It was everybody, a melting pot,” Rosario recalls. “The music made people come together.” Ironically, the booker at one gay club, he recalls, didn’t use him because “I was perceived as being straight. They were very political.” When he did start playing the city’s gay clubs, he brought with him the sounds of his favorite House artists, like C+C Music Factory. If not spinning, he was on the dance floor himself, the better to absorb what was emerging in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s: not only House, but trance, which had just migrated from its Detroit roots, and electronica. A Need to Record Even then, however, Rosario was itching to do more than just play other people’s records. “I had a lot of ideas,” he recalls. “I wanted to learn how to become a recording engineer, so I could express those ideas.” It all came together soon enough. In 1987, barely out of his teens, Rosario collaborated with Xaviera Gold on a song that would become not only a megahit but that demonstrates how well Rosario had already absorbed and forwarded the tropes that define dance music. While the lyrics of “You Used to Hold Me” personify the “talk to the hand ‘cuz you ain’t my man” diva anthem, the threatening undertone of the minor key, the play of rhythm against bass, and the overdub of the chorus over Gold’s track shows the maturity of a seasoned arranger. In the music industry, success breeds success. Every artist seeks out the best talent they can find to do justice to their material, and Rosario long ago established himself as one of business’ most reliable studio engineers. Rosario has created or remixed a string of hits for nearly every major dance artist, from Shannon to Mariah Carey, Pet Shop Boys to Dee-Lite, Donna Summer to Madonna. But unlike so many of his peers, he is equally comfortable in other genres, where he’s done work for brand-name artists like Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Al Jerreau, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Nicks and Matchbox Twenty. His secret is simple: “I picture myself in the middle of a huge dance floor. My world is very technical, so I ask myself, ‘Am I going to feel that vocal?’” Able Was I Ere I Saw Abel Yeah, I know: The palindrome really goes “Able was I ere I saw Elba.” But unlike Napoleon, Rosario wasn’t in exile when he found himself, on a Saturday night in Miami Beach, walking into Paragon, the legendary giant-room club on Washington Avenue. “On Saturday nights, I used to go to Warsaw, but it went straight that night,” he recalls. “When we entered Paragon and I saw the size of that theater, I went nuts. It was so dramatic! I stood by the DJ booth and loved everything he was playing.” “He” was Abel, the Miami-based DJ who, as much as anyone, helped establish South Beach as a hotbed of club culture. Once inside Paragon’s DJ booth, Rosario introduced himself. Except that Abel thought he was a phony. “He told me someone else was giving out cards saying they’re you,” Rosario explains. “The following week when I got home, he called me and realized I was the real one.” A few weeks after that, Abel called again, only this time he was trash talking. As we all know, reading someone to filth in Spanish is an art form in itself, so Rosario gave back as good as he got: He made a track of the recorded phone message and called it “La Puta.” The bitch loved it well enough so that the Circuit’s greatest DJ bromance was born. “We just started hanging out with each other a lot,” Rosario says, “and then collaborating in the studio,” for the reigning queen of the Miami dance scene, Gloria Estefan, among others. Industry people and promoters in New York loved the mash-up of Chicago House and Miami merengue. Among the admirers was one Ric Sena, who booked the duo for one of his Alegria parties, which have since become virtually synonymous with the name Rosabel. Outside the DJ booth, they were producing a slew of hits that would come to define House music in the 2000s, including “Don’t You Want My Love,” “The Power” and “That Sound.” Their remix of Funky Green Dogs’ “Rise Up” would become one of the songs most closely associated with Alegria, although it was their collaboration with Jeanie Tracy, “Cha Cha Heels,” that would become the party’s anthem (along with the Tony Moran/Zhana Saunders “Waiting for Alegria”). ‘I’m More of a Studio Person’ Even though he has headlined some of the biggest dance parties in the world, Rosario admits that “I’m more of a studio person.” Happily partnered to a man he has known for 20 years, after spending 10 years practically commuting to Europe, he’s now content to stay close to home and his studio. Even so, he’s tempted to cities (and cruises) around the world for various gigs, although, true to his hometown, he still maintains a residency at Hydrate. He also still plays “mixed” or primarily straight events, where he finds the crowd often more receptive to a range of styles than gay clubsgoers. It’s not that he dislikes the pop anthems by one-named divas, but his is a big sound — and that needs a big room. Unlike some ultra-prolific studio DJs, he not only doesn’t limit his set to his own production numbers, he makes sure to mix up his artists. “I don’t go in with the attitude of ‘This is my playlist,’” he says. “When I go into a room, I read the crowd. Or I add a twist and bring it up to the next level. I like having as many musical choices as possible.” For those lucky enough to be in Los Angeles to see in the end of 2012, Rosabel will once again be spinning the Masterbeat party. The rest of us will just have to keep our eyes and ears open for the next chance to hear this consummate DJ, because there are very few out there who can fill a big room with sound better than Rosario. For his part, Rosario compares creating music to making “medicine to play for people.” As the song says about another magic man, “He’s got the power to heal us.” 2012-11-02T20:07:47+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_mike_cruz http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_mike_cruz We all know how much electronica has come to define the big-room club scene. But for those of us who still prefer the deepest of deep basslines literally shaking our shows, let’s give a shout-out to New York DJ Mike Cruz. Among those striving to keep it real amidst the whirring buzz of synthetic sounds, Cruz loves the deep, rich sounds of House, even while he has integrated percussion-driven, machine-made electronica into his gigs. As a true believer, he senses a re-emergence of House on the horizon — or at least an integration into ever-evolving electronica. “It slowed down for a second” is how Cruz describes contemporary dance music. “Everything changes. It happened with the disco era, into the House era or the freestyle movement. There’s always a change in the music industry. It comes with the territory.” Cruz should know. He’s been soaking in dance music since his earliest years. The native New Yorker comes with a pretty impressive musical pedigree. His father is Puerto Rican and his mother is Italian — two cultures in which the joy of music is paramount. Even so, “I grew up in the Latin world,” he notes. His uncle served as musical director under no less a composer-performer than Tito Puente. If you’re a fan of salsa, merengue or mambo, that name will resonate the way “Mozart” does for classical music fans. The “King of Latin Music,” Puente (along with Celia Cruz) popularized Caribbean genres in the United States and remains Puerto Rico’s most famous musician. “I had no clue these people were famous until I got older,” Cruz admits, “but I grew up with congas playing in the freakin’ backyard.” Like many Puerto Rican kids in New York, Cruz would riff with other bongo players for hours on end. He didn’t like salsa as a kid, but gained an appreciation for it through his affinity for percussion. From Roller Rinks to Twilo It was disco, however, that really captured young Cruz’s attention. “Stuff like that inspired me,” he says about Garage, House and freestyle, all musical genres that percolated on the streets of New York in the late ‘70s and 1980s. Cruz found a valuable mentor in Glen Fisher, a popular disc jockey on Hot 97, the New York City FM radio station that pioneered the dance-music format. “Back in the day, Glen introduced me to people at record companies,” Cruz recalls. Fisher also allowed Cruz to sit in on his on-air sets and mentioned the fledging DJ to his vast audience. “He let me play for about an hour,” Cruz recalls. “Two hours into his set, he got really sick and I played the rest of the gig.” Cruz began his career spinning at roller rinks in Upstate New York. Thanks to Fisher’s exposure, Cruz managed to wrangle a gig at Excalibur in Hoboken, N.J., just across the Hudson River from New York City, and the gay nightspot in Northern New Jersey. Meanwhile, he was also angling his way into the much more competitive big city across the river. He hit pay dirt when he landed a set at one of the hottest clubs of the 1990s, Palladium. Cruz established residencies at two New York gay clubs as well, Krash and Sound Factory Bar, where Cruz became synonymous with Deep House. “Being gay and being part of the Latin market,” Cruz says, “I went towards the freestyle and tribal side of it.” Cruz says. “It’s because that sound is a part of my culture.” Eventually, he would headline Twilo, the George Jetson-decorated club that came to dominate New York Saturday nights in the late 1990s. Twilo’s Phazon sound system was widely considered the best in the world at the time. But Twilo, like too many other clubs, fell under the hatchet of Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s repressive policies. As club life in New York suffered, Cruz looked for work in booming markets like Miami and London. Electronic House Lately, most of Cruz’s biggest gigs have been outside of the United States. “I do more clubs in the U.S. instead of events,” he says, “But when I go overseas it’s for big events.” Whatever the venue or crowd, he tries to read the crowd while taking him on his own journey: “It depends where in the world you are. Some places still like the big tribal-Circuit sound, but once they’re grooving to what they like, I take them into my world. My world is a journey: It starts out smooth, it gets hard, gets happy and then explodes.” Cruz may still be best known for his signature command of House sounds, but he sees surprising similarities between House and electronica. “I can listen to it and still feel the same,” he says. “It totally has emotion. It has soul. I can listen to something really deep and soulful that’s totally classic, and listen to a new electronic percussion record and feel the same way.” Cruz’s ability to adapt to new tastes and styles has contributed to his longevity in a fickle business. Like other veteran DJs, he looks back fondly on vinyl — “I miss putting a needle on the record” — but doesn’t necessarily miss schlepping all those EPs: “I’ve carried a lot of crates through the airport,” he laughs. Like most full-time DJs these days, Cruz spends a lot of his time remixing as well as creating original music. He has put his stamp on songs by disco legend Gloria Gaynor, British soul powerhouse Seal, dance diva Joi Cardwell (for whom he just completed “Jump for Joy”), and, in a nod to his roots, recently took on Little Miss Havana herself, Gloria Estefan. Among upcoming gigs, he’s especially looking forward to Monster Brawl, a party in New Orleans during Halloween that brings in several thousand people. At that event, as with every other, he will march to his own drummer, while making sure that the crowd enjoys the trip. “As the DJ, you’re in control of the room,” he says. “You can change everybody’s mood, but as long as everyone leaves with a smile everything is good. Everyone finds joy in where they are at — right now.” 2012-07-31T23:01:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_paulo http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_paulo Hard as it may be to imagine in these days of six-figure payouts for single gigs, not all that long ago spinning records for revelers in a communal space was considered a hobby or a frivolous venture. Thanks to the ambitious spirit and fierce determination of pioneers of this art form — those legendary DJs from the disco era and beyond — beat mixing is now a reputable, sustainable and often quite lucrative career choice. Paulo is as good an example as any of a DJ who has made a name (and a nice living) for himself playing gay clubs and events. On his path to personal and professional success, Paulo shattered one mirror-balled ceiling after another as he steadily and shrewdly rose from bedroom DJ to true artist. His steadfast commitment to developing his exceptional talent and following his passion has yielded much well-deserved acclaim along the way. Now, after more than 20 years behind the decks and in the studio, Paulo has clearly earned his place among the elite ranks of the legendary DJs and producers whose influence and contributions will forever be celebrated on the dance floor. Paulo’s career as a DJ began in the mid-‘80s at what he describes as a “small underground shoebox” in Paris. But it wasn’t until he relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 that he fully embraced his true calling. The Portuguese native had earned an MBA in International Marketing while living in Europe. Frustrated by the corporate grind, however, and discouraged by the dearth of harder-edged music — the deep tribal drums, sexy grooves and percussive beats he and others have made ubiquitous at most big-room clubs — Paulo sought to remedy the situation by taking up the turntables once again. Soon he landed his first major gig spinning alongside DeMarko at the Tom of Finland Man-O-Rama parties in Los Angeles, and then a residency at Spin Afterhours. When Jeffrey Sanker hired him in 2001 to headline the White Party in Palm Springs, his path seemed clear. West Coast DJ, East Coast Sound Since that career-making gig, Paulo has played nearly every major Circuit event and nightclub in the United States and many abroad. Initially known as a “West Coast DJ,” his style of music always had more of an “East Coast sound” — harder, darker, edgier. When the Saint At Large hired him to open the 2002 Black Party, it was the perfect match of artist and venue. Paulo’s dark, sexy beats went down so well that SAL invited him back to headline the party in 2004 and again in 2010. It was in 2004 when Paulo debuted his signature Black Party Mix of Madonna’s “Erotica,” an instant Saint “classic.” Paulo’s latest endeavors are certain to add to his long record of artistic achievements. He plans to spend a lot more time in New York City going forward, thanks to nightlife impresario John Blair and his team at XL Nightclub, who offered him a coveted monthly residency at the first major dedicated gay dance space to open in years (the state-of-the-art club calls to mind Blair’s last venture, the long-running Chelsea club Roxy). His opening night in February of this year brought in a capacity crowd — the club’s first. Paulo says he’s thrilled by the opportunity to build up a major party in the nation’s major city from its beginnings: “XL is the first club where I’ll be able to develop my sound. I can play what I truly love and go in any direction my heart desires. It’s my outlet to experiment and continue building my sound for those who enjoy it. I truly believe in giving my audience a set of music they can’t hear anywhere else and educating people that ‘tribal music’ is not just ‘pots and pans.’” The power of Paulo’s free and expressive sound at XL is a perfect complement to his long-beloved thematic performances. The club’s Phazon sound system provides the perfect instrument for this mixmaster. XL will let him push the envelope while experimenting with a mélange of what he terms “Old Skool New York-style House, new beats, and big-room anthems mixed with deep tribal drums.” Those who were there to enjoy his first night can attest to the overwhelming energy in the room, from hard, pulsating rhythms to random diva “service announcements”: Warning of imminent death by suffocation — “There’s no air in here!”; barking of orders to an imaginary kitchen staff — “Scrub those pots ‘n pans!”; and “Paging Nurse Cracker to the DJ booth.” (For the uninitiated, the first is a remix of an old Madonna interview where she kept complaining about the heat; the second from Alan T’s song “Pots ‘n’ Pans”; and the last, a good-humored in-joke about Paulo’s most devoted camp follower. All Over the Map It should also be noted that Paulo likes to kick it “Old Skool” with his live mixing. “I sample and layer a lot on the fly,” he says. “Sometimes, as with ‘Pots ‘n’ Pans,’ it sounds so good that I go in the studio and do a full mix of that track. That’s why I do a lot of mash-ups. I hear certain vocals with certain tracks, try them live, and if it works, I write the idea down.”  For his part, veteran promoter John Blair is thrilled to be working with Paulo once again. Paulo had played at Blair’s Roxy Saturdays before the Chelsea mainstay shut down for good back in 2007. While some DJs may become less accommodating as their star rises, Blair finds Paulo to be quite the opposite. “Paulo is one of the exceptions,” he explains of his choice for the monthly Saturday nightspot. “The constant great reviews from all over the country were a big factor at first. But when I met him and saw what a great person he was, it was a no-brainer. I predict Paulo will be at the top for a long time because he handles the stress and accolades well, always keeping in mind what his job really is — making people happy.” Back on his home turf in Los Angeles, Paulo spins regularly at Michael Evenstar’s Reflex and Exchange partes, as well as Masterbeat’s holiday weekend parties. The intrepid Billboard-reporting DJ also plays several times a year at Score in the heart of Miami’s South Beach and Hydrate in Chicago’s Boystown, among other venues. He’ll be spinning in Orlando and Atlanta in June, as well as in Toronto, San Francisco and L.A. during their respective Pride weekends. At L.A. Pride, he’ll play the Closing Party at Exchange LA. Saugatuck, Michigan, and Tokyo will also host Paulo for events in July 2012. Inspired by powerhouse tag-teams like Chus + Ceballos and Rosabel, Paulo has collaborated with a number of artists and DJs, such as Montreal’s Alain Jackinsky. The duo has worked together on several remixes, notably Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” Rihanna’s “We Found Love,” and a forthcoming remix from Deborah Cox, “If It Wasn’t for Love.” Another up-and-comer Paulo has taken under his wing is DJ Serving Ovahness. “You’ll be hearing more from him soon,” he promises. An Evolution of Style Hard percussive beats form the foundation upon which Paulo’s intense signature sound is built, and that’s not going to change. But as he’s evolved as an artist, so too has his range, resulting in a dynamic, more diversified sound. Yes, that means more vocals — which are making a comeback, Paulo notes —  especially big diva anthems. This will be catnip for much of his core audience, although Paulo’s more apt to sample and tease them live, usually only playing full vocal versions sparingly but strategically. In the studio, however, it’s a different story. In addition to Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Deborah Cox, Paulo has remixed a pantheon of dance divas, including Suzanne Palmer, Inaya Day, Mary J. Blige and Madonna. Of the latter, he’s hoping her label will commission one or more of his MDNA mixes. For now, they remain part of his private collection, available for consumption only during live performances. Adele, Annie Lennox, Janet Jackson, and, “of course, more Lady Gaga,” are on his wish list of artists whose music he’d like to Paulo-fy in the future. In addition to all the private edits and commercial remixes, Paulo runs his own independent label, Pure Music Productions, with remix partner Todd Dutkevitch. Together with Dutkevitch and other collaborators, Paulo has produced original tracks such as “Deep in Your Diva,” “J’Adore,” “Sex Drive,” and “Locomotive.” No matter where he travels, or how his sound, audience or collaborators evolve, DJ Paulo will always stay true to the reasons he got into the business in the first place –- to honor the beat and to create magic on the dance floor.   2012-05-01T18:17:16+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dave_aude http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dave_aude Remember all those great mixes of your favorite songs you heard at the club last weekend — and probably lots of others you didn’t recognize but loved anyway? There’s a very good chance Dave Audé had something to do with many of them, either as producer, or, if you’re lucky, as the live DJ himself. From Madonna to Rihanna to Gaga, it’s the rare diva who hasn’t benefited from Audé’s dance floor treatment. With such an impressive discography of chart-topping hits spanning the past decade and a half, and our community’s longstanding embrace of his production prowess, it’s hard to believe that it was just last year that Audé (pronounced “Ah-Day”) headlined his first major gay event. Many more followed. If you thought that was a big year for the prolific Grammy award-winning songwriter/producer/DJ, just wait until you hear what he has in store for 2012.  Based in Los Angeles, Audé started out back when there were just two types of dance music: House and techno. “I grew up playing keyboards,” he recalls of the ‘80s, “always believing that one day I would be the keyboard player in Journey or some similar group.” While pop and rock were early influences for the aspiring musician, it wasn’t until one fateful night in 1991 at the L.A. club Truth that Audé found the puzzle’s final missing piece: House music. With new friend and business partner Steve Levy (whom he met that same night), Audé founded Moonshine Music and built a studio that helped launch the careers of many notable contemporaries, perhaps most famously DJ Keoki. “Moonshine was at the forefront of DJ culture,” he proudly notes. “This was before today’s ‘DJ explosion,’ before guys like Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold, and Tiësto had really come on the scene. So my career was really born out of the underground club and rave scene of the early ‘90s.” Audé wrote and produced Keoki’s first (and only) two albums, catapulting the club kid-cum-Party Monster to superstar DJ status. Two years after Moonshine folded in 2004, Audé launched a new venture, Audacious Records, “as a way to put out my own music without having to rely on another label or major one, just to get my music out there for people to listen to; as an avenue to release Dave Audé stuff.” One #1 After Another Often working up to 14 hours a day in the studio, there has been quite a lot of material to release in recent years. In addition to remixing everyone and her fierce diva sister, Audé has had four original productions on his new label; hit Number One on the Billboard charts; and won a 2010 Grammy for his remix of Dean Coleman’s “I Want You” (featuring DCLA). Of the latter, he calls it “a crazy song I didn’t think anybody knew about. It was a great remix, but wasn’t a particularly popular song.” Somehow, he manages to find time to spend with his Gretchen and two baby boys. Oh yes: plus a Saturday night remix show on SiriusXM BPM with fellow superstars Bob Sinclar and David Guetta. About those remixes … Audé boasts an amazing resumé. He’s shepherded 74 records to Billboard’s top dance chart spot thus far. In 2011, he estimates he “only” had 13 or 14. In 2010, he had 18; the year before, 19. “So I’m slowing down a bit,” he jokes. While most of these have been commissioned remixes, Audé has placed more than a few original productions at the top, including 2010’s infectious floor-filler, “Figure It Out,” featuring Isha Coco. Isha Coco is the pseudonym sometimes used by Audé’s good friend and songwriting partner, Luciana Caporaso, with whom he penned (and she ultimately performed) the infamous “I’m Still Hot,” another chart-topper which boasts the unique twist of featuring none other than an 89-year-old Betty White on both the single and, perhaps more famously, the video. “I actually wrote it for a Playboy centerfold,” he admits. “A sort of tongue-in-cheek ‘Barbie Girl’ type song for a girl who couldn’t really sing, wasn’t really interested in having a music career.” So he reworked the lyrics with Luciana, and in what Audé fondly recalls as “just one of those great moments in life,” hooked up with (still very hot!) Betty White and filmed the video. It went viral, hit Number One, and resulted in Audé eventually meeting the Golden Girl, a cherished experience he likens to working with Sting a few years prior. More Original Songwriting Perhaps it was inevitable that the big gay promoter-producers would come calling. Among the first was legendary Circuit party impresario Jeffrey Sanker, who invited Audé to headline his signature event, the White Party Palm Springs, in 2010. Audé will be back in April spinning what is perhaps the world’s largest Tea Dance on Easter Sunday for Sanker and thousands of desert-worshipping revelers. “I’m bringing along a huge, huge artist I’ve worked with, and that’s all I’m going to say,” he (semi-)reveals. He’s also played Gay Pride events around the country, and one of the spookiest gigs imaginable: a Halloween party benefitting L.A.’s Gay & Lesbian Center staged at the Hollywood Cemetery. Audé is certainly best known for his relentless remix work. He’s “worked with everybody that I’ve wanted to work with.” He even turned down a request from Mariah Carey solely because it was a Christmas song, something he had no interest in doing. Now, he’s looking forward to doing much more songwriting with Luciana, Gypsy Woman Crystal Waters, and other new artists. He just finished songs with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Nadia Ali, Lazonate Franklin (co-writer of Lady Gaga’s “Telephone”) and Australian electronic duo The Nervo Twins. He also plans to release a new album of original material sometime in 2012. Audé credits producers like “Mutt” Lange, Erasure’s Vince Clarke, Stuart Price, and Axwell from Swedish House Mafia as heavy influences. In return, he believes in helping others kick-start their own careers. In order to give everyone a fair chance, he decided to host a remix contest on Audacious Records. “I don’t have time to listen to all this stuff you guys are throwing at me,” he told his fans. “So let’s do a remix contest.” He offered “Something for the Weekend,” co-written with Luciana. At the end of each 14-hour day, Audé counts his blessings, having made it in a profession where few achieve success, let alone making a living wage. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” he proclaims. “I’m very fortunate to have found a way to make money doing something that I love. I’ve got lots of work, people calling me every day to work on their stuff, and a beautiful family. I can’t really ask for much more — except maybe for two more of me, so I could do even more music.”   2012-02-08T18:29:13+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/alyson_calagna http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/alyson_calagna When you listen to Alyson Calagna, whether on a dance floor in New York, Rome, or Bangkok; at the gym through your iPod playing her latest podcast; or as you walk down the street streaming one of her songs through her new mobile app, you can’t help but move. Her beats are infectious, her sounds sensual, and her mixes sublime. This East Coast DJ with a West Coast soul travels the world connecting people through her music and building an ever-growing tribe of followers. Calagna recently headlined at the Gay Village, a summer festival in Rome complete with bars, restaurants, crepe stands and gelato booths, as well as two huge stages. Alyson found herself right at home onstage in front of this crowd. “It’s really refreshing musically, because I can completely let go,” says a DJ whose House sound especially resonates in Europe. “There’s so much freedom when you’re playing for a huge, mixed crowd.” This particular congregation is even closer to Calagna’s heart because of her Sicilian heritage. “It feels like a homecoming,” she says. Her real home was originally Houma, Louisiana, an hour south of New Orleans. From there her family moved to Baton Rouge, then Dubai, then Aberdeen, Scotland, where she first encountered House music. Alyson recruited some guys to back her as Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses in a lip-sync contest hosted by her school. She won, but it was a performance of Black Box’s “Ride on Time” that changed her life. “What is this music?” she remembers asking. “My quest went on from there.” The following year, Alyson and her family moved back to Louisiana, this time Lafayette. She learned how to DJ from a friend who worked in a local teen club; by age 17, she had landed her first residency at a local bar, Images. After moving to Fort Lauderdale, she DJ’d at Power 96, a local Miami radio station, but couldn’t land any club bookings. While working at a record store, she met a guy buying equipment for a club he was building in New Orleans and gave him a demo.Southern Exposure Having no luck in South Florida, Alyson decided to move back to Louisiana, but almost immediately was ready to decamp to Minneapolis. The night before leaving, Alyson got a call from Mike Mazer, who owned the legendary South Beach club Salvation, asking her to spin a lesbian party. When she told him that she had moved back to Louisiana, he told her he was opening up a new club in New Orleans called 735. When Mazer called the manager of the new club to tell him about Alyson, the manager told Mazer that he had met this girl in Florida named Alyson and really liked her demo. She got the job. “735 was the greatest residency that I ever had,” says Calagna. “I would play 12-hour sets every Saturday from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.” The Bourbon Street hot spot propelled her career; before long, Mazer was also booking her at Salvation in Miami. She particularly loved the Miami sound; Latin percussion and rhythms were what had drawn her to South Florida in the first place. Soon enough, she started to branch out, to Nation in D.C., Miami’s Crobar, and Circuit parties like Miami’s White Party after-hours, Gay Days’ Arabian Nights, Montreal’s Blue Ball, D.C.’s Cherry, Dallas’ Purple Party, Detroit’s Motorball and even Bangkok’s Songkran. This past year marked two significant achievements in her career: headlining the Winter Party main event in Miami and making her debut at Alegria in New York. “Alegria for me is one of those huge milestones,” says Calagna. “It’s been on the list for a really long time. As far as the U.S. goes, there’s no better place for my sound. I love percussion. I love deeper stuff. It’s what moves me the most.” An After-Hours Sound She particularly enjoys the late-night/early-morning slot, going on at 5 or 6 a.m. “It’s like church to me,” she says. Playing at that time at the mammoth Alegria parties is an ideal slot. She says it’s very freeing “to be able to go and play the music that I play to a crowd that just wants it.” After playing Memorial Day in New York, impresario Ric Sena selected Alyson to play at the first-ever Alegria in Los Angeles with Ralphi Rosario this past Labor Day weekend. Now Alyson is on the roster to share the spotlight with Abel at Alegria Halloween. Abel, whom Calagna affectionately refers to as “Papa Bear,” will start it off, but she’ll get her favorite slot, the closing hours. “For me, as much as I love vocals, I love instrumentals just as much,” Calagna says. “If you hear vocals all night long, I feel like you’re being told what to feel, whereas when you hear instruments, you are the writer. You hear your intuition. You get to hear what that voice is telling you.” Spirit of the Beat Calagna feels a connection to her own inner voice when she’s on the mat practicing yoga, which she started about eight years ago. Her yoga and meditation practice have affected her profoundly, both as a person and as an artist. Two years ago, Alyson released Omtronica: Music for the Seeker, combining the pulsing beats of house music and Middle Eastern soundscapes with Sanskrit chants, the poetry of Rumi, and messages of inspiration. “Omtronica is that mix between my spiritual path and music,” she says. She recently released the second volume, inspired by her experience playing at Buddha Bar in D.C. this past New Year’s Eve. She was nervous to release Omtronica at first because she wondered what people would think of something so personal. But she decided that this was her expression as an artist: “Now people know who I am on a personal level.” That, in turn, has deepened her connection to her fans, opening up a dialogue between them: “It’s become this really cool exchange of knowledge between what I know and what they know. I didn’t know we shared a lot of the same core belief system.” Calagna refers to these fans as the Tribe, fellow seekers who follow her on her journey both on and off the dance floor. “It’s so much more for me spiritually than it is just about the music. The Tribe represents that for me, a sense of togetherness,” she says. “We’re all there to go on this ride together.” She communicates with the Tribe via her Facebook page (DJ Alyson Calagna), which has almost 6,500 fans, her Twitter account (@djalysoncalagna), and through her Omtronica Blog at http://www.omtronica.com where she shares her insights and inspirations. Firing on All Cylinders Calagna has kept pace with technology as well as music. She’s developed her own mobile app (for iPhone and Android) that brings everything together in one place. Find out about upcoming performances, access her blog, read her tweets, buy her music — all without leaving the comfort of your phone. You can even listen to her latest podcast, Momentum, from the app. Momentum encapsulates Calagna’s current club sound. Her original podcasts, House Blend and Sunlife, which Calagna created around the Winter Party main event, are also available on iTunes. The different podcasts show her range and versatility, from sunny, jazzy uplifting grooves to deep, dark, progressive house. In addition to working in the studio on her own music, Alyson is currently working with producer Flynn Nolan on a track called “Lost in the Music.” She works often with Jose Spinnin in Mexico. She also worked with Barry Huffine as The Housekeeperz; in 2003, the duo produced a track called “Wurkin’” with Ceevox. To really get the feel for Alyson’s House blend, you have to hear her live, surrounded by like-minded souls as she takes you on a journey through the darkness and into the light. She will be in New York for Alegria Halloween on October 30 at the Nokia Theatre. The following weekend, she’s spinning at Hell & Heaven in Bahia, Brazil. Check her website, http://www.djalysoncalagna.com or he,r app for other upcoming gigs.   2011-10-28T18:05:34+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/francesco_pagano http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/francesco_pagano Circuit parties are about music. They’re about dancing. They’re about eyeballing gorgeous men with sweaty torsos. They’re about doing many other things with gorgeous men with sweaty torsos. But they’re also about building a global community. Witness the unique, amazing and inspiring sense of connectivity that is formed when hundreds of men celebrate the universal language of a beat, and put their hands in the air in simultaneous salute to the party gods. Once upon a time, DJ Pagano longed to feel that kind of community that only music brings. “Sicily is a beautiful place,” says Pagano, who grew up on the southern Italian island. Though he cherishes memories of growing up in Sicily, he explains, “Back in the day — and this was before the Internet — it felt so far away from everything.” It felt especially far from the U.S.A., where much of the music Pagano loved was originating. He would head to the local record store to pick up vinyl from legends emerging out of the Detroit techno and Chicago House scene: producer-remixers like David Morales, Frankie Knuckles and Ralphi Rosario. He’d listen to his records and the booming music coming from Marabu, a nightclub not far from his parent’s summer home, and it would take him on a sonic journey. By the time he was 16, he was hitting raves in the Sicilian mountains. Around the same time he started spinning and spent the better part of the ‘90s cutting his teeth at clubs and events around Italy. At a prodigiously young age, he wound up the head of A&R for Italian label Media Records and in-house producer for the SAIFAM group. And he began to notch his belt with international DJ work that today reads like a laundry list of enviably high-profile club and event gigs: from Privilege and Space (Ibiza) to ARQ (Sydney), Circuit Festival (Barcelona) to Club Latex (Cairo) to Fresh (Amsterdam) — just to name a few. In the early part of this century, he moved to London to be a part of the city’s explosive club scene. The DJ-producer is now based in London, where he can often be heard at the legendary party Trade at Ministry of Sound. He’s also had London residencies at Heaven and Fabri, plus annually headlining the after-hours at the renowned Amsterdam event Rapido. His work as a producer and remix artist, meanwhile, continued to flourish: He’s collaborated with Robin S, Chus & Ceballos, Mauro Picotto, and (how’s this for coming full circle?) one of his own earliest influences, Ralphi Rosario. (“Getting to know him and work with him was a dream come true!” he says.) That’s the bullet-point biography, but what really defines Pagano is his approach to, and perspective on, the Circuit. Yes, he’s made good on his early dreams, carving himself a major niche in the global electronic music scene. But what’s truly special is how that early desire to be part of a larger community through music informs the approach he brings to his craft: he’s passionate about bringing crowds together and encouraging unity among all party people. “One of my favorite parties to play is La Demence in Brussels,” explains Pagano. This regularly scheduled party exemplifies everything great and unifying about gay dance parties: “Everyone converges there, and it fuses the best in all sorts of gay people: bears, leather, fashionistas, young, old. It’s all about the music. Everyone is friendly, there’s no attitude.” He gets the same positive vibe from the crowds he’s spun for at Gay Days in Orlando, or from New York club kids decked out in their elaborate outfits. Pagano loves nothing more than a party where pretense is checked at the door, and crowd members come together as one. “To me, that’s the spirit of a party,” he says. “Friendly people meeting other people who are there to have a good time.” Sometimes, the best times are had not only when disparate groups within the gay community come together, but when all partiers do. “In Europe, many of the best, coolest parties are mixed,” he says, comparing those “50/50” crowds to the relatively segregated gay scene in the U.S. He’s also a bit disappointed by the more commercialized music that is now the soundtrack to many gay parties. “It used to be that you’d go to gay clubs to hear the cool new music,” he says. “But I’d get bored if I went out every week and listened to countless remixes of the same-old-same-old pop artists already overplayed on the radio,” he says, adding that some of the edgiest sounds right now are emerging from mixed scenes. So Pagano fills his sets with what he loves to hear: exclusive bootlegs and cutting edge productions, and dirty, sexy stuff that encompasses everything from hard House to tribal. His style is serving him well, as his profile continues to rise, especially Stateside: among the most recent highlights was his 2010 debut at New York City’s massive Alegria, where he was invited to return for a second set within just six months. Over the last year he’s also been a marquee name at no less than White Party Palm Springs and Atlantis’ 20th Anniversary Caribbean Cruise, among other gigs. Other big coups in 2011 include Infinita Gay Week in Madrid and The Week in Sao Paulo. He’s already booked to spin Allure 2012, another Atlantis Caribbean cruise at the beginning of next year. Besides his live work, he’s become a force to be reckoned with for his work in the studio. In the past year he has scored two Top 10 hits on the club charts and released Digital Generation, a progressive House compilation on U.S. label Kult Records that includes eight of his own original tracks. Plus, he continues to churn out releases on Deviate Records, the independent record label he founded in 2006. The Deviate brand has grown to encompass events, including hugely successful monthlies at Barcode Vauxhall in London. There’s less and less of it these days, but in his spare time Pagano does have one hobby that’s not quite as sexy as spinning: “I’m a shameless sci-fi geek,” he confesses with a laugh. Yes, you might catch him browsing through comic book stores when he’s not in record shops; and one of his original productions, “Kissing the Wookie,” is indeed named in reference to one of his favorite movies, Star Wars. “I know, it’s kind of uncool!” he laughs. Hardly. This Italian master beat mixer is proof that the gay party scene is ready for something — and someone — who brings a difference to the dance floor. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/randy_bettis http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/randy_bettis This NYC master mixer’s evolving style keeps him relevant — in the DJ booth and the recording studio. They say if you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere. That’s doubly true for creative types, who must compete with the best and brightest. Even more impressive are those rare and exceptional individuals who manage to accomplish their goals in multiple genres. Meet Randy Bettis. This Renaissance man’s dancing, acrobatic, and DJ skills have brought him renown in all those disciplines. Now focusing on music production and remixing, he’s gearing up to conquer yet another field. His personal odyssey began in 1985, when he moved from Nashville, where he danced with a troupe at Opryland USA, to New York City to pursue a career on Broadway. He soon landed a gig touring with a production of Cats in Germany. When he returned to New York in 1987, three different stints in Cats followed, as did parts in the critically acclaimed revival of Guys & Dolls, and the highly successful and long-running Miss Saigon. In 1992, he performed in a show at Walt Disney World in Orlando. That same year, he eclipsed a pre-superstar Britney Spears when his dance group “Boys Back East” was crowned Grand Champion Dance Team on CBS’s Star Search. Incidentally, veteran Broadway performer Marty Thomas beat out Spears in that year’s Junior Vocalist competition. Thomas is now collaborating with Bettis on music production. Like all dancers, Bettis had to face the fact that all that hoofing tears up the body, and a dancer has a relatively short shelf life. So he began exploring other, lower impact, creative outlets. A major fan of dance music and club culture, Bettis attended Miami’s Winter Music Conference in 1997 and had his “Eureka!” moment. DJing, he decided, would be a perfect fit for his particular interests and skill set. He proved to be a natural at the craft and soon landed house party gigs for his Broadway pals that eventually caught the eyes and ears of two of New York’s then-biggest party promoters, Marc Berkley and John Blair. Bookings for smaller gigs began trickling in, in Manhattan and on Fire Island. Eventually, he landed a coveted weekly residence at Splash. That helped Bettis establish a loyal local fan base as well as worldwide name recognition, thanks to the many out-of-town visitors for whom a night at the popular Chelsea club is considered as essential as a trip to the Statue of Liberty.Breakthoughs: Winter Party, Black Party, Pier Dance His first big break on the nationwide DJ scene happened in 2001, when Bettis was selected to participate in Winter Party’s annual DJ Showcase. “It was the first time that people outside of the New York club scene had a chance to hear me,” he recalls. “Tony Moran was one of the organizers that year, and that’s when I first came under his eye.” The showcase also introduced Bettis to Corbett Reynolds of the Columbus Red Party, and both connections helped pave the way for future success. It was in 2005, though, when Bettis’ (second) career really skyrocketed with three high-profile bookings. First there was the Saint at Large’s New Year’s Day party, Escape to Candyland, at Capitale. When he was put on the roster to do the coveted Morning Music segment at the Black Party in March, it marked his arrival as a major Circuit DJ. Heritage of Pride chose him to open its gargantuan Dance on the Pier, the capper to New York’s Pride March and, like the Black Party, one of the best-known parties in the world. Residencies at Limelight, Sound Factory, Stereo, Blu, XL, The Monster, and Pavilion in New York and Fire Island soon followed. Bettis is also unusual in having regular gigs in clubs in other cities, such as Velvet Nation and Town Danceboutique in Washington; in Provincetown; at Philadelphia’s Pure; Steel in Fort Lauderdale; RSVP cruises; and the party for which he has become most closely associated, Gay Days in Orlando, Florida. The latter spawned the nationwide Gay Days Tour. Bettis has helmed eight well-received Gay Days CDs for Centaur Music, as well as the White Party and Cherry CDs, as part of the label’s prolific Party Groove series. Retooling Gay Days Bettis is looking forward to touring again this summer in support of his latest Gay Days CD, but is planning to retool the concept to give audiences a slightly different and more innovative experience. “With anything that’s been around a while, people want something new and fresh,” Bettis says. “People used to love getting a physical CD to commemorate the party, but now with digital downloads being the norm, all you have to hand them is a card, which doesn’t feel as special. So we’re working on reinventing the tour to appeal to the next generation.” For the better part of the last decade, Bettis has been exclusively associated with one of his personal favorites, the pool parties during Gay Days. This year, he’s ratcheting it up a bit to play another water-inspired event, Riptide, the signature event at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. “It’s an event I’ve always wanted to play,” Bettis admits. “But I never thought I’d be asked to play it because I do the Gay Days pool parties every year, which aren’t affiliated. So I thought it might be a conflict of interest.” Luckily, the event organizers at Broward House, Broward County, Florida’s oldest and largest non-profit HIV/AIDS community service organization for which the party is a fundraiser, felt differently. So with Gay Days’ blessing, Bettis will play one of the weekend’s largest events, mixing it up for an estimated 6,000 soaking wet revelers on Friday, June 3.   Also on the horizon is a headlining gig in Provincetown during the hot-hot-hot July Fourth Weekend. He’ll be spinning the Pier Dance on McMillan Pier as part of David Flower’s Summer Camp. Bettis considers it “a much more manageable kind of Pier Dance. It feels like you’re at the end of the world, on the ocean, partying with a smaller group of friends.” Involvement With AIDS Causes On Sunday, June 19, Bettis continues his long involvement with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS when he will DJ the enormous — and enormously successful event — at Roseland Ballroom. Bettis has played a pivotal role in nearly all of the annual benefits for the group’s events since its inception in 1990: first as a featured dancer for several early years; then as the evening’s DJ for all but one of the remaining years since. In his spare time (yes, somehow he manages to find it), Bettis does a weekly mixshow on G.I.R.L. (Gay Internet Radio Live) and a satellite broadcast on Sirius Radio’s OutQ Saturday Night Out. He also acts as a reporting DJ for Billboard and is a member of the Recording Academy, meaning his vote helps determine who receives Grammy Awards.  Bettis revels in finding — and creating — fresh remixes of old classics. He’s been known to drop updated versions of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon,” Erasure’s “A Little Respect,” and his personally remixed cover by Jason Walker of one of his favorite club hits, Sabrina Johnson’s “What Hope Have I.” Bettis is currently working with his BetBoyz production partner, composer/arranger David Boyd (whose many credits include writing the music for the off-Broadway smash My Big Gay Italian Wedding), on a cover of Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” with singer Matt Zarley. The single is going to be released as a benefit for The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to preventing suicides in the LGBTQ community. Last year, he produced a Pride anthem, “Pride Is the Word.” Like any good DJ, Bettis’ sound has evolved over the years. “My night tells a story,” Bettis explains of his core philosophy. “I still think of it in respect to having a dialogue with the audience. It’s really about the vocals telling a story.” But lately he’s been transitioning into newer ground, experimenting with a more progressive sound, a “House party DJ with a big room sound. I think music got a little thin or a little dark for a while,” he notes. “I was having trouble trying to figure out which direction I wanted to go in. But I think now I find myself going much more for a bigger room sound, a more tribal sound, with more of a world feel.” Along with further developing his remix skills and working more on the engineering side of things, Bettis is looking to play more international gigs. He’d particularly like to check out hot spots like Barcelona, Brazil and London, all nightlife Meccas. “I just want to go and see how people react to dance music, and just learn from difference cultures,” he says. “For me, that’s the next step.” Wish List Typhoon Lagoon @ Disney (Orlando) Black & Blue (Montreal) The Week (São Paulo) Circuit Festival (Barcelona) Mardi Gras (Sydney) Where Nightlife Surprised Me Shanghai (D2 Nightclub) Indianapolis (Talbott Street) Saugatuck (The Dunes) Charlotte (The Eagle) Ogunquit (Mainestreet Nightclub) Favorite Club Reworks Band of Gold by Kimberley Locke (Almighty Club Mix) Relight My Fire by Ricky Martin ft. Loleatta Holloway (Hex Hector Club Mix) Don’t Stop Believing by Brian Kent (Keith Haarmeyer Remix) Saturday Night Sunday Morning by T-Empo Feat. Juliet Roberts (T-Empo Club Mix) If You Could Read My Mind by Stars on 54 (Amber, Ultra Nate & Jocelyn Enriquez) (Hex Hector Club Mix) Favorite Summer Classics Life, Love & Happiness by Brian Kennedy (Jimmy Gomez Club Mix) Breathe by Vick Moore (Club Mix) High by Lighthouse Family (Original Vocal Mix) Looking At You by Sunscreem (Jimmy Gomez Club Mix) Let The Sunshine In by Milk & Sugar (all mixes) 2011-04-29T05:55:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/the_perry_twins http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/the_perry_twins Doug and Derek Perry are perfectly comfortable finishing each other’s sentences. It’s a twin thing. The way they work in tandem helps mesh their DJ sets into an organic flow, even though there are two at the controls. Where most brothers would be squabbling over what to play next, the Perry Twins are effortlessly passing the tables to one another — and blowing away crowds across the globe with their signature sound. “We had actually seen each other every day of our lives until we were 20 years old, which is really weird,” Derek explains. It’s the kind of “weird” that people are increasingly learning to love about these two stars from Los Angeles. With huge hits under their belt like “Activate My Body” featuring Jania and “Bad, Bad Boy” with Niki Haris, success is obviously in their blood. A Family Affair Growing up in Rhode Island, Doug and Derek tried in vain every Thursday to hear the latest episode of Seinfeld over the sound of their parents’ band, which was called Fortune. It was a “huge distraction when all we wanted to do was watch TV, do our homework and go to sleep,” Doug says. “But we did get to hear a lot of great music. I really miss going to sleep hearing our mom singing and our dad playing the drums ‘til 2 in the morning.” It’s not often the kids have to tell their parents to keep the noise down.  They may have been loud, but the twins learned valuable lessons from them about hard work and making it as entertainers. “We grew up appreciating all kinds of music, and now we share the same passion for music that they do,” Derek says. “We had the added benefit of our ears ringing a little bit on Friday mornings, and now we’re returning that gift to them when they come see us DJ,” he mischievously adds. The best lesson they learned was how not to take life too seriously. “For them, it was all about having a good time and making people happy,” Doug notes. “That’s how we try to approach things, too.” The boys wasted no time grabbing the musical baton from their parents. They started DJing at local clubs at an early age and launched Dance Planet, a radio show that ran for five years in New England. Touring with a dance troupe of the same name along the East Coast gave them a 360-degree view of what it takes to put on a great show. It doesn’t hurt that these two are easy on the eyes, but they put in the time and work to make sure they were much more than just a pair of pretty faces. Go West, Young Men Their love of the Ocean State couldn’t keep these restless spirits from eventually wandering west to seek their fortune. Driving around the City of Angels in 2003 was enough to convince them that this was where they belonged. The promise of sun and showbiz has lured many beautiful boys who want to be stars (and end up pumping gas and parking cars). The twins had their talent and a ton of experience already, though, so they quickly became fixtures in the local Circuit scene. Looking like models never hurts in L.A., either. Like many DJs, they eventually started producing their own tracks. In 2007, while putting together a compilation called Activate, they decided to contribute an original song of their own. They had been writing songs since they were kids, so it seemed like the natural thing to do. They considered calling it “Activate My Love,” but then decided to turn the volume up a bit and went with “Activate My Body.” The rest is dancefloor history The track spent several months on the Billboard’s Hot Dance/Club Play chart. A smoldering hot video and megawatt remix from Escape and Dom Capello made it official. The Perry Twins had arrived. Divas To The Dancefloor, Please But they didn’t do it alone. “Once it started coming together, we knew that our friend Jania, who is an amazing singer and performer, would be perfect for the vocals and to bring the song to life,” Doug reminisces. They were right: Jania belts out the lyrics with the full force of a seasoned dancefloor diva. They also worked with Quinn Coleman on writing the track. Quinn is like “the third Perry Twin,” according to Doug. All the ingredients were now in place to take it to the next level. Having worked with Circuit luminaries such as Kristine W., Niki Haris, Ari Gold, and Tony Moran, one begins to wonder if the term “diva” is ever more than just a compliment. Derek assured us that “most of the club divas we’ve met and worked with have been extremely humble and sweet.” A great example is Abigail, whom they worked with recently on “We’ll Never Know.” She was “so easy to work with and is so down to earth in addition to obviously being extremely talented,” explains Derek. Of course, stressful situations arise in the business of show, but the worst these two have ever experienced was a heel to the head from a fired-up club diva, who shall remain nameless. Doug laughs about it now, telling us “she’s like our sister and I still love her. I just keep my distance when she has one of her stilettos in hand.” World Domination and Beyond! Maybe it’s the fact that they grew up on the East Coast and relocated to the West Coast, but their musical style is a syncretism of the two very different sounds found along the Atlantic and Pacific. The Perry Twins definitely play upbeat, even poppy mixes of diva anthems and straightforward-beat scansions that are associated with L.A. But to that, they add bass-driven House derivatives and some non-vocal, drum-based interludes. That combination is what is making them a favorite choice for Circuit venues, where the crowd is divided between the melody-and-lyrics camp and the tribal-drum-‘n’-bass boys. At this point, the tiwns have toured the world, whipping crowds into a frenzy in gay hotspots like Montreal, Dallas, Boston, San Francisco and even a major party on Fire Island. Playing the Bay Dance last year was a highlight for the Twins. Doug told us it was “so cool” to play from a booth jutting into Great South Bay with fireworks going off around them. They hope they have the opportunity to do it again soon. Meanwhile, they keep expanding their repertoire. They mention Richard “Humpty” Vission and Afrojack as dream collaborators, but they don’t limit their imaginations. Derek’s list “is seemingly endless when it comes to people who we want to work with in 2011. How much space do we have here for the complete list?” Coming up, the Perry Twins will be appearing at the Purple Party in Dallas and Mark Baker’s Wonderland in Orlando. Don’t worry, they assured noiZe that “there will be quite a few Perry Twins releases in 2011. We have some big projects which we can’t announce yet — but this should definitely be our best year yet!” Where the Twins Have Been A few sample gigs from the fraternal duo: Unity - Montreal Red Dress Party - Seattle Fresh - San Francisco Splash Bash - Phoenix The Roxy - Boston Tracks - Denver Krave - Las Vegas Gay Ski Week - Telluride, Colo. Pride Ball - San Diego Babylon - Salt Lake City Nation - Mexico White Party - Palm Springs Twisted Element - Calgary Winter Party Weekend - Miami Ascension Weekend - Fire Island Black & White Ball - New York Jungle - Atlanta 2011-02-15T09:54:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/moto_blanco http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/moto_blanco Ask any DJ/producers if they crave some form of mainstream success, and many will scoff at you, claiming to prefer the grind of struggling in the underground. This is most likely a lie; every artist wants to be recognized for his or her achievements — along with all the critical attention and economic rewards. Most of them never get there, which is why the idealized “underground” is such a popular answer to the question. Danny Harrison and Arthur Smith — the two men behind the British power production team Moto Blanco — have seen both sides of this equation. For almost two decades, they haven’t had any problem playing huge venues as major draws, while enjoying huge success as producers for major-label artists like Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna. When you ask them about their mainstream success, however, you quickly realize that these two prefer to let the music do the talking for them — which might help explain their runaway success. “We are men of few words,” says Danny Harrison, who also works under the name Bobby Blanco. “Just listen to the music.” People have been listening to, and loving, their production work in one form or another since 1989. A Mutual Love of Music A mutual love of music is what brought Danny and Arthur together, way back when they had met as schoolmates. Like many great British music stories, it all started in a record store. “We met in the ‘90s in the now-legendary London record shop Big Apple Records in Croydon,” explains Danny. “I was making tracks on the weekends and evenings but had a ‘nine-to-five’ shipping in U.S. import 12-inchers, picking them up at the airport and selling them to the London shops. Arthur had a studio above the shop, so we’d always chat about music and stuff.” Those chats led to an appreciation of each other’s musical tastes and talents, so they started cutting tracks together. “I honestly can’t remember the first track we did; I guess it was a U.K. Garage thing,” Danny recalls, “maybe a Menta track.” Soon thereafter, Defected Records signed the duo, and they were having a blast doing what they both loved best. Phoning up their DJ friends with fake bookings became a thing of the past, but that mischievous spirit still permeates the Moto Blanco sound. As for that crazy name: Danny already had been using the pseudonym Bobby Blanco, and asked Arthur to come up with one of his own. Arthur had seen and loved the name Mikimoto in Japan. However, releasing a steadily increasing number of tracks as a “Bobby Blanco and Miki Moto remix” seemed tedious and verbose. So they shorthanded it to Moto Blanco. Not surprisingly, Danny notes, “Everyone thought we were a Spanish, Italian, or Japanese duo of producers,” as many still do! “They still get a shock when they find out we are two South London herberts,” U.K. slang for “couch potato.”  Croydon, where they met, was also the birthplace of Dubstep, the gritty, constantly evolving sound of the U.K. underground dance scene. Originally just dub versions of the more popular 2-Step Garage tracks that incorporated the breaks and dark basslines of Jungle, Dubstep has splintered into a myriad of micro-genres. “For me, the real pioneers of that scene were the U.S. guys,” Danny says — names like Victor Simonelli, MK, Todd Edwards, Jazz-N-Groove, Wayne Gardiner. “That was the music I was hearing and playing. We’d speed it up and play the dubs, but soon U.K. producers were bringing their twist to it — a bit heavier on the bass. It’s now U.K. Funky and Dubstep that are the sound of young London.” Given the storied trans-Atlantic musical ping-pong effect between the States and Great Britain, it’s no surprise that the Dubstep sound eventually found proponents in the Hip-Hop and R&B scene, with producers like Timbaland cashing in on the kinetic sound. As for Moto Blanco, their sound evolved from Dubstep eventually to settle into the fun, upbeat, Disco-House variant that has made them the latest import sensation in the Circuit world. AT Home Abroad These two “South London herberts” have managed to find a happy home in the international — and, more recently, U.S. — Circuit scene. Just this year, they played some prominent tea dances and headlined the Pines Party, the big oceanfront all-night event, as well as the Saturday night before the even bigger oceanfront Ascension Party at Fire Island’s prestigious Pavilion. No doubt, it’s their infectious, happy sound, as well as their ability to draw marquee-name talent to their remixing abilities, that have the Circuit boiz dancing. Even on those rare occasions when they have found a crowd unresponsive, they have managed to make omelettes from the broken eggs. “We’ve done gigs in Russia where our remixes have cleared the floor,” admits Harrison. “But fuck ‘em! The bar staff seemed to like it!” Asked about their big-label appeal, Danny says, “In this game you’re only as good as your last mix. We’d been busy, but after the first Grammy nomination for Mary J. Blige’s ‘Be Without You,’ things went crazy. We were booked up with mixes for months and months, and it didn’t slow down.” Miss Mary J. can have that effect on a career. Not afraid of being radio-friendly, the duo was soon working with people like Leona Lewis and Jennifer Hudson. They both harbor a healthy respect for such artists. “They are all amazing songs and brilliant singers,” Danny said. “You can’t fail.” Despite working with such glittering talent, it was a complimentary email from the Brazilian Bossa Nova legend Sergio Mendes that meant the most to them as artists. What does the future hold for these two venerable producers? Danny makes sure to point out that music is the driving force behind what they do, and that isn’t likely to change: “Even if we weren’t making music, it would still be in our lives! We live it, eat it, and breathe it!” They still love “a good knees-up,” when they have the downtime, and they enjoy the party scene in all of its variety. This lack of attitude and cynicism is as likely to keep them in the dance music spotlight as the music itself. Danny Harrison concluded that a healthy respect for the past might be the best recipe for the future. “My earliest memories of clubbing were hearing a Funk track, then a House track, then Techno, Disco, Reggae … anything! The highs and lows of the night are what it’s all about. Good music is good music. I think we need to get back to that a bit more.”   2010-11-02T09:28:20+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/twisted_dee_and_phil_b http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/twisted_dee_and_phil_b With August here, you can look forward to one of the month’s big events — the party that you have been waiting for since last August. Now in its fifth year, Fire Island Pines’ “Ascension” has grown from a single beach party to an entire weekend of parties, performances and events with something for everyone. Of course, the main attraction remains the main beach party, which starts at noon on Sunday, Aug. 15. But the night before, at 6 p.m., the tradition of High Tea will take on a new life with the addition of two faces already familiar to the Circuit. DJ Twisted Dee and DJ Phil B will take their positions at the turntables and turn the traditional Tea into a four-hour dance party that will effectively serve as the opening act to the main party. Like a runner who carbo-loads the night before a marathon, our dynamic duo will set out to energize the partygoers and give them a warm-up for the events to follow on Sunday morning. In other words, hire someone to cook dinner that night because no one in your house should miss this event! Two years ago on July Fourth, tragedy brought together two talents who had admired each other but had never worked together before. Cary Stringfellow was a mutual friend to both Dee Martello (DJ Twisted Dee) and DJ Phil B (Phil Bhullar). After Stringfellow’s untimely death, Dee (who is based on the East Coast) and Phil B. (who is based on the West Coast) met and were immediately booked to spin at Splash Days in Austin, Texas, over the Labor Day weekend. Stringfellow, a well-known and much-loved DJ and club owner from Salt Lake City, was originally slated to headline the event. The pairing of these bi-coastal DJs can only be categorized as serendipitous, and will remain as the legacy of his unfortunate death. The joy they create together is a tribute to Stringfellow and the 36 years he lived. I spoke to both DJs individually by phone, and they both emphasized the impact that Stringfellow had on their lives personally and professionally. “Cary brought people together in his personal life as well as on the dance floor,” Martello says with a bittersweet tone. “Without Cary Stringfellow, there is no Twisted Dee and Phil B partnership. He was one in a million.” “I cannot imagine my life without him in it,” Phil B says. “He will be with me every day of my life.” Opposites Attract It is a well-known and accepted notion that opposites attract but rarely do they complement and balance one another like these two. Dee Martello was raised in the Long Island suburbs — in Commack, N.Y. She attended Hauppauge High School, not far from the Great South Bay, the body of water that separates Long Island from Fire Island. She looks back nostalgically about the place where she first became interested in turntables and the dance floor: “My dad owned the Sting in Smithtown, one of the first discotheques on Long Island. So when I got out of school, I would go over and help the bartender and cut fruit. One day after I finished, I walked into the DJ booth. I never wanted to leave.” When the club closed a few years later, Dee inherited the DJ equipment and vinyl: “At that point there was no turning back.”  Bhullar’s own road to the DJ booth started early, when he was about eight years old. His family was living in England at the time. “From a young age, I remember being fascinated by dance music,” he recalls. “Every dime I had was spent on records.” His first 12-inch single was Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lets’ “Get Dancing.” “The disc wore out long ago but I have the cover framed,” Bhullar jokes. He has been working throughout the world as a DJ for 22 years and has spun at most of the major U.S. Circuit events at one time or another. “I have always been fascinated by this country, the politics, the culture, the diversity,” he says. “I was living in Australia when my career really began, but I soon realized what a small place it was and that I would have to move to another country if my career was going to grow.” So he moved to San Francisco, where his career really took off. Mutual Admiration Since that first gig, the duo has played close to a dozen events together. “Event producers like to call it ‘dueling DJs’ to set up the intrigue of competition,” Bhullar says. “But we really don’t duel; we balance each other’s style.” After all, how can you dual with someone you admire and respect so much? “Phil is phenomenal. His music is totally different from mine in so many ways, but I love what he does,” Martello exclaims. “He has the ability to work the most docile dance floor into a frenzy.” Ditto on his part: “The first time I heard Denise spin I was amazed. Her mixes are seamless and sexy and energized. Any major Circuit event is incomplete without Denise as far as I am concerned. But I may be biased.” Each member of the pair attributes their success spinning together to communication. “We just played Avalon in L.A. on July Fourth, and during the nine-hour event, except for restroom breaks, we stayed a few feet from each other and kept an unbroken line of communication,” says Martello, who describes her style as “sexy tribal,” whereas Bhullar claims to be more “mainstream with an edge of techno and trance.” He reiterates her praise: Working with Martello is such a joy because her style challenges him to take greater risks, he says. “Denise has much bigger balls than I do,” Phil B enthuses. “Sometimes she makes choices that are so unpredictable and risky, and I am always left thinking, ‘How did she make that work?’” Martello is especially relieved to be working with Phil at an event so “he can play the Lady Gaga. Don’t get me wrong,” she hastens to add. “I love Gaga, but I feel a responsibility to bring new music to every event. I don’t want to play something that we have already heard three times today.” Martello reiterates the importance of the sexual energy in her tracks: “I like to tap directly into people’s emotions, make them feel joy, nostalgic, happiness and above all, sexy.” She related a story about a recent event when she looked down on the dance floor to discover three guys fucking right in front of her. “My job here is done,” she remembers thinking to herself. 2010-07-29T15:36:29+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_chus http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_chus Fiercely proud of their Spanish roots, Chus + Ceballos have capitalized on a sound derived from their native land that has become their trademark. The native Madrileños are more than willing to bring their unique Iberian flair to dance floors and Circuit parties around the world. “Our sound is infectious and very contagious,” Chus says in a recent interview. “You can’t stop dancing for hours. The rhythm takes over your body and you enjoy yourself until the end. We love to see people enjoying themselves.” Chus + Ceballos define “Iberian Sound” as a “delicious blend of hypnotizing, warm, inviting tribal soundscapes laced with a brilliant use of modern tech elements.” This sound certainly integrates itself well into the renowned nightlife of the party island of Ibiza, where the two have become virtually the resident DJs. Picture watching the sunrise over the Mediterranean on a balmy summer morning after a night of dancing and you’ll have some idea of the groove. Chus emphasizes, however, that their Iberian Sound goes far beyond the small Balearic island that lures hordes of eager partygoers from around the world each summer: “It is the meeting point of two cultures; the Spanish and Portuguese with the solid influence of American house — similar, but at the same time different.” Chus’ Personal Journey Born in Madrid in 1971, Chus came of age during la movida madrileña. This cultural movement transformed Spanish society in the 1980s. Its primary movers and shakers were the young people who were especially eager to shake off the oppression during the long, dark years of the fascist Francisco Franco, who ruled for nearly 40 years after the Spanish Civil War. These disaffected youth finally found an outlet for their angst on the streets of Madrid. Directors Pedro Almódovar and Iván Zulueta, and fashion designer Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada were among the dozens of figures who emerged out of la movida. So did musicians such as the bands Alaska y los Pegamoides and Aviador Dro, which helped popularize electronica and experimental music in Madrid’s suddenly exploding club scene. It was under this backdrop — at the height of acid house’s popularity in the Spanish capital in the late 1980s — that Chus landed his first gig, at a club appropriately called Alien. Chus then took up a residency at Kadoc on the Algarve — the southernmost tip of Portugal and a tourist Mecca — in the summer of 1992. Two years later, he opened the seven-story Teatro Kapital disco in the heart of Madrid. Kapital, with its three dance floors, remains one of the Spanish capital’s most popular clubs. Chus stayed there as resident DJ for the next seven years, where he perfected his driving Latin-inflected dance music. Madrid’s nightlife is arguably the best in Europe. Most clubs don’t open their doors until midnight, but they don’t really get going until 2 or even 3 a.m. Several after-hour clubs allow Madrileños to keep the party going well into the morning. And it is not unknown to see weary clubgoers stumbling home after noon. Chus continues to find the capital’s vibrant nightlife a steady source of inspiration. “Madrid is my native city, and it is the perfect place to work,” Chus says. “It is near virtually every destination in the world — in the middle of Europe, near the United States, and near Asia. Strategically perfect!” The Algarve remains a second home for Chus, his wife and their eight-year-old daughter when he is not working, but his solo career has taken him to venues that range from ageHa in Tokyo to Peppermint in Dubai and Stereo in Montreal. He has remixed and collaborated on projects for Enrique Iglesias, Yoko Ono, Danny Tenaglia, Superchumbo and others. A Productive DJ Partnership Chus co-founded Stereo Productions in 2001 with Pablo Ceballos and Carlos Manaça. Chus + Ceballos began to collaborate a short time later. Chus + Ceballos have remixed tracks for Madonna, Deep Dish and Plastic Fantastic, as well as many other artists and producers. The duo, currently resident DJs at megaclubs Stereo, New York’s Pacha and Miami’s Space, headlined the Winter Music Conference in Miami this year and last. The duo has also done sets at Parking in Montreal and Cielo in New York. “Each place is different, and it has its own characteristics,” Chus notes. “As a result, I like to adapt my sessions to each place. I like it when I play several times in the same place, because each time I get to know the public better, and each time I am better adapted to the expectations of each crowd.” Circuit Popularity The Spanish magazine Deejay declared Chus + Ceballos the Best Tribal and Progressive DJs in 2007. Their ever-expanding body of work increasingly includes the gay party scene. Chus + Ceballos headlined the White Party in Palm Springs alongside the Freemasons and Moto Blanco on April 10, as well as Alegria in January. “We are heterosexuals but we are friends of the gay guys,” Chus says. “We love to spin for them, because they have a special sixth sense about music and how to have fun. They know how to enjoy themselves and appreciate our work in a very special manner.” Chus observed the dance scene is more or less the same around the world, but he did note some differences in the way gay men react to his sets. “Perhaps the only big difference between gays and straights is that when they go to a party they do it to have a good time and to dance for hours,” he notes. “Nothing is more important to them. Gay people are very musically educated, and they know the DJs and their sound very well. They are very exacting and they don’t conform to a particular thing. They are an audience of high quality, and as a result it puts us to the test constantly.” Fans can continue to keep tabs on Chus + Ceballos on their website (http://www.stereo-productions.com/monophone-dj-agency/chus-ceballos) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/chusceballos), or at Stereo Productions (http://www.stereo-productions.com). 2010-04-27T05:39:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/freemasons http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/freemasons “Why the Freemasons?” asks Jeffrey Sanker, rhetorically. Why a British duo sought after for their melodic and musically rich sound by the biggest names in the music industry to headline the White Party? We’ll let him explain it: “After last year’s 20th anniversary of the party, I wanted to break out of the same mold, take a different angle, get internationally known DJs. Everyone 25 and under kept saying, ‘Freemasons! Freemasons! Freemasons!’” Thusly does Sanker explain a decision that has rocked the Circuit world. By booking the hottest DJs/producers/remixers in the world right now, he has refashioned what defines a major American dance event. The British duo is at the top of their game—and at the top of the dance-music world. Since they burst on the scene with the definitive mash-up—the disco standard “This Time Baby” and Tina Turner’s “When the Heartache Is Over,” sung by Amanda Wilson—they have become the go-to guys for every first-name dance diva, from Shakira, Beyonce and Whitney to Heather Headley, Kelly Rowland and Kylie Minogue. They have also played every big house from Brussels to Melbourne, although they parse out their DJ gigs since it keeps them away from the studio, their real home. So what are these two mainstream DJs doing flying halfway across the world to spin at a Circuit party, even one as big as the White Party? It’s simple: We get their music. And they love us for it. “It is quite bizarre, two straight guys making music really embraced by the gay community,” said James Wiltshire, half of the Freemasons (along with Russell Small) during a recent London interview. “But we’re much more able to play what we’ve created with you guys. You’re much more accepting to vocals.” For other gigs, the crowd wants to hear underground sounds, the thump-thump of tribal. That’s not Wiltshire and Small’s style. “We love playing gay parties!” James says. It’s not only the diva anthems—although that’s a large part of it. “When we walk into a gay party, we can play the music we made. If we’re playing another party, we’ve got to play a lot of underground; but we do want to play what we make.” Last summer, the Freemasons played their first East Coast gig for the Saint at Large. The concert, held on Governor’s Island off the coast of Lower Manhattan, was a big success and introduced the Freemasons to their base of gay American fans. It also let us take a look and listen to the group that produces so much of the music we’ve been dancing to lately. According to party veterans Mark Thompson and Robert Doyle, the crowd really “went crazy and stayed that way” once the Freemasons took over the booth. “With smoke billowing and red lights flashing, Freemasons took over—and right from the start, the boyz were whooping it up and bouncing all over the asphalt, working it out, shaking it down, so that when the Freemasons really hit their stride with remixes of ‘Love on My Mind,’ ‘Sexual Healing,’ ‘Déjà Vu,’ ‘Just Can’t Get Enough,’ ‘Lola’s Theme,’ ‘When Doves Cry,’ ‘Rain Down Love,’ ‘If I Were a Boy,’ and ‘Ring the Alarm,’ the floor was filled with boyz who were dancing, really dancing,” Thompson and Doyle wrote on EdgeNewYork.com. White Party Posse Although they have previously played one relatively small (non-gay) party in San Francisco, the White Party really marks their West Coast debut—certainly their West Coast gay debut and their first major U.S. Circuit party. Previously, they headlined Sydney Mardi Gras, Melbourne and Auckland, New Zealand. Jeffrey Sanker, the impresario of the Palm Springs weekend-long extravaganza, certainly has taken to heart the rumblings that the Circuit needs a shake-up from the usual roster. Having decided on the Freemasons, he spoke to their manager, who had to rearrange their schedule. “That tells me they really wanted to do it,” he said. With their U.S. work visa expiring at the end of April, the timing was perfect. Although they will headline the White Party, the weekend will also feature a cast of Circuit all-stars. Manny Lehman is the lead-in for the Freemasons at the main event, while another European sensational crossover duo, Spain’s Chus+Ceballos, play the after-party. With the U.K.’s Wayne G and Moto Blanco playing the Sunday Tea Dance, this White Party is a truly international affair. It’s all part of Sanker’s plan to mix up the playlist between new talent well known to the rest of the world but new to Circuit boys, and favorites like Abel, Lehman, Brett Henrichsen, Tony Moran and Joe Gauthreaux. With wild card Chi Chi LaRue, New York’s up-and-comer Scotty Thomson and Luke Johnstone, this promises to be musically the most interesting White Party yet.   Still, Sanker has been picking up the vibe that the anticipation is riding especially high from the thousands of attendees to hear the Freemasons. Playing earlier in the night fits perfectly with the hands-in-the-air songs that they have made their trademark. One of the big questions looming over their set is whether they will mix in other artists’ and arrangers’ work or limit themselves to their own handicraft. Considering their voluminous output, a long evening could easily be comprised of nothing but those sounds composed, produced, remixed or at least mashed-up from the Freemasons themselves. Sanker, for one, expects and hopes that they play their own music, if not exclusively, than for the bulk of the set. “Their music fits the evening perfectly,” the L.A.-based promoter said. The Current State of Dance Music On their end, they happily fess up to enjoying what they make and wanting to share the upbeat tempos, feisty lyrics and musical ornamentation. “It’s certainly heavy with our stuff,” James says of their infrequent club gigs. “But, yeah, we play other stuff as well.” The duo does always manage to bring all new mash-ups and production numbers to wherever they’re playing. They are anticipating introducing a song from Sophie Ellis-Bextor, a British singer not well known in America—yet. The most important thing for them is to play off the energy of the crowd. These are not DJs-as-gods, who sit perched on a turntable Olympus, deciding what kind of mood to bestow up on the dance floor. “We’re fairly conscious of what’s going on,” James says. “But every crowd is different.” The Freemasons are optimistic about the current state of dance music. James remembers the days not so very long ago when progressive House provided hardly any chord progression at all. “Russell and I carry on with what we want to do: melody! Others can do tribal; they do it better than we can, anyway.” Above all, he sees the function of a DJ is to use his music to bring people together to express their emotions collectively. That’s one of the reasons why Russell and James are so well known for looking at each other in the booth. They’re both responding to and enjoying the feelings emanating from the crowd. As for Sanker, he is fully cognizant that the big-name talent this year will be in the DJ booth. If there is any entertainment at the main event in Palm Springs, it certainly will be lower key than last year’s appearance by Lady Gaga. “This year, it’s all about the music,” he said. “Friends from Sydney told me how amazing they were there—crowds of tens of thousands of boys, hands in the air the whole time. That’s what I want to bring here.” 2010-02-13T18:35:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_spotlight_ana_paula http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dj_spotlight_ana_paula Like a fireworks display during Carnaval in her native Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian Ana Paula has exploded on the U.S. gay party scene. In this, her first English-language profile, the gorgeous groovemistress gives it up for noiZe. Usually, DJs work their way slowly, ever so slowly, up the greasy pole, from local bars to small parties, to larger parties. Eventually, if they’re ambitious, creative and talented enough, they attract a following. Once in a while, however, a DJ seems to burst on the scene like a supernova. Two years ago, if you told someone Ana Paula was spinning a party, you’d get a blank stare. No more. From her gigs with Brett Henrichsen in Los Angeles and Peter Rauhofer, to stints at New York’s Splash, Paula has become a regular fixture on the Circuit. To crown her success stateside, she’ll be headlining the 2010 Winter Party’s main event on the beach. The Carioca (native-born Rio resident) began her passion for music as a child. Growing up in Rio means being happily surrounded by beats—samba, bossa nova, conga. “I’ve always been surrounded by music and groove,” she tells noiZe. “I was a different kind of kid because I used to listen to music 24/7. I had all kinds of tapes and records, like Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones, Madonna, Duran Duran, George Michael, Illusion-Imagination.” While still in her teens, she would run away to partake of the very active local club scene, which is where she first came in contact with the genre that would become her passion, House. Her career began in the way a lot of DJs did back in the day when radio playlists ruled the recording industry here in the States—and still do in other parts of the world. A producer named Meme discovered her and she was invited to have her own radio show. It didn’t take long for her to become the radio station’s most popular on-air DJ. From Brazil to Beyond Building on that fan base, she received her initiation into the gay party world with X-Demente, which she calls “a watershed event in Brazilian gay Circuit party history. Being there made me work at always being prepared for all kinds of crowds,” she adds, “and that made me go to all the sides and tastes of House music.” The X-Demente parties proved to be a nurturing environment where she could work out her own sound and where she learned how to connect to a crowd. From there, she moved over to the West Side Club, a Rio mainstay, where she was a resident DJ for five years. From there, she began spinning throughout Brazil and then began her conquest of the rest of Latin America. Her first gigs outside of that part of the globe were in the newly hot club scene in Israel’s port city. “Steffen Schappert and Offer Nissim invited me to play in Tel Aviv,” she recalls. After playing the Middle East and Europe, she was ready for America. Her first North American gig was, not surprisingly, in Montreal, at the 2007 DiversCité celebration. House, Cariocan Style Along the way, she constructed the distinctive style that has propelled her to stardom here. Her samba-inflected House mixes sounds for an infectious upbeat rhythm-dominated set. In the last decade, she has managed to work with DJs who each, in his or her own way, has influenced her own playlist and style. “I listen to them and they inspire me to work hard and to connect more and more with people,” she says. She resists labels like “straight” and “gay.” Her music, she says, is for everyone. Although she approaches every gig on its own terms, she also doesn’t arrive with any preconceived notions. It’s that sense of fun that has enabled her to spin, all within a few weeks, Peter Rauhofer’s hard-driving “Work” one night after Parking in Montreal and two weeks before “Rapido” in Amsterdam. She remains close with family members, who have always encouraged her chosen field. Her mom, in fact, gave her her first set of DJ equipment. When she’s not traveling the world, she likes to spend time at home, where she relaxes with her friends just watching TV and—this is Rio we’re talking about—going to the beach, a pastime that has given her that amazing tan. She also plays sports—not surprising if you look at that bodacious build—and videogames. Paula has signed with Rauhofer’s *69 label and plans to begin some remixing projects. In the meantime, fans can keep up with her on her Myspace page and DJAnaPaula.com, which lists her upcoming gigs and her compilation CDs.   2009-11-01T03:14:10+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/mark_anthony http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/mark_anthony He’s best known as the DJ who helped build up Black & Blue from a tiny gathering of friends into the super-event that it is today. But Mark Anthony has long been a mover and shaker on the Montreal club scene. There’s no irony in a straight DJ being the impresario who has helped make this Canadian city the gay nightlife capital of North America: He readily and happily confesses to enjoying playing to a gay crowd. “It’s the gay crowd that made me who I am today,” he says. “That is the crowd I prefer to play. I prefer gay because I get to be more me. In a straight venue, they want it a little harder. It’s a whole different vibe. I’ve always been more comfortable in the gay scene. “When you’re playing a gay venue, it’s more vocals,” he adds. “They love their divas, and so do I. I’m a song kind of guy. I have a preference for vocals. In a gay venue, I play vocals, whether I’m in Provincetown, New York or Miami.” In a way, Anthony came to his signature sound of “big room” vocals from a journey that’s the opposite of many of today’s signature-name DJs, who moved from vocals to a tribal, drum-and-bass percussion-oriented playlist. He began in his teens scratching as the DJ for a rap group. From there, he developed an interest in House music. He worked with a handful of promoters to transform Montreal from a sleepy city in a once-conservative Catholic province to the powerhouse it is today. He began making trips to New York to absorb the hip hop scene. It was there that he discovered the old Sound Factory and Sound Factory Bar, where Frankie Knuckles, the godfather of House, ruled the turntables. For the young up-and-comer, it was a revelation. He returned to Montreal and, with local gay club pioneer Pierre Viens, proceeded to help remake the clubs along Saint-Laurent Boulevard. He started at a club called Mekano and moved on to places sprouting up and down the Ste.-Catherine corridor in the gay Le Village-legendary venues like Garage (later Mars l’Alternathéque), the Bronx, Joy, and Sex Garage. Then, in 1991, he was invited to headline Black & Blue, which is what brought him to a larger North American audience. “I was in the right place at the right time,” he reflects. “I was producing a lot of events myself, several warehouse parties so that I could play the music I liked, get the music out there.” Right after Black & Blue, he established a residency at Playground, Montreal’s first legal afterhours club. Not long after that came Stereo, and the rest, as they say, is history. Playing the Circuit The U.S. beckoned, and Anthony answered. He has played many of the major Circuit events, from Miami to Los Angeles and points in between. These days, as the father of two young children (he has a daughter, Cozette, and a son, Massimo), he finds himself less inclined to travel, although some gigs still do manage to tempt him out of town, such as the Provincetown Airport during the huge Fourth of July weekend earlier this summer. Along with his wife and business partner, Sandra Jean-Bart, he’s been working on several fronts. He has established himself for innovative remixes. Unlike many DJs who content themselves with tinkering with other people’s songs, Anthony is that rare breed who actually makes original music. With his wife, the two have their own band, Lectroluxe (along with some session musicians). They have been busy in Anthony’s Montreal studio creating ambient music-not the Brian Eno “music for airports” stuff; downtempo, yes, but very, very danceable. He favors original music to compilation CDs, although his discography includes well-received compilations under the Circuit Sessions, Global Groove, Circuit Party and, of course, Black & Blue monikers. Original productions date back to the early ‘90s. He’s now putting out a slew of Lectroluxe songs on the local Dark Panties label, which also has produced DJ Oren Nizri and local chanteur, Derick H. Regardless of where he’s spinning, Anthony sees the DJ’s responsibility to get people dancing over making an artistic statement. That’s one reason why he favors vocals over tribal beats. “A beat all night long gets boring,” he says. “I understand what those DJs are trying to do, but today, the accessibility of different genres from the Internet has made it possible to play so many sounds. Why play one when you can blend them together?” Playing the Big Events As someone who’s most closely associated with Black & Blue, Anthony is one DJ who knows the difference between an intimate club setting and a stadium-sized crowd. “When you play a large venue, you have to please a larger audience,” he says. “That forces you to look at the big picture.” Black & Blue actually allows him to be more experimental. The length of the party, the near 50-50 crowd mix of gay-straight, and the mammoth size all mean that he has to do more for more within the timeframe of a limited set. “That’s where I can introduce both crowds to new sounds,” he says. “For the straight crowd, that means more vocals; for the gay crowd, techier stuff. B&B is where I can really have fun. When people come to B&B, they want to hear a different sound; they know they’re not going to hear the typical Circuit stuff.” For this year’s Black & Blue, Anthony has ceded the main event to others. Instead, he’ll be playing the Military Ball the night before. It’s an upbeat party that perfectly suits his style of music. This summer also sees him returning to another of his favorite events, Montreal Pride. For the past few years, he’s been headlining a giant party in a city park. Although the crowd can expect vocals, he always throws in a few sounds to the mix to keep people’s ears perked. “It’s always hard when people ask me my style,” he says. “I push the envelope. There are a lot of DJs out there, and they are known for a sound. I just try to be different.” Today, he says, there are so many different kinds of music available. Just as the recording industry imploded, the explosion of the Internet allowed niche artists to get their work out there. He cites some of the “amazing” techno that’s being released right now as indicating a renaissance for a genre that was in danger of going stale. At the same time, the Circuit itself has been changing, evolving into … what? No one knows yet, but Anthony will undoubtedly be there. “The younger crowd is always into newer music,” he notes. “Maybe there are less big parties, but the scene is doing well. People will always be dancing.” 2009-07-29T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/quentin http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/quentin Some people are destined for greatness. With talent and drive, they accomplish things that others can only dream of. People like Quentin Harris. As one of today’s most respected producers and DJs, Harris maintains a hectic travel schedule that spans the globe while working with artists like Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, and Jennifer Hudson. Making music is something that Quentin Harris was born to do, and he spreads his joy to people on dance floors all over the world. “Music was around me everywhere,” at his parents’ or grandmother’s, Quentin Harris says of his childhood growing up in Detroit. “From Ray Charles to classical—everything,” Quentin says. “We heard it all. I think that’s why I have such an eclectic mindset.” His father and younger brother played trumpet; his mother played violin, cello, and French horn; his grandmother played piano; and his older sister sang in the church choir. So it’s no surprise that Quentin developed quite a penchant for music. When he was only five, he taught himself to play piano. Quentin didn’t have formal training until he was 12, when he was already playing Bach and Beethoven. Clearly a prodigy, he went through three piano teachers, because they kept making him play elementary pieces. After his grandfather died, Quentin came across his father’s old beat-up trumpet from high school. His father bought him a trumpet of his own, and the two would have competitions. “Anything you can play, I can play better,” his father would say to motivate the young musician. They would play together; that is, until Quentin started to surpass him in skill level. “And he kindly put his trumpet down,” Quentin recalls, with a laugh. When he was 13, his father bought him his first set of turntables. Unlike most kids his age, Quentin never wanted toys for Christmas or birthdays, but instead asked for records, radios, or other electronics. It was also around this time that he entered the recording studio. His uncle, who had a hip-hop group, would bring Quentin along to play keyboard lines on the synthesizers during their sessions. Before long, Quentin was telling the group what to do and directing them musically. “I didn’t realize,” he says now, “at the time, what I was doing was being a producer.” By the time he started high school, Quentin was picking up other brass instruments with ease. He joined the orchestra and jazz band, and was even assigned a project where he had to score and arrange the parts for the whole school band. Quentin played keyboards in his own band as well, where he started experimenting with the sounds of hip-hop and R&B—before they had truly emerged on the scene. “It's always been my mentality, even to this day,” Quentin explains. “I'm always looking forward and thinking ahead.” Growing up in Detroit in the ‘80s, Quentin was heavily influenced by the sounds of pop and techno, which originated in the Motor City. He was glued to the radio. “Radio was very different when I was growing up,” he recalls. “The actual DJ was a DJ and not just a radio personality.” Hearing such influences as Prince and Michael Jackson as well as the electronic stylings of bands like Kraftwerk helped to shape the ear of the budding producer. “I guess it made me who I am today musically,” he says. Motor City to NYC & Back Again After high school, Quentin started taking trips to New York. “That’s really when I got the bug,” says Harris. “It was everything I liked that was being played in the clubs in Detroit, but on a bigger scale. I knew this was where I needed to be.” The first DJ he heard in New York was Junior Vasquez. “It was mind-blowing because I had never heard records played like that before,” he recalls. “He took records and made them sing. He took records that I heard a lot and presented them in a new light to me—manipulating them, mixing them in a certain way, bringing them in and out, playing with people’s heads with music.” The second New York DJ that really opened up Harris was Timmy Regisford of Shelter fame: “He was just relentless. I never heard any spaces; I never heard any pauses; I never heard any breaks.” Back in Detroit, Harris started working with Michael J. Powell, who produced Anita Baker’s three Grammy award-winning albums. He freelanced at Powell’s studio as a session musician for such artists as Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle. Harris got even more heavily involved with hip-hop, playing at open mic nights at The Hip-Hop Shop on 7 Mile in Detroit, where he met many of the emerging heavy hitters of the hip-hop scene, including Eminem and many of the other characters made famous by the film 8 Mile. “The music scene in Detroit is very small, and I’ve had the pleasure of learning from and working with a lot of great people,” Quentin states. “But I always knew that, in order for me to actually do what I had to do, I couldn’t do it and still live in Detroit. I guess this may be my competitive nature, but I needed to be where everything was.” Quentin was offered the position of touring DJ with The Masterminds, a local group for whom he had produced a number of tracks. After touring for a while, he moved permanently: “I literally took two suitcases—one full of records, one full of clothes—and got on a plane with a one-way ticket to New York.” He started by working at Satellite Records, where he met many of the movers and shakers in the New York music scene. Among them was a manager, Marvin Howell, who assessed Quentin’s talent by giving him a CD full of a cappellas, which included the track “Ready for Love” by an artist named India.Arie. The remix that Quentin did of the song ended up in the hands of Timmy Regisford, who liked it so much that he asked to have a meeting with him. “That was the door opening,” says Quentin. Quentin considers his big break, however, to be the remix he did of Donnie’s “Cloud 9.” He gave the record to Regisford who liked the record so much that he played it twelve times in one night. “That was the record that started the whirlwind,” says Harris. “There was such demand for it. Everybody was clamoring for it, everyone wanted it, and no one could get it. It was crazy.” Quentin followed the underground success of “Cloud 9” with his epic remix of Mariah Carey’s “Don’t Forget About Us,” a 13-minute track that demonstrated Harris’ virtuosic production talents—and the track that catapulted him onto the gay scene. In 2005, his original track, “Let’s Be Young,” gave him widespread recognition across Europe, and his reinterpretation of the Leela James classic, “My Joy,” has become legendary. He also produced a remake of the ‘90s After 7 hit “Can’t Stop” with Jason Walker, which was recently nominated for an International Dance Music Award (IDMA) for Best House/Garage Track of 2008. Keeping the Dance Floor Guessing The records, although all produced by Harris, are all sonically different. “I do whatever I feel works with the song. I've never been able to confine myself to one sound, and I've always experimented with music and meshing things together. Just like if you hear me DJ, you’ll hear all different kinds of things. My music has always been like that.” At a time when music is so accessible, and everyone is calling himself a DJ (including iTunes), it can be challenging for an artist with Harris’ musical background and talent. Promoters looking at the bottom line might be more inclined to hire a local iPod DJ to spin Top 40 because they feel that’s what the crowd wants. Harris counters that someone had to play Britney, Whitney, and Madonna for the first time when they were still unknowns. He believes his job as a DJ, “first and foremost, is to entertain; then you have to inform the people and educate them.” He strives for balance in his playlists. If you hear Madonna in a club, you should also hear an unknown artist that you’ve never heard of. He believes that today’s DJs don’t take enough risks, especially since the average partygoer can download almost anything from such sites as Masterbeat.com and Beatport. “It goes back to making the record say something,” he comments. Harris sees his job as finding the good stuff and using the most up-to-date technology to spin it in unique ways—just as he heard Junior Vasquez and Timmy Regisford all those years ago. Harris himself enjoys a huge international following. He travels extensively to London, Frankfurt, Ibiza, and points beyond, including exotic locations like Estonia and South Africa. If you check out his numerous clips on YouTube, you can see how the crowds overseas idolize Harris like a rock star. They stare up at the DJ booth like he’s spinning straw into gold. He credits his success to his production work. Although Harris has been making records for years, however, he just recently released his debut album, No Politics, on Strictly Rhythm. In addition to his recent hit “Can’t Stop” with Jason Walker, the disc also includes tracks featuring Colton Ford, Monique Bingham, and Byron Stingily. Harris has also collaborated with House legend Ultra Naté and is currently working on an album with her. He is also putting together his second album, exploring new sounds to incorporate. If you listen to some of his latest tracks on his MySpace page, you can hear some rock elements blended with his trademark House beats. “Like Grace Jones said,” Quentin comments, “give them what they’re not expecting.” Harris is also exploring the art of songwriting—the one area he has yet to conquer. He’d like to write his own material so that this next album can be a bit more personal. “I feel like I have a lot to say,” he says. “I can make you a fierce track, I can give you a fierce remix, I can produce you a fierce song, but I don’t write songs.” Not yet; Harris’ drive and musical talent will likely produce some future dance classics. Although only in his 30s, in some ways Quentin Harris is an old soul. His music, though fresh and new, harkens back to the classic House sounds of the past. This is certainly just the beginning of a very long journey for this prodigy; Quentin Harris is sure to make beautiful music for years to come. We should consider ourselves lucky, for his music brings not only him, but all of us, joy. See Quentin’s upcoming tour schedule and discography on his website at quentinharris.com, and hear some of his tracks on his MySpace page at myspace.com/quentinharris. 2009-04-30T12:12:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/boris http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/boris When Stephen Pevner heard Boris spin at Crobar in 2004, he must have felt like the prince slipping the glass pump on Cinderella’s foot. With his dark and driving beats, sexy vibe, and pulsing energy, the New York-based DJ seemed like the perfect match for the world-famous Black Party. As head of the Saint at Large, the organization producing the party, Pevner is always on the lookout for a breakout DJ who will help keep his main event on the cutting edge. Unfortunately for him, however, the glass slipper fit too tightly. Boris has always faced a conflict of interest, as the Winter Music Conference in Miami fell simultaneously with the Saint at Large’s New York party. This year, finally, WMC is being held the weekend following the annual bacchanal. Boris will be making his debut at the Roseland Ballroom for the famed fetish-and-flesh festival, and both he and Pevner hope the shoe fits. This will be Boris’ first time spinning a mega-gay party, but it certainly won’t be his last: Just a few months after playing BP, he will be headlining World|Vibe Orlando, an event being produced by Mark Baker over Memorial Day Weekend. This amazing weekend of parties will be the kick-off to summer, with events spanning the resort city, from Walt Disney World to Universal Studios. Go to http://www.worldvibeorlando.com for more information. Make no mistake: Boris is no little princess. (Nor is he a queen; the Russian- born Brooklynite plays for the other team.) Boris helms the ship at Pacha New York, one of Manhattan’s largest venues, and is known for his hard-hitting power House style. He can hypnotize a dance floor with his trancelike rhythms and tribal drums and shake things up with his massive build-ups and explosive energy. Just the right ingredients for Black Party. “I know what to expect, obviously,” Boris tells noiZe. “I know it’s a little more out there, it’s a little more hardcore.” Although he has never attended Black Party himself, Boris knows some of the DJs who have played the party in the past and has friends who attend every year. Also, when Pevner first started talking to Boris about it a couple years ago, he invited the DJ to his office to watch Schwarzwald, the Saint at Large’s documentary about the legendary party. The film, heralded as “the movie you can dance to,” features a soundtrack consisting solely of music from the event and footage from the 2006 Black Party with transsexual porn star Buck Angel as the master of ceremonies. The movie leaves little to the imagination, to say the least. But that doesn’t faze Boris in the slightest. “It’s fine. It doesn’t bother me,” he says matter-of-factly. In fact, he’s excited about joining Eddie Elias and Junior Vasquez on the roster for this year’s event. He’s been in the studio working on special edits for his set: “records that have been famous in the past” reworked and reimagined, Boris- style. One new track the crowd at Roseland will be hearing is his new mix of Kim English’s “Unspeakable Joy,” which he’ll be debuting that night. The boyz in the Ballroom might also hear some of the tracks off of Boris’ latest compilation CD, Believe in Me, released this past September on *69 Records. This double-CD contains a “2am” and “5am” disc that each showcase what you might hear at that particular time on a typical Saturday night at Pacha. The compilation contains tracks by such artists as Oscar G., Plasmic Honey, and Ralph Falcon as well as two collaborations by DJ Chus. The first, “Stay Together,” features DJ Chus vs. Jerome Isma-Ae, and the other pairs Chus & Vibe for the track “Amtrak.” The original “Is Everybody Tweakin” by Boris is included as well as a Carlos Fauvrelle remix of the track. Also part of the package are “Breaks 2008,” an old Arthur Baker record that Boris remade and his mix of Laura Kidd’s “Automatic,” lauded as one of the biggest global hits of the year. Boris became the resident DJ at Pacha in 2006, after spending three years at Crobar, where his career really took off. During his residency at Crobar, Boris would regularly fill the 30,000-square- foot space, and holds the all-time attendance record at the megaclub with 5,400 attendees—a feat noted in Club Systems as one of the Top 100 moments in club history. Boris got his big break in 1998, when he became the resident at the Roxy, where he did a huge party on Friday nights called “Big Fridays.” It went for two years and “was one of the more legendary straight parties of this era,” according to Boris. He has also held residencies at Exit, Limelight, and Spirit. Though Boris typically attracts a straight crowd, he’s no stranger to the gay scene. His first gay gig was playing years ago at Warsaw in Miami, where he spun a monthly party on Wednesday nights as well as a White Party event there one year. It was at Crobar where fans began to “believe.” Michael David, who ran lights for the club, started displaying the words “Believe in Boris” on a red ticker sign that ran under the DJ booth. The phrase caught on, and before long fans were making t-shirts emblazoned with the statement. It has since become Boris’ branding: his two earlier compilation CDs (both on Moist Music) are titled Believe and Believe II, and his latest is Believe in Me. 2009-04-22T06:21:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/patrick_guay http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/patrick_guay If Patrick Guay seems to have a special knack for getting the guys dancing, it could be that he comes to DJing from a background as a professional dancer and choreographer. After establishing himself as a rising star in the hothouse atmosphere of Montreal’s club scene, the good-looking Quebecois is poised to break out onto the international Party Circuit.  The secret to his success lies in his twin loves of music (especially classic house) and dance. His performances on the stage for huge scale events like those at Black & Blue have profoundly influenced his DJ style, giving him a flair for the theatrical. “The point is to give it back to the crowd,” he says. Directing groups of people as a choreographer “takes practice and dedication,” he explains. “The same goes when I’m making people dance on the floor.“ Guay as DJ directs the people on the dance floor using feelings and emotion in the tracks he chooses. Patrick began dancing when he was 17, in 1990; two years later, he was part of a professional troupe and began choreographing routines. His introduction to Montreal’s vibrant nightlife began a year after that, when he hit clubs like the legendary KOX and Groove Society. “In those days, there was a high emphasis on décor, dance, drag queens, intense visuals, and house music,” he says. “Up until then we were using pop, hip hop and R&B in our choreography. With the discovery of house music it showed a whole new perspective offered to me. I saw huge potential to start to produce dance shows to this type of music, but my first big problem was how to get the certain pieces of music that I wanted because I wasn’t a DJ. So I started shopping for music.” From there, it was a learning curve. How the heck do you mix the two or three songs for one choreographed dance number? That’s when he met Eric Laporte, also known as Little Eric. Patrick would direct Little Eric in the mixing and editing of the musical montages to be used for his shows. Sitting next to Eric at his mixer, Patrick caught the DJ bug. Two years later, he was mixing his own soundtracks. From there, he bought his first mixer and two turntables. Last year Patrick marked his tenth anniversary as one of the choreographers of Bad Boy Club, the producing organization behind Black & Blue, Wet & Wild, Twist and other major local events. And in 2003, he made his debut as a DJ at Church, spearheaded by Montreal promoter Stephane Prince. It helped to be located in Montreal, which has become the party capital of North America. As the world’s largest freshwater port, the island city is a crossroads of currents, from Great Britain, Europe, Latin America and the United States. “Each of those styles are very specific,” he notes. “In Montreal, we take what we like from all of them, and that enables us to evolve and expand our horizons.” The cosmopolitan nature of the music scene is reflected in the clubs, where gay and straight mix more easily than anywhere else on the continent—along with their DJs and musical styles. Thanks to his present monthly residence at Parking, Patrick has had the opportunity to interact with an array of top talent, including Israel’s Offer Nissim, Brazil’s Ana Paula, and the U.S.’s Manny Lehman. Now, Patrick is planning a full-on assault on the United States. He’s already played Ptown, but, he says, “I’m anxious to bring a new wave of freshness to the Circuit, to show off the ‘Montreal Circuit Sound.’” He’s also looking at far more distant shores, like Sao Paulo, Rio, London and—his personal dream job—anywhere in Australia. Although he keeps body and soul together moonlighting as an accountant, he manages to squeeze in six hours every week buying music. As a dedicated house DJ, he loves vinyl, rare as it may be. He doesn’t want to be typecast, however; he can vary a set from deep house to progressive after-hours, from tribal to diva anthems. But he draws the line at dropping the lyrics: “It’s sad that vocals are all but gone in minimal and electro music,” he complains. “Vocals are the only human thing left in music since computers took over.” He waxes hot over the “warmth of the human voice, to feel the sensations. Thank God vocals are coming back! The dance floor is always more full with vocals. The reaction is always stronger,” he says. “Sometimes, you hear the crowd singing the song—and it’s so cool!” As someone with hands-on experience in the performing arts, Patrick prides himself on being able to “read” the dance floor based on the crowd’s reactions. “I love to see them happy and smiling,” he says. “They send me energy, and it’s a constant feedback.” Often, he records his sets, then listens back and critiques them. He’s especially looking forward to his first compilation CD—“when my turn comes, all in good time.” And after that? Production. He also credits his dance background with an ability to hear all the sounds in a song, as well as a firsthand knowledge and analysis of music. In the end, what he’s really doing is enabling the crowd to experience the exhilaration of a professional dancer on stage; that is, dance as the physical expression of the innermost emotions. “Dance helps you understand the feeling of a song, to uncover the emotion hidden behind that creation,” he opines. “Choreography is the physical manifestation of music, and the DJ permits all those who are not dancers to dance, to express themselves to their favorite music.” Visit http://www.patrickguay.com for a special noiZe download mix and upcoming play dates.  2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/micky_friedmann http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/micky_friedmann One of the joys of editing noiZe is introducing top new talent to the gay dance community. Meet Micky Friedmann. This Israeli native, now based in Berlin, not only is talented, but his ear for sounds, how they mesh and how to get songs to talk to each other recalls the Old School DJing of Larry Levan or Little Louis Vega. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also drop-dead gorgeous and, in a business full of (unearned) diva attitude, a genuinely nice guy. It’s a combination that guarantees success, as his star continues to rise in the international club firmament. A “sabra” (native of Israel), Friedmann’s father taught genetics and his mother owned a boutique in Jerusalem, his hometown. Friedmann loved music from an early age. His parents encouraged his interest and enrolled him in a dance school, where he excelled. After a stint in the Israeli Armed Forces, he became a ballet dancer and a highly sought model. If you flipped through the high-fashion glossies a few years back, you probably saw his sculpted face and chiseled bod staring out from the editorial pages or ads for products designed to make you look like him. It was an offer to become a soloist with the prestigious Berlin Ballet in 1998 that led to his move to the German capital—which, not incidentally, has become the club capital of Europe. That was also the year he decided to buy a pair of used turntables and started spinning at home, “just for me, for fun,” he says. But it was at the Palm Springs White Party that he came to the attention of a man who would change his life. Friedmann was with a friend, dancing to the music of Junior Vasquez when the master mixer spotted him. “He came down with a bottle of water and asked me if we would like to dance for his Pride party at Spirit,” in New York, Friedmann recalls. The two stayed in touch via emails, and he traveled to Fire Island to hear Vasquez. When he asked Vasquez whether he should take the plunge and make a 180-degree turn in his career path, the man who learned his craft at the feet of Larry Levan told the Israeli-German, “You are a talented kid, go for it.” And he did. For the past 10 years, he’s kept busy spinning at Europe’s largest clubs, with residencies in Hamburg, Cologne and Amsterdam as well as Berlin. Now 37, he’s happily in a relationship and happy when he’s home in Berlin. His music is happy, too: sexy-happy. He describes his music as “sexy house—music that makes people feel sexy. We all know how sexual the dance floor has become nowadays. Hot bodies, sweaty skin, searching eyes. I spin music that fits that atmosphere. “It’s really easy to put on Deborah Cox, then mix in some Britney,” he adds. “Anyone can do that. But, when I go into a club or party, my goal is to introduce music that has a different edge, something new that has depth to it. I love diva anthems, but a DJ has an educational task to bring new sounds to the dance floor and make people think as they dance.” An International House Style Micky Friedmann incorporates several styles into his sets: tech house, vocal house, electro-house—their only requisite that underlying, propulsive beat that distinguishes house music. Along with Vasquez, Friedmann cites a potpourri of contemporary DJs as influences, including Victor Calderone, Ismael Rivas, D.O.N.S., Tom Novy, Danny Tenaglia, Pablo Ceballos (of Chus and …) and his fellow Israeli, Offer Nissim, a favorite since his earliest clubbing days in Tel Aviv. “I used to go every Friday to hear him spin,” he says. “Offer is a huge producer of music that brings a touch of Israeli soul to the dance floor. These days, when I play a track of Offer’s, I feel like I am bringing a piece of home with me.” Friedmann isn’t shy, however, about his preference for American-produced music. The Europeans, he complains, like their music in degrees of hard, harder and hardest—mostly techno, trance and very deep house. Maybe that’s why he’s gravitated to the U.S. His first gig stateside was at New York’s Splash only a year ago, September 7, 2007. That quickly led to big changes: gigs around the country, from Provincetown to San Francisco; and a chance meeting with his future rep, George Dellinger, one of the top DJ managers. This year, he’s playing both the New York and Berlin Hustlaballs; the Berlin version of the love-for-sale celebration has grown to one of the biggest gay events (if not the biggest) in a city known for big-room events and street-filling dance festivals like the Love Parade. Playing a party like Hustlaball involves a different vibe and another set of records from a dance bar like Splash: “I play a completely different set when playing to a crowd coming to a party so sexually oriented. The music must also represent that dark kind of sensual vibe these events have.” Unsurprisingly for someone whose music and whole demeanor are so frankly sexy and sexual, Friedmann would love to play a Black Party. But don’t pigeonhole him: He’d be as happy at a White or Winter or Alegria. Staying True to His Art Friedmann considers himself a professional and an artist. He also knows that he hasn’t been hired to impose an artistic vision from on high but to get people off their butts and onto the dance floor. As someone who worked for years in controlling his muscular body to move to music, he understands that the essence of dancing is expressing emotions through music—and the importance people attach to physical beauty. So he’s frankly realistic about the fact that when he’s spinning a party, his bodacious bod is going to be featured in the ads. “We live in 2008. Turn on the TV, open a magazine, look at the advertisements,” he notes. “We live in a world where looks are integrated and penetrate into every aspect and genre of our lives. Being on ads and in magazines is a part of my life and I look at it as work.” Friedmann still occasionally moonlights as a model. In fact, next month he’ll grace the cover of the German issue of Men’s Health. But it’s his love for the music that drives him. Lately, he’s been working in the recording studio with master producer Mike Cruz. He wants to learn every facet of what makes a great song, not only to take full charge of his career, but to prove he’s so much more than a pretty face and a buffed bod. “Trust me,” Friedmann complains, it is a lot harder to prove you are good at what you do when you are “good-looking.” Charlize Theron or Nicole Kidman have to work that much harder to prove they are more than just a pile of muscles and model good looks. He considers himself as an all-in-one entertainment package. “Even the best product needs good packaging,” he says. “What counts in the end is that people come and have a good time.” As more and more people come to hear Friedmann play, they’ll soon forget about the package and go straight to what’s coming out of the speakers. The man who spent his youth sneaking into Tel Aviv clubs wouldn’t have it any other way. Maybe it will take someone with such an international background to bring us all back together after three decades of Hi-NRG, techno, hip-hop, grunge, power pop, diva anthems, house in all its forms, electroclash, and everything in between has fragmented music more into warring states than a thriving community. Maybe someone can lead us out of the wilderness of synch-infused multi-tracked Disney starlets, the deadening repetition of tribal rhythms, and retro-techno machine sounds to a clearer sound, a cleaner vision of music as the purest expression of human emotions voiced through sounds. Maybe he can help us rediscover what a night of dancing should do: purify our emotions by allowing us to express our inner feelings through movement inspired by music. A year ago, Friedmann compiled a CD for EMI Germany called Instinct: Love and Pride. That pretty well sums up Friedmann’s philosophy: Follow your inner beliefs. Love yourself and others. Take pride in who you are and what you do. It will all come together, someday, someplace. 2008-10-08T08:09:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/joe_gauthreaux http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/joe_gauthreaux Joe Gauthreaux is a travelin’ man. Not only in his professional life—as one of the Circuit’s reigning stars, he’s on the road every weekend. But in his personal life as well, he’s on the move. The New Orleans native packed up and left the Big Easy five years ago for the Big Apple. Now he’s busy unpacking his clothes and books alongside his records, CDs and turntables in the Big Orange. Yes, Gauthreaux has relocated to the City of Angels. “I get restless,” he said in a recent interview. “I’m 32 years old. Before I get too much older, I want to move around and try out new places before I settle down.” He admits that he’s getting tired of the Yankee winters, but Los Angeles has other charms. His manager, Patti Razzeto, lives there. And so does his collaborator on mixing projects, Peter Barona (who’s also Manny Lehman’s engineer). He’s moved in with a friend in Hollywood, but he has yet to get a car. He even let his driver’s license expire. So he’s a long way from becoming an official Angeleno. Besides, it’s not as though he’s leaving New York forever. His occasional residency at Splash will continue, and he’ll still be doing plenty of gigs on the East Coast. In fact, Gauthreaux is making a musical imprint at parties all over the world. When noiZe caught up with him, he had just returned from Rapido, the big September party in Amsterdam, where he contracted a nice case of food poisoning the day before he was scheduled to play. “I hadn’t eaten for 24 hours,” he recalled, “but I’ve never cancelled for getting sick.” That kind of sticktoitiveness has helped propel him to headlining status. After 12 years of DJing, 2008 has proved to be Gauthreaux’s breakaway year. Aside from regular gigs in New Orleans for Halloween, Provincetown for July Fourth and other stops, he spun the Winter Party in Miami. He shared the turntables at the mammoth Pier Dance that caps New York’s Gay Pride with Tracy Young. He was at Gay Days. And, in what he considers the year’s most memorable event, he closed the Saint-at-Large’s Black Party. As if that weren’t enough, he’ll be opening for Victor Calderone during Miami’s White Party. If the Black Party was the highlight of this remarkable year, it was not only because of its unique nature or even the notoriously demanding musical sophistication of the crowd. Rather, it was because he knew he’d be following Jonathan Peters, one of a handful of gay DJs who has established himself as a major star in the larger club world. As the closer, Gauthreaux was responsible for bringing the 18-hour marathon party down with the Morning Music and ending it with the Sleaze segment. It’s the kind of music Gauthreaux loves best. He readily admits that he’s never been a fan of pots-and-pans, and gleefully heralds the end of Tribal’s dominance on the dance floor. “The days of playing all night long are over,” he said. “People are not doing crystal the way they used to—they’re being more responsible than in past years. The music reflects that. Four or five years ago, it was hard to find good lyrical music. Everything was drums, drums, drums. “I don’t play tea dance all night long,” he added. “But my music is happier; not ‘Perfect Day’ all night, but people want something not as dark as a few years ago.” Gauthreaux honed his musical taste—as well as a sense of the evening as a journey from one musical point to another—from the woman he acknowledges as his mentor. “Susan Morabito was the DJ who inspired me to become a DJ,” he said. It was at his first Circuit-type party, during Halloween in New Orleans in 1994, when he was just 18. “In 1994, there was great music,” he recalled. “I hadn’t heard 80 percent of that.” He joined her fan club. (Who even knew there was a Morabito fan club?) He started seeking out and collecting all of the music he heard her play: “Every extra penny I earned working at the Gap went to music.” Finally, after two years, he had enough mix tapes to get hired at Oz, where he started out as one of the house DJs, five times a week—but no nights. It wasn’t until eight months later that he got his first nighttime slot. “Things were different back then,” he noted. “It wasn’t the age of the traveling DJ. Clubs relied on resident DJs. One of the regulars got sick, and I went up to Johnny Chisholm, Oz’s owner, and asked for one night.” As the old show biz movies would have put it, he went in there a kid, but he came back out a star. He soon after stepped up to a Saturday night residency. He first visited New York in 1996 and immediately fell in love with the city. He had planned on a December 2001 move, but 9/11 postponed it for a few more years. As soon as he got there, he became a fixture on the local scene at storied clubs like Limelight (later Avalon), Twilo (later Spirit), Crobar, Splash (then SBNY, then Splash again), and the Pavilion on Fire Island. He also began releasing compilation CDs. He even became a Billboard reporter. It didn’t hurt that his brooding good looks made him so photogenic. He ended up gracing the pages of Out and other magazines—all before he was 30 years old. Through it all, he’s kept a special fondness for his native city. He returns every year for at least a few gigs. He was a vocal advocate and booster after Hurricane Katrina. His family (unaffected by the hurricanes) still lives in suburban Metairie, in Jefferson Parish, just across Lake Pontchartrain. And now he’s exchanged coasts. He’s not one to bemoan the state of New York nightlife. He sees it as a cycle, and the city may be in a down period right now, but “if you go to any small town, you’d be thankful of all that’s here. Things change. When the Saint or Twilo or Roxy closed, people thought it was over. Then something else came along.” For now, however, he’s perfectly happy in L.A. He’s planning on a lot more mixing and even producing. His remix of “Give It” by X-Press 2, which is the last song on his Winter Party CD for Masterbeat, has been in heavy rotation on the dance floor. “I’m still finding what ‘my sound’ is,” he said. “Whenever I play today, half is either done on my own, or songs I’ve taken and not just rearranged but added sounds to it to make it unique. That’s how I’m getting my feet wet.” He’s even going to get a driver’s license and a car. 2008-10-08T08:05:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/cary_stringfellow http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/cary_stringfellow It was understandable that the promoters of the 2008 IndepenDANCE in Laguna Beach were desperate to reach the DJ they had booked for the event. A frantic series of calls led to the morbid discovery that Cary Stringfellow would no longer be playing anywhere. He had been found dead in his bedroom at the age of 36. This DJ Profile was a long time in the making. Originally meant to be an interview with Cary, it now takes on the somber duty of celebrating his short yet fruitful and promising life well lived. Ten years ago, noiZe’s Gary Steinberg received a phone call from Salt Lake City. It was from Cary Stringfellow, manager of the Vortex. He wanted to know if he could distribute an article in Circuit Noize (as we were then called) about the dangers of crystal meth. He was seeing a lot of the same self-destructive activity in the heart of Mormon Country. The two hit it off at once, talking for hours about responsible partying, the state of the Circuit, and what the local Salt Lake City scene was like. “When we finally met in person, it was like we were old friends,” Steinberg recalls. By then, Stringfellow had also caught the DJ bug, and trained under the talented eyes of friends like Phil B, Chris Cox, and Twisted Dee. Nico, another close friend for the last decade, as well as Cary’s roommate in L.A., remembers that the transition from Vortex to Club Axis was in part born from his passion for music: “When the partners decided to sell Vortex, Cary, wanting to continue DJing—along with myself and another one of our friends—opened a smaller club which did very well for several years and gave Cary the opportunity to continue playing music.” With a capacity of over 1,000, Club Axis won the title of Salt Lake City’s Best Dance Club for five years, with heavyweight DJs like Paul Oakenfold and the high-tech trappings of a New York or Miami venue. But although the club was doing well, Cary wanted to get out of club ownership and the promoting business to concentrate on DJing and music production. Cary was always outgoing, according to his mother, Kay. Cary was “born feet first and on the run from that moment,” she recently recalled. “He was very organized and intelligent, and everything had to be just right.” In high school in Provo, Utah, he served on the debate team. He studied business at a local college and also learned to be a pilot. But he kept returning to his first love. “He grew up listening to music from the time he was born,” Kay said. “We always had music playing instead of the TV. He loved all different types of music, except Country.” Cary’s musical ear and his infectious energy quickly gained him recognition. In 2001, he headlined “Latin Fever” in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he returned every year since. (His dream to quit the rat race and open up a yogurt business with a new beau never came to fruition. But some of his ashes are being sent to the place he so loved.) Gigs in places as far-flung as Fire Island, Toronto and Hawaii cemented his reputation. “He was a master at the uplifting style that sent me to heaven,” Steinberg recalled of Cary’s mixing. His booking at Splash Days in Austin this year will be filled by his friends Phil B and Twisted Dee, who are donating their proceeds to his family. Of his passing, Troy Spicer, one of the Splash event’s organizers, said, “He was friends with half our group.” Commenters on the web extolled Cary’s personality and talent. One called him a “sweet man with a beautiful soul”; another, a “spirit that was captivating and joyous—contagious”; still another, “his message was so much deeper than his music.” One person noted that Cary had exchanged vows with the commenter’s brother, a concert pianist with the New York Symphony Orchestra, in 1996. Even after the break-up a few years later, Cary remained close with his mother: “He called her frequently and always beat me to the punch on Mother’s Day.” “When she was going through a bout with cancer,” Kay adds, “he flew down to Florida. He told her how beautiful she was after he made her take her hat off.” His sense of camaraderie and fellowship extended to the DJ booth, where there were always sparkling gadgets, toys, t-shirts and hats on hand. “I ran into Cary on the dance floor,” Steinberg recalls of an encounter at the 2000 Masterbeat New Year’s Eve party. “He excitedly pulled me to the side. He had found the very last of a portable laser system that he knew I would like. He had one like it, and loved lying on his bed watching the patterns on the ceiling.” Nico recalls Cary placing “Hello, my name is ___” stickers on people’s bare chests at parties after asking their names: “While at first people looked at him like he was odd, by the end of the party people were coming up to him and asking if he had any stickers left.” Nico also notes Cary’s acts of kindness to those around him: “He was incredibly sensitive and thoughtful.  For my first anniversary with Zack, who I met through Cary, he instructed us to ‘make sure we were home at seven,’ without telling us any more.  Promptly at seven, a limo pulled up to our house, picked us up and drove us to Robert Redford’s restaurant Zoom in Park City. There was a camera in the back seat to take pictures during the ride and a wonderful table with flowers waiting for us.  That was his style—to create fantastically memorable moments for those he cared about.” He also had a charitable side. For a big birthday party, Steinberg had asked for donations to the Trevor Project, which helps gay youth. Stringfellow immediately volunteered his DJ services at no charge. After his death, Steinberg called Cary’s cell phone just to hear his recorded voice: “I hung up, took a deep breath, and went on with my day. The next day I got a call on my cell. It was the voice of a woman, shaky and soft. ‘Hello, did you try to call Cary Stringfellow?’ she asked. ‘This is Cary’s Mom.’ My eyes teared up and my throat closed. ‘I saw your number on his phone. I need to tell you…’ The two of us, strangers, spoke about Cary, much of the conversation in silence. She was in the car, driving back from Los Angeles to Utah, with Cary’s ashes in a container on her lap. I told her how much I cared for him, how influential he was in my life, how we talked almost daily.” The cruelest irony of his passing, as with so many bright lights extinguished too early, is that he was on the cusp of even greater success. He had just received rave reviews for playing at “Frisco Disco” at San Francisco Pride (with a giant can of Crisco as the DJ booth). “My partner and I danced together under the DJ booth for what was truly Cary’s last song,” recalled promoter Kyle Pickett. “Cary Stringfellow was a wonderful man who knew nothing but how to bring joy into people’s lives both on and off the dance floor. He spun uplifting and sexy music that just simply made you want to dance.” Having watched him grow and develop as an artist, noiZe was proud to offer him a DJ Profile in this issue. We obviously had no idea how sad and ironic the timing would end up being. We therefore offer this profile as a celebration of a friend whose life was filled with talent and joy. May we all learn something from this gentle and loving soul. 2008-08-05T07:31:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/hector_fonseca http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/hector_fonseca "I've been on the road for 3 weeks," says Fonseca, stealing a few seconds of phone time on a cab ride from the airport back to his home in New York City. He's coming off three cities in the last week alone-Vancouver, Houston and Montreal-and there are plenty more on the way. "I made it home one day during that time," he says of his recent travels. "I spent it doing laundry!" So much for the glamorous life of a DJ. If it helps, the music meister manhandling his Calvin's is a former model. It's part of the matrix that makes up Fonseca: face of a coverboy, smoldering sex appeal of a Boriqua, brains of a university grad, and skills of a spin jockey. Well before he became one of the hottest (musically and physically) members of the global club scene, Fonseca grew up just eight miles west of New York City. He could see the Empire State Building from his window while growing up. Clifton, N.J., may be just across the Hudson River, but it's a world away from the Big City. Little did the future music star realize that his long-shot view of the Manhattan skyline would soon be replaced by strobe lights of major clubs and circuit events. Fonseca's mom adored Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye as well as Puerto Rican salsa. "When she hears my music she always likes the Tribal best," he says. "Must be the Latin beat." Fonseca started picking up his DJ craft working with friends. Eventually, he met Peter Rauhofer. "I got to the point where I was good enough to play for him," Fonseca says. "He asked me to do some mixes for him, and we started working more and more together." Doing it on his own seems to come easily to Fonseca. Besides the handsome face and pitch perfect ear for a pulsing beat, he's also an entrepreneur and a self-trained musician who has immersed himself in hands-on learning. "I've never had keyboard or music lessons," says Fonseca, who began finding his way around a DJ booth under the tutelage of a friend. Fonseca decided early on to focus his attention on remixing and production work in addition to traditional DJ skills. Rauhofer reinforced that comprehensive approach. The Austrian maestro of the hard beats noticed Fonseca's work early on and turned the talented up-and-comer into his protégé. Rauhofer became a mentor and his label, *69, produced Fonseca's compilation CDs. Learning from one of his idols was a major coup, he now believes. Once signed to *69, he quickly rose to the ranks of in-demand DJ producers. Globe-trotting with cross-cultural beats A globetrotting, one, too. Fonseca might have come of age in the hothouse of the New York club scene, but he believes his style transcends a "New York" mixing style. Besides, he adds, the contemporary gay dance scene has become international in scope, incorporating styles from diverse cultures. "The scene has become much more international," says Fonseca. He understands that a well-worn passport is as vital to playing high-profile events as a crate of thumping tracks-especially when it comes to the global gay scene. "Every market has its own thing," says Fonseca. "But I've found that the gay scene still has a certain appeal that goes beyond borders." Still, Fonseca's ability to blend styles from different markets is evident in the trademark genre he helped define. While it takes most DJs a whole career to establish a signature approach, Fonseca's recognizable sound - dubbed Electribal - has already caught fire with the same kind of industry veterans that the young artist once idolized himself. "Every time I time I travel, I get turned on to something new," explains Fonseca. "Being in New York, naturally the idea was to have that kind of New York power shit" in the sound, he explains. "But when I was in France, I started to experiment with Electrohouse cause it was so big there. I started mixing the two [styles] together. It feels good knowing that I was one of the first to do it." Rauhofer remains an inspiration. "I realized that part of his success, and why I loved a lot of his work, was because he immersed himself in production and oversaw absolutely everything he did," says Fonseca of his *69 boss. As for Fonseca, he tries to micromanage every aspect of his work, from composition to keyboards to mixing. "It's much more gratifying, and I feel like people respect it more," he says. "No one can ever say that I had help from someone else. It feels better knowing that when something is done, it's 100 percent me." Star-turn remixing and *69 CDs His hard work has already parlayed its way into high-profile remixing projects, from his take on Jahkey B's "Heartattack" in 2004 (the anthem that really kick started his ascent up the DJ ranks), to work for Beyoncé, Kelis and Missy Elliot. Among his upcoming projects is "NY Club Anthems Vol. 3," Fonseca's follow-up to his last hugely successful entry in *69's popular compilation series. "I'm trying to change up the sound for this CD," says Fonseca when comparing it to his work on Vol. 2. "I brought in some new keyboards, I'm experimenting with new sounds, and I'm looking to put one or two unique tracks on there that still have my sounds-but with a new twist." He won't give the dish on specific tracks except for a previously unreleased mix for fellow *69 artist Suzanne Palmer. Looking to the future, expect Fonseca to focus more of his time on original production work. He already has two tracks finished for his upcoming artist album, and is working with some new, emerging vocalists to wrap up the remainder, including a sexy, sassy track tentatively titled "Addictive." "It's a girl talking about being so amazing that she's addictive," says Fonseca with a laugh. "Basically, she's saying you'll need rehab after an encounter with her!" She sounds like our kind of gal. While waiting on the compilation, original album, and remix work, Fonseca fans can to go HectorFonseca.com to scout out his next appearances. He promises you'll like what you hear. "The feedback I get from kids who go to these parties is that they're sick of the same stuff, over and over again," says Fonseca. "I don't want to mention certain artist names, but there are certain songs that are just staples of the average circuit DJ at the typical circuit party... but a lot of time people in my younger generation want to hear something new." "You need a mixture of the old and new," says Fonseca. "The legends... and the new generation." 2008-04-29T04:28:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dan_de_leon http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/dan_de_leon It was the last Ice party at iBar in West Hollywood. April 10th, 2004. Dan De Leon was spinning and Alex Catala was in attendance. The paths of two disillusioned but unjaded Circuit alums crossed. The union not only brightened up the lives of two individuals, but that of the entire West Coast house community. Dan De Leon tasted success in showbiz at the young age of seventeen. As a student at Culver City High School’s Academy of Visual and Performing Arts in California, he was a producer of the all-teen- produced independent feature film Common Bonds. The film went on to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997 and was hailed as a “monumental achievement (and) an inspiration to young filmmakers everywhere.” It was around that time that he dropped out of college. “I was totally certain that I was going to be Steven Spielberg in fifteen months.” That’s not exactly what happened, but soon after that he did go on to write, produce, and direct a short film called Anything Once. Only twenty-three minutes long, the film was about a straight guy and his gay best friend and their sexual explorations. It premiered at 1998’s Outfest, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and went on to enjoy success at twenty-two festivals in eleven different countries. As a young adult Dan was immersed in the predominantly straight West Coast rave culture. In the midst of dealing with issues of self-identity and sexuality, he started working on a new film that was going to revolve around the world of clubs and DJs - as he describes it, “the nexus of the entire scene: the soul of partying.” In a sad twist to this story, a close DJ friend who had been his advisor on the film was brutally murdered. He explained it like this to the New York-based online magazine Edge this past summer: “The extraordinary events became the impetus for me to turn away from my career in film and focus my concentration on becoming a commercial DJ. I feel it is the reason I have been so blessed in my success as a DJ. I have an angel watching over me.” Deciding it was something he needed to experience for himself, he thrust himself into being a DJ. He saw an opportunity to fill a gap he saw in the gay Circuit scene, particularly in Los Angeles. Although he had been spinning records at home for friends after big parties, he dove right into playing gay clubs with his first residency: the Ice tea dances at iBar in Hollywood. The party kicked off Halloween of 2003 and was a huge success. “All of the sudden I was doing a tea dance every other Sunday. It was something I had dreamed of.” He took on the name Dan De Leon professionally. He had always been Dan Aeberhard, but “it was Swiss German: it didn’t say anything about who I was,” he explains. Born in Argentina, Dan is full-blooded Latino. “I wanted people to know I had this Latin thing in me. I’m not just some German guy. I really do feel this in my blood.” His mom’s uncle’s family name is De Leon, and he felt especially drawn to it since it nods at his zodiac sign, Leo “Plus, I thought it was a sexy name, a name that I could brand.” He certainly has started to accomplish that. Along with spinning some of LA’s hottest celebrity parties for the likes of MTV, Out Magazine, and Michael Kors, just to name a few, his latin flavored progressive house sets have taken him to headline Circuit events across the country, including Cherry in D.C., Palm Springs White Party, and Winter Party in Miami. 2008-04-15T06:30:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/tracy_young http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/tracy_young Tracy Young loves what she does. It’s obvious when you see her in the DJ booth of any party she plays. Dancing around, twirling knobs, smiling that big beautiful smile of hers and waving to boys on the dance floor, she definitely has a lot of fun at work. “I think being up there playing music should be an enjoyment for me as well as the crowd,” she says. Well, the crowd is certainly having a gay ol’ time. Tracy Young began spinning her own unique blend of hip-hop, funk, and old school in Washington, D.C. before moving to Miami in 1998. It was here she had the fateful encounter that changed her life forever and has become almost gay folklore. Tracy had been hired by Ingrid Casares of Liquid fame to play at her Millennium Eve Party in South Beach. Madonna, one of Ingrid’s best friends, attended the party and loved what she heard. She asked Tracy to remix the first single and title track off her new album Music. Tracy was excited for the opportunity and delivered what was later to be described as “an emotional masterpiece” by Billboard Magazine. Although this big break put Tracy on the radar, it is Tracy’s skill and talent that have made her one of the most successful female DJs/producers/ remixers in history. She has made a name for herself alongside the heavy hitters of house, tribal, and dance music and has headlined almost every major Circuit event and played at many of the hottest clubs in North America. She travels internationally to spin her magic in such destinations as London, Rome, Paris, Morocco, and Kuala Lumpur. Stateside, the boys of Fire Island recently celebrated their freedom to her explosive beats over July 4th weekend. Following her success at last year’s Pines Party, Tracy was asked to return to the gay oasis to helm the turntables at the 13th Annual IndepenDANCE, which was held at Reflections and whose proceeds benefit GMHC, Brent Varner Project, and Pines Care Center. Guy Smith lit the bevy of beautiful boys with a breathtaking sunset as the backdrop. At one point in the evening, Tracy played her Flying Monkeys remix of “Defying Gravity” from the Broadway musical Wicked. Idina Menzel, who played the green- skinned witch on the Great White Way, performed Tracy’s version of the song in New York City on Gay Pride Sunday. “She mentioned my name at the Pier Dance and I almost fell over,” Tracy remarked. Apparently, even a superstar DJ can be starstruck. A bit surprising considering that, in addition to Madonna, Young has produced tracks for such heavyweights as Stevie Nicks, Pet Shop Boys, Cyndi Lauper, Christina Aguilera, Gloria Estefan, P!nk, and Shakira. She has also played private events for the likes of Diddy, Lenny Kravitz, Ricky Martin, and Cher. Even Paris Hilton has been photographed shaking her moneymaker to Tracy’s rhythms. In 2002, Tracy released Tracy Young Remixes Living Theater in association with Kunduru Music, infusing eleven chill-out tracks with her fierce beats and unique musicality. A slight departure from the club-inspired productions Tracy is so well known for, this album captivates the listener as she seamlessly weaves her personality and style through each of the songs. Young’s latest album, Danceculture 2, is currently out on her label, Ferosh Records, and Danceculture 3 is already in the works. Collaborating with Ceevox on a track for the new compilation, Tracy will also be working with her on a full-length album. Their first original production “Believe In We” appeared on Unreleased Vol. 1 sharing the spotlight with “Ferosh,” a track that marries Tracy’s signature sound with the unmistakable voice of Miami legend Alan T. Still loving the place she calls home, Tracy is excited about her monthly residency at Score on Lincoln Road. Newly-renovated with an expanded dance floor and upgraded sound system, this survivor of Miami nightlife is packing them in with top DJs like Tracy, Joe Gauthreaux, and Miami favorite Abel. In addition, Tracy makes it up to New York City to spin at Splash once a month. The boys can also look forward to her “Genesis” party, which unfailingly packs them in every New Year’s Day. The popular party returns this year to The Cameo, former home of Crobar, in South Beach. As if she’s not busy enough, this self-described workaholic is also designing a clothing line based on club culture called Ferosh Wear. Studded with rhinestones, these higher-end shirts will be geared toward the gay market. “I think that what I try to do is have my hands in a lot of different projects. I don’t think if you’re a DJ nowadays, you can just count on that being your main source of work. I think that you have to do other things and continue to grow creatively.” The secret of her success seems to be working for her as her calendar fills with gigs and her discography continues to grow. Although the landscape of dance culture seems to be morphing, Tracy’s view on the Circuit and the future of large-scale dance events is decidedly optimistic. Noticing the shift from the larger events to smaller, loungier parties, Tracy feels the scene is going through a growth period. “It is changing,” she remarks. “I think that, like anything, it will go through its transition and then it will come back.” Whatever happens, Tracy Young is certain to remain one of the top contenders in clubland and beyond, continuing to pack dance floors with her titillating productions and scintillating remixes. Tracy Young loves what she does. And so do we. Maybe there is something to this “like attracts like” stuff after all. You can learn more about Tracy on her website djtracyyoung.com, buy her newest releases on ferosh.com, and find out about her upcoming clothing line on feroshwear.com. 2008-04-15T06:28:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/paul_goodyear http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/dj_profiles/paul_goodyear "Variety is the spice of life," says Paul Goodyear. A recent transplant to London from his Australian homeland, Goodyear has been behind turntables for twenty–two years. "There has been a shift in DJing; more and more DJs will only play one sound, one kind of music exclusively. There is so much great music out there of all genres." For Paul, keeping his play list diverse has paid off in his long career as a DJ. In the late Eighties and early Nineties, Paul taught himself how to re-edit tracks using two tape reels, the ancestors of today’s digital audio software. In 1991, he was asked to do a re–edit of an obscure Pet Shop Boys track, "Miserablism," for Hot Traxx, a DJ service label based in San Francisco. That was the beginning of a list of over 250 remixes and 50 releases Paul has produced over the span of his career. Recently, Goodyear moved with his wife and their cat from Sydney to London. It was quite a move for the whole family, but he felt he had accomplished everything there was to accomplish as a DJ in Australia. "I’ve lived in the three biggest cities in Australia – Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane – and I’ve spun at all the top clubs and parties in all of those places." It was high time to conquer Europe and the rest of the world. Goodyear considers himself Australian, but technically he is English. His family moved to Sydney when he was five years old. Thirty-plus years later, Paul is thrilled to be back in London. He calls it "vibrant," though he admits to being a bit homesick. However, he’s already secured a residency at XXL, a bear party that draws a crowd of 1500, and starting in March he will be spinning Friday nights in Amsterdam at a new event called Reflexxx. Having long moved beyond the tape reels to ProTools, Goodyear spends more and more time lately producing and even writing music. He is currently collaborating with high–energy legend Paul Parker, who hasn’t recorded anything since the late Nineties. Goodyear has had chart success in both Australia and stateside. Top 10’s of his include remixes of Taylor Dayne’s "How Many" and Deborah Cooper’s "Real Love." On the latter, he was delighted to have been asked to submit a remix by the song’s writer, Tony Moran, whom Goodyear counts as a longtime influence. He also gives big props, by the way, to the likes of Peter Rauhofer, San Francisco’s Phil B., and the legendary Jerry Bonham. Other releases include a remix of a cover of "Smalltown Boy" by Michael Nicholas on Klone Records and a cover of Sylvester’s "Take Me to Heaven" by Shauna Jensen on MIT Records (UK).Goodyear is one of the three main headliners at 2007’s Mardi Gras celebration in Sydney. The huge mega-event takes place at Fox Studios and draws crowds of over 16,000 partiers. 2008-04-15T06:27:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/benefit_spotlight/winter_party_festival http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/benefit_spotlight/winter_party_festival Partying with a Purpose Most of us know the Winter Party as a gigantic beach party surrounded by parties alongside hotel pools and in clubs throughout Downtown Miami and South Beach. But it’s also the conduit through which the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has been able to develop and maintain extraordinarily close ties with Miami-Dade’s sizable and powerful LGBT community. For the past eight years, the Task Force has worked with local groups and individuals to produce what has become one of the best-known gay events in the country. This year, the Winter Party Festival, a weeklong bacchanalia of parties, dancing, shopping and fun in the warm sun and balmy breezes of South Florida, runs from February 29 to March 5. Russell Roybal, the Task Force’s deputy executive director of external relations, considers the groups’ relationship “truly unique. When the organization decided to take over the event, we wanted to make sure the funds we were raising in this community we’d had such a long relationship with since the days of Anita Bryant were given back, so we set up the Miami Foundation” — a volunteer-run organization that distributes grants to LGBT groups in Miami. The Bryant reference goes back to the ‘70s, when a squeaky-clean singer spearheaded a successful recall of a gay-rights ordinance in Miami-Dade County, a major setback that galvanized the gay rights movement. In the same way the Bryant crusade united Miami and national gay groups, the Winter Party raises money on two levels: Last year, the weeklong celebration doled out $204,000 to local LGBT organizations, while remaining one of the Task Force’s two largest fundraisers. Interestingly, the other is an annual October Recognition Dinner honoring LGBT organizations in South Florida. This year, the gala took in a whopping $400,000, a record — especially gratifying, given the abysmal economy. All together, the Winter Party has grossed $1.2 million since the Task Force took over its management in 2004 and has grown to become one of the most important ways Miami LGBT organizations, as well as the Task Force itself, are funded. The Task Force itself takes a third of the profits — about $100,000 last year. Money is donated through the Miami Foundation via a grant-writing process. Different organizations submit proposals for receiving funds, with the money going to different groups each year. Funds have benefited the suicide hotline, the Pridelines Youth Services, Safe Schools Florida and Miami Pride, among others. These funds are especially important, Roybal notes, because they are completely separate from the Task Force, and not subject to the restrictions that federal funding often is: “They get grants for services that government money won’t pay for, like backpacks for homeless kids for school, getting pizza for volunteers, or resources to do community organizing.” The party also helps fund the Task Force’s overall national budget, which goes to projects such as money for political operations, which cannot be used for charitable purposes — for example, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund, which funds on-the-ground organizing around state ballot initiatives. “They are unrestricted dollars, which are the best dollars to have,” Royball notes. But it would never happen if it weren’t for the dedicated work of hundreds of volunteers who work alongside a handful of paid Task Force staff members.  It Takes an Army Leading this army of do-gooders is Festival Co-Chair Chad Richter, himself a volunteer. He oversees in turn the directors of each event, from dance parties, pool parties and tea dances to musical performances and a shopping event on South Beach’s storied Lincoln Road — not to forget the signature event, an all-day beach party, with a specially constructed dance floor, DJ booth, pavilions, refreshments and lounge areas, all only a few dozen feet from the Atlantic Ocean. “It is kind of like a family tree, with different people associated with different events,” says Richter of his volunteers. “A lot of the time, events happen because there are requests from guests or someone is passionate about an event and wants to produce it.” Along with the three full-time Task Force employees, the hundreds of volunteers work on steering committees, obtain sponsorships, sell tickets and man the kiosks at the events themselves. This is a year-round effort, with Winter Party Week only the capstone. Richter predicts the Winter Party will continue its long string of annual successes. As of this writing, the host hotels are already all sold out, including the Surfcomber, whose renovation puts it in the top tier of oceanfront South Beach resort complexes. Partying In Sun & Clubs The aptly named Winter Party comes at a particularly opportune time for those of us who labor through the sleet and snow of the “R” months. By late February, who isn’t ready to hand in a snow shovel for suntan oil? The trek to Florida also helps out the local economy immeasurably. Not surprisingly, the city and county are very welcoming. Richter himself serves on the Mayor’s Business Gay Enhancement Committee. “Due to the scale, the local LGBT community has achieved significant increased (and very positive) visibility, while advancing the goal of achieving equality in all areas of human rights,” enthuses Steven Adkins, head of the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Ultimately, what makes the Winter Party stand out is that unique combination of support for local interests as well as national issues through the Task Force. The dual emphasis seems particularly appropriate for the Task Force, which believes that real change comes from grassroots organizing. “It’s true to the legacy of the Task Force, which is that we believe that some of the greatest change happens at the state and local level,” Roybal says. “For us to be able to connect on this level locally with folks that understand equality is something we have to work at is wonderful. And at the Task Force we like to have a good time raising funds, so the Winter Party (and Recognition Dinner) provides a way to do this grassroots work — and have fun doing it.” For Richter, working for the Task Force means continuing the work that began with the anti-Anita Bryant campaign in the long march to full equality. “The Task Force does such important work for the rights of LGBT Americans,” he says. “For us to have any equality or political rights, they are the ones that are going to make this happen. As volunteers, we know firsthand that this is a party with a purpose, and helps the greater work they are doing. It’s not even enough money, because they give so much of it back to organizations. But it is a way of furthering their commitment to being a part of the grassroots community, and bettering the place where they have a presence.” For information on the Winter Party and the Task Force, visit http://www.ngltf.org or www.winterparty.com. ‘The Hottest Party Under One Sun’ The Winter Party lives up to that motto with a full complement of events that begins with a meet-and-greet at host hotel the Surfcomber on February 29 and ends with an after-party that runs from 5 to 5 — a.m. to p.m., that is — on March 5. In between, there are dance parties at every one of Greater Miami’s major venues and all over South Beach. Among the highlights: This year, Matinee, the Ibiza-based parties that have become a major scene in New York, will present “Mercury Rising,” an all-night-into-morning dance at Space on March 2. The Saturday (March 2) pool party, always a weekend highlight, once again will happen at the Surfcomber’s ultra-glamorous beachfront pool-and-cabana space. Bring your leather gear for “Sweat” later that night. Showtime’s series on the naughty Renaissance family the Borgias is the inspiration for “Boiling Point: Rome Is Burning” later that night at Cameo, a mega-club in the heart of South Beach. The capstone of the weekend remains the Winter Party Beach Party, once again at Miami’s “gay beach,” on 13th Street and Ocean Drive, Sunday, March 4. For once, women’s events are more than an afterthought. Brazilian recording artist Monica da Silva will be featured at a March 4 Women’s Brunch, along with women-oriented nighttime dance parties that can hold their own with the men’s. If you need to take a break from all that dancing, there’s a museum visit and a shopping day on Lincoln Road.   2012-02-09T02:26:47+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/benefit_spotlight/life_ball http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/benefit_spotlight/life_ball Over 40,000 people participate. The highlight is a spectacular, Vienna-style ball inside the historic City Hall. Elton John, Scissor Sisters, Grace Jones, and Kylie Minogue have all performed at this event. The finale is a glittering fashion show — Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, and many other A-list designers have presented their creations. Best of all, this mega-event has raised over $16 million for AIDS groups in Europe and Africa. I have had the privilege of attending dance events all over the world, from Sydney to Amsterdam and all points in between, and I can say with confidence that Life Ball is in a league entirely unto itself. It’s elegance meets sexy, Old World tradition meets Circuit party revelry. Above all, it’s spectacle. Last year’s theme was Water, which meant an entire lake was built around the stage leading out from Vienna’s gothic City Hall, the site of the dance party. Rhine nymphs in glittery mermaid costumes cavorted with Neptunes as fantasy gondolas drifted by. Watching this was a crowd of several thousand that included everyone from Fran Drescher and Eva Longeria to Ivana Trump and Bill Clinton. The evening included a special song written and performed by Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics); Roisin Murphy; a fashion show by the Blonds, with Pamela Anderson leading the pack in a golden bikini, Patricia Field the presenter, and a small army of runway models and New York voguers; three opera tenors performing Handel, each emerging from a giant scallop shell raised onto the stage; and the night’s showstopper, Katy Perry. Oh, did I mention 25 couples dressed in matching Viennese ball gowns and tuxedos entering in a glittering procession? The effect is so dazzling that after a while I literally had to rub my eyes in disbelief. This is to Circuit parties what Champagne is to Coca-Cola. They both taste good, but one is vintage, the other not so much. And there is dancing. Oh, is there ever! The 2009 Life Ball had at least three dance spaces on various levels of the City Hall, with Susanne Bartsch, the avant-garde New York party promoter, presenting a show of that city’s premier nightlife denizens like transsexual sex bomb Amanda Lapore — among several other acts. As for the crowd, it’s an unusual mix of straight couples, gay men, and just about everyone else who is able to score a ticket. (The party traditionally sells out very early.) People dress for this in the most fanciful costumes imaginable. I painted my entire body silver, and — trust me — I didn’t stand out. The costumes and body paint tops Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Sydney. It seemed as though every male model in Eastern Europe was on one of the dance floors. The effect is not unlike dancing in the middle of a Bel Ami movie. The party begins after the incredible presentation, usually around 11 p.m., and goes until about sunrise. I admit that by 4 a.m., this grizzled Circuit veteran was so overwhelmed by it all, I had to retreat to my hotel room. This year, the 18th Life Ball, normally held in May, has been moved to July 17 to coincide with the 18th International AIDS Conference, also being held in Vienna. The theme is Earth. I can’t even imagine how the creative army behind this incredible event will interpret this theme. This year also marks the first time that the Austrian Parliament opens its doors to an amfAR gala, which will mirror similar events in Cannes, Milan, and New York (and very likely surpass them). As if that weren’t enough, the former Imperial Court Theatre will host the Red Ribbon Cotillion, a formal ball in the strict Viennese style. Discovering Vienna One of the best things about Life Ball is that it gives you the perfect excuse to visit Vienna. The former capital of the vast Austro-Hungarian Empire, which lasted to the end of World War I, contains more palaces and churches per capita than any other major European city. Many of these have been turned into museums or government buildings, and a few into hotels and private apartments. Together, the many art, design, and history museums house one of the world’s premier collections of Old Masters and the best collection anywhere of the edgy style of early 20th century art known as the Vienna Secession. Schönbrunn, the Habsburg’s summer residence, is worth a special trip, but right in the heart of town is the Hofburg, the largest urban palace in Europe. Get there when the Lipizzaner stallions are out for a trot. There’s also amazing shopping (forget Bruno; the Austrians are known for their stylishness and good taste). Composers like Mozart, Haydn, Strauss, and Mahler made Vienna the music capital of Europe, and the music still suffuses the streets and cafes. The Vienna Philharmonic is generally considered the best in the world, and the Vienna Boys’ Choir by far the most famous such group anywhere. Austrian food has a reputation for being heavy on meats and the ubiquitous schlag, that dollop of fresh whipped cream served with the justly famous local coffee concoctions (drunk everywhere at all times) and all those fabulous desserts. But alongside the traditional (and delicious) schnitzel, boiled beef and spaetzle dumplings, lighter fare has made inroads. The difference between the chic and trendy restaurants here and in the States is that everything has a distinctly Austrian accent, with full use of local produce. I was able to sample the incomparable early-spring white asparagus. At night, this world capital offers an array of temptations for a gay visitor. There are bars and dance clubs catering to leather, fetishes, yuppies, young and old. There are also several saunas and back rooms. Many (if not most) gay men live in and around the center of town, so the nightlife is in a concentrated area, which makes for easy bar hopping. The metro is easy to navigate, and taxis aren’t too expensive, which is good because, like most ancient cities, Vienna haphazardly grew outward and can be confusing on foot. Getting into Life Ball Because of its reputation as Europe’s most spectacular AIDS fund-raising event, getting into Life Ball is not easy. Prices starting at only €150 go very quickly (it helps to know someone who knows someone). The best way to get in is to buy a more expensive ticket. Boxes for six people are €1,000 for each person, but it’s worth it for the VIP viewing of the spectacle on City Hall Square, the service and the Champagne, as well as other amenities. Go to http://www.oeticket.com/redribboncotillion for tickets; or email curt.shertzer@lifeball.org for box reservations. And don’t wait too long! WHERE TO STAY The three hotels owned by Starwood, one of the world’s most prestigious hotel chains, are as much a part of Vienna’s center as the Danube River, and are annually selected as the official host hotels of the Life Ball. The Bristol If you’ve drunk Pilsen Lager, you’ve already sampled a bit of the Bristol history. In the late 1800s, the brewer turned it into the residence of choice for High Society and visiting royalty. Korso, the restaurant headed by Reinhard Gerer, has been awarded three “chef’s hats” by the Gault Milleau — the foodie equivalent to a Pulitzer or Oscar. After the war, the American Embassy took over the hotel, which is located across the street from the gorgeous state opera house. The film Princess Marie, starring Catherine Deneuve, was filmed there. Karntner Ring 1 http://www.bristolwien.at Hotel Imperial The Imperial was built in 1863 as the former palace of a senior member of the Habsburg dynasty, but it was so large it was quickly converted into a hotel. It is an imposing structure, with rooms spacious and beautifully appointed. This is the one where Bill Clinton stays, along with every head of state from Adolph Hitler to the queen of England. But the atmosphere is surprisingly unstuffy. It’s also home to the Imperial Torte, a death-by-chocolate confection made with marzipan and cocoa crème. Kaerntner Ring 16 http://www.hotelimperialwien.at Le Méridien The bratty younger sibling to the above two hotels is housed in another historic building, but inside, an attractive young staff beckons you into Vienna’s answer to all of those boutique-style hip hotels. Up-to-date furnishings in the large rooms belie the shoebox aesthetic of those boutiques, however. During Life Ball, the gargantuan bar space and restaurants become a genuine scene, with celebrities trailed by local paparazzi and models voguing down the breakfast buffet table (not that they’d eat anything). The shower comfortably fits five, just in case you make some new friends at the Ball. Opernring 13-15 http://www.lemeridien.com/vienna 2010-04-27T05:54:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/benefit_spotlight/purple_party_a_vision_of_love http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/benefit_spotlight/purple_party_a_vision_of_love Saul Flores had a dream, a Jimi Hendrix-like vision of a purple haze. In the midst of his purple passion, everything appeared in various shades of the royal color. Flores envisioned purple as more than a dab on a palette; it would serve as inspiration to help people and bring the community together. In Flores’ purple dream, a weekend of events would be dedicated to charity, drawing people from all over the country to Dallas. In 2001, Flores made his dream a reality when he founded the Purple Foundation, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to raise money to assist people living with HIV/AIDS. As Purple approaches its eighth year this April, it has been able to donate in excess of $150,000 to various beneficiaries. Purple Foundation Board Chairman Rich Hill has taken over the reins of the party. He recently signed dance diva Deborah Cox for this year’s event. Cox, who also starred on Broadway in Aida, will perform at the Saturday night main event, “Amethyst.” The event will be held at the recently opened House of Blues in downtown Dallas. Hill tells noiZe that this will be the first dance event at the venue, the latest addition to this world-famous chain of music halls. Purple Board Member Blake Baker, who handles all of the creative aspects of the events, is psyched about the new venue. “We’re so excited, primarily because for the past four or five years, our main events have been in basically a warehouse space or a public space where we had to build an entire club,” he says, “build all the trusses, hang all the lights. A lot of money went into that, and also a lot of sweat and hard work. We’re excited that we don’t have to build a club. It’s at an incredible venue.” Roland Belmares, who got his start in nearby Austin before his reputation soared as one of the Circuit’s most popular DJs, has played the Sunday tea dances the past two years for Purple. This year, Belmares will be stepping up to the plate as the main event headliner. Coming off last year’s “Muscle Beach” party during White Party week in Miami and a recent gig in Rio for Carnival, Belmares plans to turn it out. Friday night starts off the weekend with “Purple Hearts” at another great Dallas hot spot, Minc Lounge, with Alyson Calagna behind the turntables. “If anyone can bring the boys out to the events, she can do it. They love her here,” Baker says of the New Orleans native. Minc features a small dance floor where the boys can dance if they want to as well as couches and cozy nooks for more intimate interactions. Minc also has a 2,500-square-foot back patio where Purple patrons can sip cocktails under the stars while they mix and mingle. After the rockin’ Saturday night main event at House of Blues, New York DJ Joe Gauthreaux will take it harder and deeper at “Resurrection” at the Starlight Room. Another DJ who originally hailed from New Orleans, Gauthreaux now plays all over the country and will be headlining the 15th Annual Winter Party Beach Party in Miami at the beginning of March before heading to New York to play the morning set at the Black Party on March 29th. West Coast sensation Phil B. is making his Dallas debut at the Sunday tea dance, “Wild Orchid,” at Purgatory, a multi-level velvet rope dance club deep in the heart of Dallas. Phil B. has been on the scene for over 15 years, playing at such legendary venues as The Tunnel in New York and Crobar in Miami. Sinners will shake the shackles off their feet so they can dance to the beats of this San Francisco mixmaster as the weekend draws to a close. Starting out as a modest gathering with small donations, Purple has grown into an impressive weekend of dance and community. In 2006, Purple presented a check to AIDS Services of Dallas for close to $60,000 totaling more than the first five years combined. This organization, which provides housing and medical care and job placement for people living with HIV, is again this year’s beneficiary. They hope to present AIDS Services of Dallas with an even bigger check this year but need the financial support of the community to reach that goal. “It’s always been an uphill battle,” Baker says. Whereas Miami has the beach and New York has everything for everyone, Dallas might not seem the obvious vacation destination. However, Blake continues, “Dallas has really grown as a city; it’s become very cosmopolitan.” Though Dallas is in the Bible Belt and is relatively conservative, Baker notes that, “Dallas has become a very friendly city. It’s a very welcome and hospitable group here.” Rich Hill concurs, “It’s not like any of the other big parties you go to everybody has a very down-home, very welcoming feeling. We really enjoy all the people that come from different parts of the country.” Featuring a lineup of some of the Circuit’s hottest DJs, exciting venues like House of Blues, and the ultimate diva Deborah Cox, Purple 8 will show off the cowtown to best advantage not to mention those sexy cowpokes and cowgirls. With a host of volunteers, friends, and dedicated individuals like Rich Hill, Blake Baker and board members Peter Brown and Aaron Carrasco, Saul Flores’ dream lives on, touching the lives of countless others. So brush off the 10-gallon hat, click on the spurs, break out the chaps, and saddle up for a weekend of fun, y’all. Hyah! Purple 8 takes place April 18-20, 2008. For more information, visit http://www.dallaspurpleparty.org Also,. check out the Dallas city spotlight in the Winter 2007 issue of noiZe (Issue #54) available online at noiZemag.com. 2008-04-15T06:17:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/people_like_us http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/people_like_us Described by Kelly as her “favorite song she’s ever recorded,” “People Like Us” has all the power and rallying conviction of “Since U Been Gone” but instead calls out to the “damned, the lost and forgotten” and demands that they hold it together and stick together. An anthem for anyone who’s ever felt run over, left behind, misunderstood and, most of all, stubborn enough to never stop fighting, “People Like Us” needs to be the theme for every Gay Pride of 2013. Kelly’s been our hero forever, but with this one she’s solidified herself as an icon. Supported by an incredible remix package, expect to hear this one all over very shortly. 2013-05-09T17:46:02+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/heart_attack http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/heart_attack Disney’s got a reputation for shaping children in their impossibly business-minded image, only to have them explode later in life into something that would make Vanessa Del Rio guffaw; but Demi Lovato really has turned out to be a wonderful surprise. From her Barney & Friends beginnings to her very public airing of battles with eating disorders, substances and cutting, Demi has emerged a seasoned individual at the age of 20, and her musical expressions reflect that. “Heart Attack” discusses the conflict of a player finally being faced with a love stronger than her defenses and the condition it would leave her in if left in the midst of it. The remix package includes an amazing variety and truly has something for every sound with interpretations by Alias, Manhattan Clique, Belanger, DeeJay Theory and the incredible White Sea. 2013-05-09T17:44:20+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/hello http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/hello Probably the oddest pairing of talent in a long while, but like so many things that originally register as weird, the product is startlingly gorgeous. The Stafford Brothers, a house music production duo from Australia, enlist the all too forgotten Christina Milian and a sizzurp-soaked Lil Wayne to create an unexpectedly emotional dance track about the love you wish you’d never acknowledged and just let pass by. While Christina’s vocal prowess is about on the level of Britney, her delivery on this one can elicit tears, without which this track would be a lot more forgettable. The remixes vary and are mostly too aggressive for the delicate content, but Myon & Shane 54’s Monsters Mix really does it justice. 2013-05-09T17:42:20+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/acid_rain http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/acid_rain If any rising dance music star is proving young that she’s got all the goods, it’s Alexis Jordan. After three incredible singles and an impressive full-length album, Alexis showers us with “Acid Rain,” boasting production by Stargate and an addictive rubbery bassline sample from Bingo Players’ “Get Up (Rattle)” and a message of undeniable hope about someone coming to her rescue during the hardest time in her life. Originally released featuring rap verses by J. Cole, the final release excludes him (he really muddied the tone of the track) and features remixes by Ferry Corsten, KoKo and Steven Redant. This is the first single from Alexis’ forthcoming sophomore album ,and all we can say is bring the rain, baby. 2013-05-09T17:35:36+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/if_youre_never_gonna_move_ep http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/if_youre_never_gonna_move_ep There’s nothing more delicious than a mixing of disparate elements and having an unexpected hybrid emerge whose beauty you never saw coming. British singer/songwriter Jessie Ware, after a string of promotional singles that didn’t chart nearly as well as they should have, released her debut album Devotion in August overseas and it shot straight up the charts. A blend of R&B, downtempo electronica, hip-hop and soul, Jessie’s unique sound has been described as “the missing link between Adele, SBTRKT and Sade.” The album has earned her 2013 BRIT Award nominations for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough. This EP finally introduces her to the U.S. market — four gorgeous cuts from the full album along with a remix of the title track (actually a re-titling of the album track “110%” due to sample clearance). If Aaliyah and Alicia Keys made love to a synthesizer and had a Jewish baby, it’d be Jessie Ware. For the backdrop to some good lovin’, go straight for “Sweet Talk” and “Devotion.” 2013-02-15T11:05:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/dont_you_worry_child http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/dont_you_worry_child Not since Funky Green Dogs’ “Rise Up” has there been such an unscary Christian reference in secular dance music. On this sixth and final single before their indefinite hiatus, Swedish House Mafia leaves the sweetest aftertaste imaginable. Combining classic piano House with a soaring male vocal sells the optimistic message packaged in a gorgeously uplifting anthem that works as both a peak-hour club track and a mainstream radio single. Though it’s better to bow out with a hit than a dud, it’s still bittersweet knowing that it’s the last we’ll be hearing from this talented duo for a while. The remix package by Tom Staar & Kryder, Promise Land and Joris Voorn takes the track into tech, electro and garage. 2013-02-15T11:03:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/flavor_peter_rauhofer_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/flavor_peter_rauhofer_remixes There’s something so fundamentally right about the union of Tori and Peter — and so wrong that it took this long to happen. A remix of a remake of an original, Rauhofer’s take on this song is in fact the third iteration of a re-thinking. “Flavor” began as a downtempo song about celebrating the diversity in the world on Tori’s 2009 album Abnormally Attracted to Sin. It was then included on her 2012 album Gold Dust, which featured orchestral remakes of selections from Tori’s catalog, inspired by her 2011 album Night of Hunters in collaboration with the Metropole Orchestra. And now, it gets the dark 4 a.m. treatment. Featuring Peter’s trademark sexy, dramatic afterhours vibe, the mixes actually succeed in continuing the stripped-down intention of the remake but translated for the dancefloor. There are four versions on this remix package: Radio Edit, Big Room Mix, Club Mix and Old Skool Dub. 2013-02-15T11:01:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/scream_shout http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/scream_shout I’m afraid that this troubled singer’s latest effort to re-establish her chart supremacy gets the “Worst” award this go-round. I just know the Gay Mafia will be GPS’ing me on Grindr to suffocate me in a cloud of pink glitter. Bring it on! I fail to see anything redeeming here. At its core, “Scream & Shout” is a marketing tool, an exercise in product placement and name recognition in lieu of substance. There are so many elements relying on the strength of each other that by the end the entire catastrophe just topples, like a house of cards. For starters, it’s pretty obvious that will.i.am is using Britney’s name only as a selling point. Britney gives a phoned-in performance, speaking in a mock British accent and relying on previous chart successes to persuade you that this one is cool. She barely sings backup vocals to will.i.am’s chorus, which itself is so digitized the source vocal could have been done by anyone — or anything. Then there’s the video, relying on T-Mobile commercial-style effects, with will.i.am shamelessly plugging his iam+ photo.social iPhone accessory and Beats by Dre portable speaker system. Thank God we’ve still got Britney dancing … Well, no, she’s not dancing. She’s just posing in blown-out lighting with a big-hair style that evokes country singers like Bobbie Gentry and Dottie West, and nanosecond snippets of a ragtag crew of backup dancers. If there’s anything to scream or shout about, it’s that will.i.am has proven that he’s more interested in marketing than music; that, and, with Britney’s golden years having come and gone, all we’ve got to look forward to is the inevitable oldies infomercial and more tabloid headlines. 2013-02-15T11:00:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/the_lucky_ones http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/the_lucky_ones Kerli Kõiv, the Estonian singer-songwriter who gave us the musical style “bubble goth,” finally releases this first official single off the forthcoming second studio album Utopia. Not to knock it, but what exactly is goth about a title like that? Following two hit, yet apparently “promotional,” singles — “Army of Love” in 2011 and “Zero Gravity” in 2012 — “The Lucky Ones” will be setting the tone for what to expect from the blonde, glittery pixie in the future. Produced by SeventyEight and sounding much like most of the radio dance pop out there, “The Lucky Ones” has all the makings of an international hit. And if the remix package is any indication, Island Records believes that, too, with official mixes that include big-room treatments by Rich Morel, Morgan Page, Hector Fonseca and Oliver Twizt. 2013-02-15T10:59:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/stay http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/stay One of the clear standout tracks on Morales’ recent album, Changes, featuring Russian up-and-comer Polina, “Stay” is one of those intimate House tracks that I never thought would be given the single release treatment. The lyrics underscore that incredibly private feeling of wanting to be with someone, but wanting him to be the one who demands it: “I wanna stay the night/Although my mind tells me no/Just make me stay the night/And drown deep inside your world.” The single features seven mixes, including an “Album Mix” different from what appears on the actual album, and the triumphant return of progressive House legend Rui Da Silva. 2012-11-02T20:51:19+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/calling_lose_my_mind http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/calling_lose_my_mind Originally released back in June but only now getting exposure, this vocal version of Ingrosso & Alesso’s instrumental track “Calling” sounds so good with Ryan Tedder, it’s hard to imagine it without him. Never one to shy away from an effortlessly held high note, the desperation in Tedder’s voice works perfectly with the song’s longing lyrics demanding that everything be surrendered in the name of being together. Also look for the R3hab remixes that push the track into a frenzy of tech elements and distorted electro stabs. 2012-11-02T20:49:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/simulation http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/simulation Think of this as Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You” for a new generation. In this one-and-a-half-minute track produced by Crooked Man, the elements of House music are stripped down to its disco roots to create a throbbing underpinning for Murphy’s heavy breathing and digital siren vocals. It’s like voyeuristic erotica; you can just see the gritty webcam image of her posing in front of a laptop on the bed and adjusting a reading light to get a better lighting scheme. This needs to be played as the last song of the night to ensure the entire crowd’s gonna get laid. 2012-11-02T20:48:17+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/cant_stop_me http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/cant_stop_me This follow-up to 2010’s runaway single “Take Over Control” employs straightforward vocals courtesy of Dutch sibling trio Shermanology atop Afrojack’s techie production — but ditches the sexual innuendos for an uplifting message and a “gotta jump along” bass line that American mainstream audiences love. Oddly enough it does go back to that weird meme running through pop music right now of “the world’s about to end, so let’s just dance.” Still not quite sure how to take that one. Also look for the Tiësto remix included on his Club Life 2.0 album. 2012-11-02T20:47:31+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/diamonds http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/diamonds Pop Diva Rule Number One: The only person who can successfully launch an album with a mid-tempo lead single is Mariah Carey. This might not have been Rihanna’s best move. As she has done since 2009, she’s kicking off a holiday album with an early fall single release. But unlike the last two years, it’s not a sing-a-long dance single. She’s making the same mistake she made with “Russian Roulette”: too much substance and not enough novelty. We don’t look to Rihanna for moral direction or insightful messages. We just want to be the only girl in the world or find love is a hopeless place. Best we can hope for are amazing remixes — or, better yet, a big follow-up that overshadows this one. As for the cover art, enough with the drug references already! We get it, Rihanna’s a bad ass. Does this really need to be continually beaten like a horse en route to the glue factor? And if you’re paying for Stargate to produce, why not have them do what they do best? 2012-11-02T20:40:46+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/my_heart_is_refusing_me_sober http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/my_heart_is_refusing_me_sober For such an under-populated country, Sweden has had an outsized influence on dance music. Maybe being buried under snow for much of the year really stokes the creative process. While it’s taken eight years, Loreen finally got the attention she deserves with her return to music in April 2011’s “My Heart Is Refusing Me.” The initial release was limited to her native Sweden, but the song is now beginning to get international exposure thanks to the Internet, along with another Swedish-only single, “Sober.” The reason for all this recent retroactive exposure is Loreen’s recent First Place win in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 for “Euphoria.” So why is this review not about “Euphoria”? Straight up, both previous singles are far better. It’s not that “Euphoria” is bad. Not by any means; it just doesn’t have the same depth. “Sober” and “My Heart Is Refusing Me” are gorgeous dance ballads that pair dramatic instrumentation with Loreen’s incredibly powerful pipes and leave the listener a little stunned by the profundity. “Sober” describes the questions spinning around in her head after a night of drinking and falling into lust, and whether these feelings will exist when she gets sober. “My Heart Is Refusing Me” describes another type of intoxication: a declaration that, despite her head knowing someone is bad for her, her heart won’t let him go. Full remix packages for both, but it’s going to require a little hunting because neither is available Stateside. 2012-07-31T23:35:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/i_dont_like_you http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/i_dont_like_you Eva Simons is an unstoppable badass on her way to being the next big name in dance music. Eva originally came to the world’s attention as the vocalist and face of Afrojack’s monster 2011 hit “Take Over Control,” which proclaimed her desire to be dominated — while dancing in a cheerleader costume atop a dusty school bus parked on California’s Interstate 5. Her mountain-high mohawk and stunning beauty have made her a recognizable artist on her own. “I Don’t Like You” is the lead single off her forthcoming solo album and a proclamation that she intends to be more Rihanna and less Selena Gomez. The lyrics explore an interesting dynamic: Falling out of love with someone is one thing, but not to like him, period, is something else altogether. It goes beyond not being an appropriate partner; it declares that he isn’t a good person. If that sounds familiar, here’s your new personal anthem. The video takes a very aggressive approach to this revelation: Eva breaks into her cheating boyfriend’s apartment and trashes it, including the dog, which gets a special haircut. Over the top? Probably. But she looks amazing doing it. With remixes by Nicky Romero, Fred Falke, R3hab and Nick Thayer, this has the potential to be a major radio hit. 2012-07-31T23:34:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/timebomb http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/timebomb Donna Summer (rest her soul) may have given us the last word on the last dance, but Kylie predicts the end of her life. Surprise! She’s decided her last moments would best be spent sweaty and gyrating. Kicking off her yearlong “K25” celebration commemorating 25 years in show business, Kylie blows the boys’ minds with the launch single promoting her new career-spanning Best of Kylie Minogue album. While the track is not featured on the album, a forthcoming remix EP has been confirmed, with a rumored remix treatment by DJ royalty Peter Rauhofer. In its original format, “Timebomb” capitalizes on what Kylie does best: simple, uplifting dance music with a catchy hook and addictive production. Built around a distorted, rubbery bass line, “Timebomb” follows post-apocalyptic pop dance hits like Britney’s “Till the World Ends” and Jay Sean’s “2012.” She musically surmises her fast-approaching end and suggests that the best way to handle that impending doom is to dance to death. 2012-07-31T23:33:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/1991_ep http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/1991_ep 20-year-old Azealia Banks has everything going for her as her career ascends. A legion of fans built from the ground up through viral videos on YouTube led to a contract with Interscope. A lot of Azealia’s appeal arises from the contrast of her rosy-cheeked, pig-tailed adorable looks and the gutter-whore filth that spills from her gorgeous full lips: “Kick it with ya bitch who come from Parisian/She know where I get mine from, and the season/Now she wanna lick my plum in the evening/And fit that ton-tongue d-deep in/I guess that cunt getting eaten.” Her startlingly nimble lyrics sound like something that fell out of an after-hours gay club in the early ‘90s. The EP’s title, however, calls out her birth year, not the decade of origin for her unique high-energy rap-House sound. Get used to it, because you’ll be hearing it over and over again when “212” becomes the most-played single that never makes it on the radio. Its tribal House and diss-track structure wrapped up with a baby doll smile comes at you full blast from the first beat — complete with an amazing low-budget video, to boot. After being on every “one to watch” list imaginable throughout 2011, you can bank on Banks to dominate iPods. 2012-07-31T23:32:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/oh_my_goodness http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/oh_my_goodness Olly Murs, runner up on the sixth season of British X Factor, auditioned for Simon Cowell in 2009, who remarked that it was “the easiest yes I’ve ever given.” Now on his second album and second single from it, “Oh My Goodness” falls into that Bruno Mars/John Mayer category of complementary songwriting, Murs declaring that “... I don’t care/If you don’t break my fall/You got me dreaming of a life/That anybody else would die for.” In its native format, “Goodness” sounds like Motown Soul — as does all of Murs’ music. But it’s the almighty remixes that turn the tables in the most delightful extreme ever. The original remix is trademark Hi-NRG with a little dubstep thrown in for trendiness; it really does manage to amplify the sentiments of the original without losing any of the produndity. If slightly less energetic mixing is more your flavor, Cagedbaby also contributed some beautiful progressive House-style mixes that would do well with an afterhours crowd. All around, a quality voice over a tried and true sound. Couldn’t be better. 2012-05-01T19:38:32+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/part_of_me_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/part_of_me_remixes Some of the best music out there comes from a breakup — just ask Adele and all 300 of her Grammys. Katy Perry’s songs, while simple and saccharine, are in fact composed pop whose quality even the spikiest critics seem to recognize. I don’t think we’ve experienced anything with as sharp a point as “Part of Me,” but leave it to a failed snap wedding to a man with bigger hair than hers to really squeeze the juice out. Lines like “You took my light, you/drained me down/That was then and this is now/Now look at me,” and “Throw your sticks and your stones/Throw your bombs and your blows/But you’re not gonna break my soul” ring out as poignant sentiments I think most of the readers of noiZe find relatable. The track has also been given a full remix treatment, featuring reincarnations by the ever-flawless Freemasons and Madonna’s Confessions producer Jacques Lu Cont (Stuart Price). 2012-05-01T19:37:32+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/tonight_in_babylon http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/tonight_in_babylon Every so often lightning strikes twice. And when the crack of lightning is a sexy rasp (that I slow danced to in junior high) over gorgeous, emotional club beats, you need to bring a change of panties. Bryan Adams’ last and only venture into club music came back in 2000 in the form of a collaboration with Chicane on the empowering track “Don’t Give Up,” which featured a video inspired by the film Metropolis and had Bryan blasting through social control with his voice. Bryan has teamed up 12 years after that record with Euro dance hit makers Loverush UK! and delivers an equally uplifting anthem-style track essentially declaring the club as a nirvana of sorts, a place to escape to and hide from reality. The song itself may hardly be unique, but Adams’ delivery makes this stand a head above so many similar club tracks. Adams’ vocal prowess has always been his ability to sound both undeniably strong and strikingly vulnerable simultaneously, and it’s that magical paradox that gives “Babylon” its profundity, changing lyrics that would otherwise read as “Let’s go dancing” into “Let’s escape into a beautiful world of sound and light, and escape into each other.” Full scale remix assault by Steve Smart & Westfunk, Timothy Allan, Protoculture, Roger Shah, Ronski Speed & Stoneface & Terminal. 2012-05-01T19:35:32+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/somebody_that_i_used_to_know http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/somebody_that_i_used_to_know Not since Nelly Furtado’s “Say It Right” have I seen such a mad rush to remix a track. Read any DJ, club, or dance music blog right now and you’re going to find a remix of “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Until early 2012, Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Wouter “Wally” De Backer, or Gotye, was essentially an unknown, sounding much like a painfully intimate ‘90s coffeehouse band that finally got a proper studio session. But three albums in and a February Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance later, “Somebody That I Used to Know” featuring New Zealand musician Kimbra is No. 4 on the Billboard Top 100 (as of press time). An official club mix package of one the most talked about songs since “Rolling in the Deep” has not yet been released. But Gotye’s no stranger to remixes, having released an 8-track maxi-single for the last album’s big single “Hearts a Mess.” so expect something. Bootlegs to look out for include interpretations by The Thin Red Men, Hyper Crush, Myndset, and dBerrie. 2012-05-01T19:18:32+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/letting_you_go_greece_2000 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/letting_you_go_greece_2000 The late ‘90s were an evolutionary peak for the trance music genre, both in accomplishment and regard. The genre got so many of its truly outstanding musical accomplishments in those years of passionate creation, and American gay clubs and club compilation series included it alongside house music as an equal partner. One of those musical accomplishments was Three Drives’ (aka 3 Drives on A Vinyl) ubiquitous 1997 instrumental anthem “Greece 2000,” whose skittering melody and waterfall strings found their way onto zillions of compilations and DJ playlists well past the year its title’s future referenced. Since then the track has been remixed and re-released endlessly, but until now has never been given a vocal facelift. Now reconstructed as “Letting You Go (Greece 2000)” by Dabruck & Klein, the new vocal element adds intention and the sing-a-long capacity the instrumentation always begged for: “You can say what you want to/Cry me a river if you need to/Put my name in a tattoo/I’m letting you go.” Also included are monstrous non-vocal makeovers by Markus Schulz and Roger Shah, rounding out the most gorgeous re-issue of this classic yet. 2012-02-09T09:11:39+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/be_with_you http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/be_with_you One thing that’s always been in short supply in dance music is charismatic male vocals that have the same delicately beautiful texture as a woman’s. Leave it to The Gays to provide emotional depth. On Erasure’s second single from the Tomorrow’s World album, Andy Bell’s words deliver the kind of sentiment most of us hate admitting that we supremely long for, and do so through the vehicle of a man’s strong voice instead of that one degree of diva removal. The feather-touch keyboards on the album version from super-producer Vince Clarke and album producer Frankmusik serve the lyrics’ message best, but the Moto Blanco Club Mix will of course be the format of choice for DJs, which frames nicely their newly refreshed sound from the “copy & paste” remix treatments they’d been doing for years. Also notable is the remix package’s inclusion of an acoustic version of the track which, while of course lacking all the production bells and whistles, has that warm, feel-good vibe from a gorgeous string accompaniment. 2012-02-09T09:08:39+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/if_it_wasnt_for_love http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/if_it_wasnt_for_love Just when it felt like all our true divas had been replaced with Auto-Tuned blondes, Deborah comes roaring back to blow those bitches out of the software-dependent soundscape. Not since 2009’s “Beautiful U R” and “Leave the World Behind” have we had a real dance floor offering from Cox, but this one more than makes up for those two years of radio silence. Presented in multiple flavors by Mixin Marc, Papercha$er, Razor & Guido and [Tracy] Young Collective, “If It Wasn’t for Love” is a clubland love song, citing love as the thing that saved her from an imminent downward spiral and destruction. Deborah’s voice is as powerhouse as it ever was, and her spiral staircase crescendo on the word “love” could pull any tragedy from his K-hole. All mixes are strong, but the trophy for best look goes to Tracy Young, who gives the track that heavily-produced Circuit sound that makes Young such a dependable staple. Look for several rumored forthcoming releases from Cox in 2012 with producers John Dahlback, Rune RK and Erick Morillo. 2012-02-09T09:07:39+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/titanium http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/titanium This is the one I was waiting for since the Nothing But the Beat tracks started leaking over the summer. It’s finally here in all its remixed glory. “Titanium” follows the format of most of the tracks on the Beat album: simple verses linked together by a chorus that really lets the featured vocalist show off what they’ve got, interjected with breakdown moments that let Guetta do what he does best.  What makes “Titanium” such a standout is the rawness and honesty in Sia’s delivery; her voice is one that simultaneously delivers a gale force and an idiosyncratic candor that hits you like the words “I love you” pushed through tears. Beyond that, “Titanium” is also an anthem for the lovelorn, the chorus empowering any who’ve been heartbroken to stand up and fight: “I’m bulletproof, nothing to lose/Fire away, fire away/You shoot me down but I won’t fall/I am titanium.” It doesn’t get any better than that. Remixers include Alesso, Nicky Romero, Arno Cost and Gregori Klosman. Also, look for the original recording of “Titanium” with Mary J. Blige on vocals. Compare and contrast. 2012-02-09T08:26:39+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/break_my_world http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/break_my_world Rising German DJ Micha Moor teams up with one of Offer Nissim’s favorite female voices to create a progressive House track that gets you on first listen and has you turning it up just a little louder each time you hear it. The track is built around the conceit of falling in love as someone’s world being broken: The routine is shattered after letting someone penetrate walls of protection. All that’s punctuated by arch-like chord progressions and a thundering bass line that drops out at key moments to underscore the drama. Additionally, an incredible ensemble produced remixes, including Inpetto, Itay Kalderon & Mr. Black, and Nissim himself. 2011-10-28T18:54:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/collide http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/collide This song really was a collision. Originally an instrumental track by Avicii called “Penguin,” and later made into a vocal track called “Fade Into Darkness,” Leona Lewis recorded her own vocals to the track, claiming that the instrumental had been sent to her to “work on.”  Avicii claimed no knowledge of this and sued Leona and her label but eventually settled after Leona’s camp conceded to credit both artists on the track as a “collaboration.” The result of this debacle is actually rather nice. Leona’s first real dance single shows she can do more than just power ballads and can move a dance floor as well. Remixes provided by Afrojack, Alex Gaudino & Jason Rooney, Cahill and Nay Ray … not surprisingly no mix by Avicii. 2011-10-28T18:53:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/a_million_stars http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/a_million_stars Anything Kirsty Hawkshaw vocalizes is a thing of beauty. She could sing the Starbucks menu and make baristas cry. While this is the third time BT and Kirsty have teamed up to create art together, the starkness of its sublime beauty is all the more standout against the backdrop of all the jagged electro and acidic sounds that have become their musical zeitgeist. “A Million Stars” is a healing song about letting go of pain, tapping into the energy around you, and the promise that “You will feel love again/After the rain” — all delivered in delicate silk thread-like high notes atop BT’s beautiful guitar strums and rounded beats. Remixes by Myon & Shane 54, Sultan & Ned Shepard, Airwave, Digital Stories, et al. 2011-10-28T18:52:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/disaster http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/disaster She’s finally back. After two years of battling her record label in a suit over distribution, JoJo has signed on Interscope Records. The voice we fell in love with five years ago is finally gracing the airwaves again. “Disaster,” the lead single from forthcoming album Jumping Trains, has JoJo blowing over a pop rock power ballad backdrop about the demise of a relationship and underscores a vocal prowess frankly absent from pop for years. No remixes have shown up, and I’m not entirely certain this is the type of track that will get that kind of treatment. No matter; in its original format, the track has me hitting repeat. 2011-10-28T18:51:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/moves_like_jagger http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/moves_like_jagger So maybe this is only a promotional tool for The Voice, but that doesn’t stop it from being a brilliant piece of pop. The track combines Maroon 5’s radio rock sound with a clubby dance beat. Christina sings the hell out of her lines as if reminding the world,“ I can still do this!” Adam Levine’s delivery is taut and effortless and sounds as carelessly beautiful as he is himself. Highly remix friendly, the track has been given official — Cutmore, Michael Carrera and Soul Seekerz — and bootlegged treatments in myriad styles, including Sex Ray Vision and Funk3d. 2011-10-28T18:49:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/cryin_over_you http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/cryin_over_you This combination seemed to come completely out of left field, but the union of these two forces is pretty heavenly. The Nightcrawlers, whom clubbers will remember from their dubby 1995 un-singalongable yet ubiquitous “Push the Feeling On,” team up with Taio Cruz, the Euro Soul-cum-American electro-pop crossover breakout, to create “Cryin’ Over You.” “Cryin’” sounds exactly like the arrangements John Reid sang as The Nightcrawlers, but with the exponentially stronger pipes of Taio pushing the product into the realm of epic. And when you add in the contributing remixers, including Freemasons, Cahill, LMC, Kenny Hayes and Jorg Schmid, this is a top contender for 2011 late-summer anthem. Taio’s had a long road to American pop relevance from Euro obscurity, but it’s nice to see someone like him unafraid to pay a little homage to the sound of his townspeople. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/in_the_air http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/in_the_air Everyone knows that good things happen when stars align: love; opportunity; a black president. So when five align at once, you better hold onto something heavy and anchored and brace yourself for what’s coming your way. In the Air is a new collaboration between three super-producers — Morgan Page, progressive House’s darling of the moment; Sultan & Ned Shepard, clubland’s rapidly rising royalty; and BT, the Godfather of modern electronica — and one unique vocalist, Scottish crooner Angela McCluskey, best known for her hypnotic contribution to Telepopmusik’s “Breathe.” Lyrically, Angela proclaims the change she feels coming, the looming fear that love is going to become heartbreak, and the feeling of desperation over how to respond to what she cannot stop from happening (read: pain made pretty). No remixes as of yet, but this one’s ripe for additional interpretations. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/black_white http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/black_white This song is one of the reasons progressive House is the amazing amalgamation that it is: the combination of beat-driven inertia, sweeping trance-like melodies and stark sublime vocals. Recently employed as the opening track for a Morgan Page podcast mixshow, “Black & White” leaves an instant impression and sets an otherworldly atmosphere in place without all the pesky smoke machines and freaky fantasy rave imagery. Amba Shepherd’s breathy vocals delicately proclaim, “Every day it’s like I’m dreaming in black and white/You are all of the colors missing in my life.” How can you not get at least a little tripped up in those words and bits of imagery? The four-track digital single includes the original and Joan Reyes’ “Closing Mix.” While not extensive, between those two variations you’ve got all you need. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/put_your_hands_up http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/put_your_hands_up If ever there was a tailor-made summer jam, this is it. Half of the Top 40 at the moment are songs about dancing, drinking, clubbing or stripping. The other half are about love. As simple as it sounds, “Put Your Hands Up” is a standout from all of those because it combines the two intentions to make conditional upon the other: “Put your hands up if you feel love.” Blam! Gold. Any DJ who plays this not only has the crowd jumping to the beat, but also has them drunkenly thinking about who they love that’s justifying the action. Over thinking it? Come on, you know it’s true. To top it off, “Hands Up” has been served with a full remix package, including mixes by Basto, Bimbo Jones, Nervo, and (applause, applause) Pete Hammond. Kylie’s in the middle of a world tour, so put your hands up if you’re willing to sleep with someone for tickets. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/mirrors http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/mirrors Everyone loves a dirty girl. Natalia Kills is a British singer/songwriter who describes her style as “dark sounding pop music.” It sounds a lot like Gaga’s “Just Dance,” complete with Akon tagging Konvict Music in the first seven seconds. Having garnered recognition as a No. 1 unsigned artist on MySpace Music, “Mirrors” is her breakout release following 2009’s “Zombie” video. It’s also the first official single from her forthcoming debut album Perfectionist on Interscope. A fun song to ruin good sheets to, “Mirrors” is about spirited sex: “Turning the lights out/Tighten the handcuffs/And the mirror’s gonna fog tonight!” It even includes a promise to make your “love grenade” explode. Bless her. Remixes by Moto Blanco, Tonka, Doctor Rosen Rosen, Frankmusik and Chris Moody. 2011-04-29T06:39:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/push_it http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/push_it A promotion company sent this one to me, and my jaded self expected it to be lame. But, dammit, this rocks. Apparently, Jessie’s quite the little prodigy and has been working towards this level of exposure for years. She even traveled to Europe to get away from her rock roots and adopted a more eclectic electronica style that felt more organic to her. If songs like this are what you get from a European sabbatical, American pop starlets should cross the pond immediately. It’s the chorus that really makes me lose it. The long half-notes are intoxicating: “I’ve…. been… try… ing… to…” The track is delivered as a full remix package, including mixes by Dirty Freqs, Richard Vission, Skeet Skeet, Ron Reeser & Dan Saenz and Junior Sanchez. 2011-04-29T06:38:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/army_of_love http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/army_of_love I had no idea who this chick was but apparently she’s one of Estonia’s major exports? Now positioned to make a splash here after being signed to Island Def Jam, she intends to bring a new style of music to the world she calls “Bubble Goth.” In the video for “Army of Love,” she looks like a hybrid of Ani Difranco, Björk and Lady Gaga. I can’t wait to see what she does. The song is amazingly catchy in its original form, and Chew Fu does a brilliant job of upping the energy for the dance floor. Additional mixes by Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda, Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, Sultan & Ned Shepard and WaWa. Total feel-good stuff; the happiest Goth you’ll ever hear. 2011-04-29T06:36:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/good_girl http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/good_girl The Freemasons can do no wrong.The tracks they choose to remix are always stellar and completely worthy of attention, both in their Freemasons-ized and original formats. Alexis Jordan blew everyone away last summer with “Happiness,” and when I saw she had a new single with a Freemasons’ rub, I squealed like a pre-teen girl. Essentially about a girl with a past who’s falling in love and trying to prove she’s got good in her beyond the ill repute, the song’s hooks are inescapable and the Freemasons’ production works so well with her voice it’s frightening. Just try not to get swept up in the midst of the chorus’ first line, “You might mistake me for a heeeeeaaaaart breaker.” 2011-04-29T06:35:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/you_havent_seen_the_last_of_me http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/you_havent_seen_the_last_of_me When we found out that Cher was going to sing in a movie, there was a collective gay gasp that swept the globe.  And when I found out they were going to remix the hell out of it, my gay heart leapt from my chest and curtsied to the gay goddess.  In the true tradition of Cher, this is yet another sad song-cum-empowerment power ballad. While it might specifically relate to a stubborn club owner in Burlesque, it also couldn’t be more appropriate for where Cher is in her own career right now.  One thing’s for sure: It puts to bed any doubt that Cher’s past it. Girlfriend’s still got notes in her tonsils that those wannabe starlets can only dream about (or electronically alter). What’s also amazing is the song’s not-so-delicate placement in the movie: Cher’s on her way out the door, bags in hand after a long day of fighting for her club’s existence. The DJ asks if she wants to rehearse “that song.”  Despite the late hour and her obvious exhaustion, she drops the bags, straddles a chair, finds herself looking down the barrel of a soft spotlight and belts it out the park. What’s illogical about that? But hey, it’s Cher, we don’t need a reason for anything she does. Remixes include interpretations by Dave Aude, Almighty, Stonebridge, and a late add of several by Johnny Vicious. 2011-02-15T12:44:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/take_over_control http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/take_over_control If you listen closely you can hear the collective eye roll of the entire feminist movement — but for you lazy bottoms, you’ve finally got your own national anthem. “Take Over Control” is a salute to submission,  as she declares, “I want you to take over control/Plug it in and turn me on.”  Not a lot of confusion with that statement.  Beautifully voiced by Eva Simons, 2004 winner of the Dutch reality TV contest Popstars (like American Idol, another Pop Idol clone), “Take Over Control” is one of those songs you don’t need to think too hard about; just appreciate the dynamic hooks and catchy beats. The video is an equally guilty pleasure: Eva in thigh-high boots and a chain-mail top dancing with hot girls in cheerleader outfits in a beat-up yellow school bus. A wide range of remixes were commissioned for this one, including retouches by Adam F, Apster, Ian Carey, Spencer & Hill and Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano. 2011-02-15T12:44:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/tonight_im_fucking_you http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/tonight_im_fucking_you Call me puritanical, but this title threw me off guard. True, we’ve been heading in this direction for a while. We’ve had little blips of this in pop music — Willa Ford’s “Fuck the Men,” Lily Allen’s “Fuck You.” But it struck me as a revolution for a mainstream pop artist to use the F-bomb in the chorus of a radio single. Ten years ago, you’d never catch a vanilla pop artist like Enrique taking a chance like this. In 2000, Enrique was crooning how much he “just wants to be with you.” Ten years on, we’ve got the full disclosure of what he wants to do once he’s there. Following the Latin house sound that put him back on the map with “I Like It,” “Tonight” has a galloping beat and “we’re being naughty” keyboards, and sticks in your head like silicone lube on cotton sheets. Enrique’s simple voice continues its tasty love affair with Auto-Tune and is nicely punctuated by Ludacris’s breaky dub. In its edited version it becomes “Tonight I’m lovin’ you” so the teens and tweens can keep up the belief that Iglesias is just a doe-eyed Latin lover with nothing but the most romantic of intentions. Remixes, both official and bootleg, are trickling out, including club rubs by Dresden & Johnson, Chuckie, Bit Error and Richard Vission. 2011-02-15T12:42:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/stereo_love http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/stereo_love This one perplexes me. At press time, “Stereo Love” is #17 on the American Top 40, placing before Katy Perry, Chris Brown and  Enrique Iglesias, and the first Euro dance song on the chart in what feels like years. Now where I can’t help but get all over-analytical is asking, “Why this one?’  It’s not a bad song, it’s actually gorgeous and instantly recognizable for its unique use of the accordion alongside Vika’s melancholy voice, trance keyboards and a dancefloor beat. It’s just that …  this isn’t any better than any of the other beautiful Euro dance music out there. But for whatever reason, Edward Maya’s specific combination of elements has the power to appeal to a nation whose playlists are otherwise dominated by hip-hop, pop and dance music. I just wanna know what radio stations are playing this. “Stereo Love” currently holds the record for longest time spend on the European Hot 100 at 52 weeks since it was released in 2009. Remixes abound, the digital single including a total of 12 tracks, and a controversial cover version exists by Canadian artist Mia Martina. 2011-02-15T12:41:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/the_emergency http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/the_emergency A clear standout from the These Hopeful Machines album, “The Emergency,” featuring vocals by Andrew Bayer and BT himself, follows in the footsteps of previous heart-wrenching singles like “Break My Fall” and “Force of Gravity.” Never one to say something with anything less than embarrassing eloquence (just follow this guy on Twitter), the lyrical honesty is stunning. “The Emergency” refers to that destructive panic that overcomes you when you’ve extended yourself, made your desires known to another, and you’re left waiting to see if it’s going to be given back to you. “I’d wait in line/For something I knew that I would get to keep/Your ‘I love you,” is followed by the reassuring line, “Emergency has passed.” The song suffers from that Offer Nissim syndrome of being just too good to be effectively remixed. While none of the mixes across the 13-track EP are bad in any way, not even heavy hitters like Morgan Page and Dave Audé manage to reconstruct the track in a way that competes with the original. But they make a damn good effort. This was well worth the wait. 2010-11-02T09:39:46+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/million_stars http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/million_stars We haven’t heard much from Offer Nissim (officially anyway) for a while. Not certain of all the details, but it seems like right around the time Nissim got in that dispute with Peter Rauhofer over the official versus bootleg remix release ethics of Whitney Houston’s “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength,” Nissim disappeared from the U.S. scene. “Million Stars” appears to be the first new material we’ve heard from him stateside since the Remixed album dropped in late 2008, and it is so worth the wait. A gorgeous mix of trademark Middle Eastern-influenced beats, sensual guitars and ethereal vocals in English and Portuguese, “Million Stars” has yet to receive an official release but is circulating the Internet presently and with any luck will eventually get some proper label attention. 2010-11-02T09:37:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/believer http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/believer This one was released in August but still hasn’t gotten the DJ response it deserves. Probably my favorite track of the entire year, “Believer” is that track that represents the remedy to the lackluster music that’s been plaguing clubs for a while now. In the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, there were hundreds of quality club tracks that combined three necessities: beautiful vocals, enchanting melody, and thoughtful lyrics. Artists like Abigail, Amber and Erin Hamilton made a killing with that combo. But in the last few years, that magic mix has fallen apart, and we’re usually left with, at best, two out of three. When I first heard “Believer,” I thought, “This is what we’ve been missing, and why did it take so long for someone to bring it back?” Wynter Gordon made the crossover from urban to dance with her Guetta-produced “Dirty Talk” earlier in the year. Now, alongside dance royalty Freemasons, she’s found a true home. No remixes necessary, in its original format “Believer” is vocal, blissful perfection and makes all nine minutes feel like not nearly enough. Don’t miss this one. 2010-11-02T09:35:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/only_girl_in_the_world http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/only_girl_in_the_world After the completely up-and-down response to her Rated R album, along comes “Only Girl (In The World),” the next in the urban-pop-gone-gay-dance genre. What will doubtlessly be as huge a hit as “Disturbia” follows a similar format. Produced by Stargate, responsible for “Don’t Stop the Music” and Ne-Yo’s recent (and similar sounding) “Beautiful Monster,” as well as a long list of other urban-to-dance radio hits, “Only Girl” sounds like every club track from the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. It woke me up on the morning of its debut on Los Angeles’ KIIS FM with the thought of “what the hell is the sound of my college years doing coming out of my clock radio?” It’s completely addictive and essentially just fun Top 40. In comparison to the last lead single, “Russian Roulette,” this makes a clear statement that “we made a mistake trying to make Rihanna into an artist, and we’re never doing substance again.” Official remixes have yet to be released at press time, but rest assured, they’re coming. 2010-11-02T09:32:43+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/dancing_on_my_own http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/dancing_on_my_own This woman is one of the most endearing artists to come along, or reemerge rather, in years. Lifted from Body Talk Pt. 1, the first installment of her new trilogy album series, “Dancing On My Own” is the song that every gay man alive can relate to: “I’m in the corner, watching you kiss her/I’m right over here, why can’t you see me/I’m givin’ it my all, but I’m not the girl you’re takin’ home/I keep dancing on my own.” Pronouns aside, I can’t imagine anything else eliciting more instantaneous empathy than those lines. Culturally, the gay club is so much more than just a room of dancing sweaty men. It’s a safe space to live out loud. It’s a spigot tapping into what we’ve locked away from the outside world — and often ourselves. And it’s the perfect stage set for falling in lust, mistaking it for love and then having it all ripped away in a matter of minutes. It’s that delicious lovelorn state that is at the core of this track — as Robyn herself puts it, a song inspired by her love of inherently sad, gay disco anthems such as Ultravox’s “Dancing With Tears in My Eyes,” Sylvester, and Donna Summer. Between its industrial techno album version and the myriad remixes by Ch ew Fu, Michael Woods, Fred Falke, Jakwob, Rex the Dog and Buzz Junkies, this indisputably belongs alongside the aforementioned torch song royalty. 2010-07-29T16:20:29+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/dynamite http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/dynamite It’s been a long time coming, but Taio’s finally made it across the pond and arrived stateside. Though his debut album Departure was released in 2008 and the unstoppable first single “Movin’ On” included a perfect remix treatment by Spencer & Hill, it wasn’t until Ludacris was cast on “Break Your Heart” as the “American radio icon that makes the U.K. artist sell” that he got his chance to get some recognition. “Dynamite,” the second single off Rokstarr, is less a coherent statement than an addictive rhythm; that, and simple words proclaiming that he’s tired and ready to dance and that he’s going to be the last one on the floor. “’Cause we gon’ rock this club/We gon’ go all night/We gon’ light it up/Like it’s dynamite.” Look beyond the incoherence and you’ll find yourself amidst an unstoppable pile of hooky elements that more than make up for its lack of content. Unlike the first single, “Dynamite” was given a proper remix treatment and includes megaton mixes by Ralphi Rosario, Mixin Marc and Stonebridge. And while it’s unlikely to make much of an impact in the gay Circuit, make your way out to straight clubs on the Sunset Strip, where this will doubtlessly be the boom and the rhythm in the speakers that makes all the waifish girls teeter in their heels and spill their cosmos. 2010-07-29T16:18:29+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/commander http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/commander Beginning with Rihanna’s “Disturbia” in 2008, a niche genre of overly filtered, urban-turned-dance pop emerged, characterized by tight, digital sounding vocals without the typical Auto-Tune warble, and the same kind of watered-down club production that European dance artists adopted in the mid-‘00s to appeal to the pop market. After artists like Wynter Gordon, Heidi Montag and Luigi Masi made names for themselves with this sound, Kelly adopting it for her new David Guetta-produced single just seemed like a logical move. Kelly’s got the pipes to sing without any post-production modification, but the sound is such a novelty at this point, even decent vocalists are using it just to remain relevant. And with this move, Kelly’s truly found her new sound. She attempted doing Urban, but after the Freemasons’ mix of “Work” in 2008, any doubt over where she should be putting her efforts was thrown to the floor like a dirty condom. “Commander” is a party song, straight up, based on simple catchy lyrics, a power chorus and rubbery zigzag synth line; Kelly’s the commander, and she’s commanding you to dance. Wham! Supported with remixes by Ralphi Rosario, Chuckie & Neve, Max Sanna & Steve Pitron and Redlight, this one began making the rounds at Pride this year and will continue telling everyone what to do all throughout the summer. Listen to her. She’s got a point. 2010-07-29T16:17:29+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/alligator http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/alligator This is a single that could only exist in the digital age. Containing a total of 17 mixes, the packaging and repackaging of “Alligator” easily sets a record for sheer volume of mixes, while managing to contain not an ounce of crap. Ranging from short, poppy ‘80s mixes to full-on eight-minute peak-hour club mixes, the possibility for reinterpretation seems endless — due in no small way to the track’s simplicity in its album version. Originally based on simple percussion and minimal piano plunking with bare vocals insisting uncomplicated lyrics, “Alligator” plays like the raw elements provided to remix producers, and was begging to be played with. Highlights include a stellar New Wave synth mix by Passion Pit, a bright and twinkling mix by Four Tet, a progressive house mix by Morgan Page, an ambient-over-electro mix by Kevin St. Croix, and a gorgeous after-hours mix by Bill Hamel. Who knew a mere two-and-a-half minute song could be pushed in so many directions? 2010-04-27T07:17:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/licky_under_the_covers http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/licky_under_the_covers “L-I - licky C-K - licky Y, L-I - licky C, licky all night…”. How can you not fall prey to a song that starts out like that? Shontelle, responsible for 2008’s club hit “T-Shirt,” returns with the lead single to her forthcoming sophomore album No Gravity and definitely has the heads turned her way. “Licky” sounds like something Britney would have recorded if her team had found a way to clean it up for her watered-down demographic without sacrificing its gasp appeal. It’s kinda hard to clean up such a blatant reference to a blow job, though. Supported by remixes by Chew Fu, Saul Ruiz, Carnival of Souls and Ralphi Rosario, this one’s positioned just right to launch the album to clubgoers while the power ballad “Impossible” takes care of pop and rhythmic radio audiences, guaranteeing that Shontelle’s second full-length installment gets all the widespread recognition it deserves. 2010-04-27T07:16:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/the_family_jewels_ep http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/the_family_jewels_ep If you got the ‘80s drunk and let it throw up rainbows all over raverish Happy Hardcore, you’d have the Flex’d Rework of “I Am Not a Robot,” the lead single from the American debut of Brit artist Marina Diamandis, otherwise known as Marina & The Diamonds. Remixed by American electronic act Passion Pit, “Robot” is the perfect example of novelty pop conventions cleverly converted into intimate metaphoric devices, and proof that an artist can achieve mainstream appeal while maintaining artistic integrity. Marina’s voice is both frail and fearless, tiptoeing between twinkling notes while running forward at a furious pace, and works equally well in both included remixes of “Robot.” The Flex’d Rework by Passion Pit is the most immediately accessible, with exuberant, Soundboy Rock-era Groove Armada-style keyboards and endless video game-sounding crescendos and diminuendos. The Starsmith 24 Carat Remix is the more indie of the two, with a muffled beat and low bass gurgles supporting a continuous high-hat patter and more of the original version’s vocals than Passion Pit utilized. Also included is the Ocelot Remix of the album track “Obsessions.” If you’re looking for something delightfully different, swing this way. 2010-04-27T07:15:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/suddenly http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/suddenly Few have earned as far-reaching or diverse a fan base as producer, singer-songwriter, and audio guru Brian Transeau, or BT. When he releases new material, it’s like discovering religion all over again. It’s been four years since This Binary Universe was released; the first BT album that, while beautiful, didn’t have anything in the way of danceability. So in essence we’ve all been waiting to get back to the dance floor with him since 2003—if you don’t count the collaborations with Tiesto (“Love Comes Again” and “Break My Fall”).  “Suddenly” is the third single released from the forthcoming These Hopeful Machines, and the first to be full vocal and uptempo (“Rose of Jericho” was instrumental and “Every Other Way” feat. Jes was mid-tempo in its original version). This is exactly what we’ve all been panting for. BT adds his own voice to guest main vocals by Christian Burns, former member of the hugely popular Brit pop band BBMak, and features remixes by Celldweller, Cicada, Ferry Corsten, JJ and Dave Darrell.  Kind of amazing. 2010-02-13T18:51:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/keep_it_goin_louder_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/keep_it_goin_louder_remixes Major Lazer is the project name for a joint music venture by Diplo (best known as the producer of M.I.A.), and Switch (responsible for remixing artists like Kelis, Mika, Nine Inch Nails, Basement Jaxx, P. Diddy and Bjork, among others). The native sound of the resulting album, “Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do,” is a progressive take on Jamaican dancehall, but it’s the duo’s roots in club music that makes the singles so delicious; namely, in the vast scope of remix producers they have utilized. “Keep It Goin’ Louder” is a clear standout from the album, relying heavily on the novelty of Auto-Tuned vocals and featuring pop urban singer Nina Sky. It stands on its own in its original format, but it’s the ten-track remix promo that takes it to an entirely new level via reinterpretations by names like Mixin’ Marc, Tommie Sunshine, Superchumbo (Tom Stephan), Il Diablo Brooklyn Fire and Diplo himself. It’s an unexpected contender for your next Circuit party, but trust me, it gets ya moving. 2010-02-13T18:50:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/remedymixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/remedymixes This is one of those songs that gets in your head on first listen and has you humming it at every pause throughout the day for the next week. “Remedy” is a bouncy, sing-a-long dance single that utilizes the cuteness of Britney’s best material with an intelligence that frowns on the idea that dance music has to be vapid. Supported with power remixes by Kaskade, Avicii and Stonemasons (knockoff of Freemasons?), the track has already been included in myriad club compilations and blogs have been buzzing in anticipation of more. After the first single “New in Town” vamped the crowd, the RedOne-produced “Remedy” is a sure-fire hit for the ascending artist, and has set the stage for her American debut when the Hands album is released domestically. While it’s not common that a dance artist—especially one from across the pond—makes the crossover to mainstream American radio, Little Boots just might have the appeal to make that happen. 2010-02-13T18:48:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/heartbreak http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/heartbreak This one popped up on Promo Only Mainstream Club and had me scrambling across the apartment to read the artist credit within the first few moments of those gorgeous, rounded notes cascading out of my speakers. It should come as no surprise that the M’black moniker is an alias for a better-known name, Deepest Blue, and specifically the producer of the group, Matt Schwartz. Those who remember the group that dominated radio dance back in 2003, with songs like “Give It Away” and “Deepest Blue,” will immediately recognize the similar watery sound punctuated by textured guitars. The sensual rasp of vocals belong to Nicol, whose delivery on the wrenching chorus lyrics “This is how my heart breaks, together” sounds like something from an old ATB track, but whose other music credits I’m unable to find. The EP was released on iTunes as a ten-track maxi-single on Robbins, and features mixes by Felix Baumgartner, Ron May, Inner Smile and Caged Baby. This one is huge. 2010-02-13T18:46:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/cry_me_out http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/cry_me_out Next in the now-endless parade of blue-eyed soul marching out of Britain and into the American market, Pixie Lott secures a place in the spectrum all her own, combining the ‘50s styling of Amy Winehouse (and her penchant for crazy eye makeup) and the vocal agility of Adele, with a cheeky presence that’s all her. “Cry Me Out” is the third single lifted from the Turn It Up album, and the first ballad following the dancier “Mama Do” and “Boys and Girls,” but is by far my favorite of the bunch. Because as every club addict knows, nothing works a remix quite like the contrast of a fast beat against half-tempo, power vocals—and this one is tailor-made for belting along with on a crowded main room floor. Bimbo Jones and Desert Eagle provide remixes, with the blue ribbon going to Jones for wedding a progressive house composition to a fun disco bounce. The result: a breakup song-cum-peak hour crowd pleaser. There’s just something about her, you can’t help but press that back button. 2010-02-13T18:42:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/million_dollar_bill http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/million_dollar_bill After exhaling a mushroom cloud and calming her weave, Whitney staggered to the studio and recorded her new single.  Every gay loves Whitney, it’s in our blood, but few out there aren’t at least a little disappointed that their favorite power diva is back and delivering her ballads like a spoken word performance and center stage sweating like a pregnant woman in July.  It’s not easy to see someone fall like that.  She’s getting it back slowly, a performance of “I Look To You” in Germany was starting to sound a bit more like the old Whitney, hopefully we’ll see her reclaim the throne.  If nothing else, in studio, even in her depreciated state, she sounds better than 95% of the current roster of artists out there.  “Million Dollar Bill” has all the charm of a radio dance hit, and all the class of a trademark ballad, so if this gets radio play, she’s got it made.  And with its disco core, this one was ready for a power remix right out the gates.  The first round of remixes came from the Freemasons, and a collective squeal from the gay boys could be heard across the globe.  A second round is trickling out currently and includes multiple treatments by Frankie Knuckles, a dark after hours mix by Peter Rauhofer, and a peak circuit mix by Tony Moran’s DJ partner Warren Rigg. 2009-10-30T08:44:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/she_wolf_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/she_wolf_remixes Everybody’s going “dance” right now and not to be outdone, here comes Shakira rockin’ a clubby sound filtered through her Latinness.  “She Wolf” features the kind of organic electronic production that made Basement Jaxx popular — synth gurgles and a relentless beat blended with bare guitar strums and ecstatic violins — and an arpeggio chorus similar to the trademark melodies of trance music.  It took Shakira only ten minutes to write the music and lyrics, “‘She Wolf’ came to me very mysteriously. The image of the she wolf just came to my head, and when I least expected it I was howling and panting.”  Apparently that last part stuck as you can hear her doing just that throughout the track. The video for She Wolf shows her sneaking out of bed, donning an asymmetrical leotard and then emerging from what looks like a glitter-drenched birth canal into a club setting, while the cutaways have her dancing in an enormous cage in a flesh colored one-piece.  The she wolf is out indeed.  Remixes by Moto Blanco, Calvin Harris, Deeplick (best of the bunch), Villains, and a bootleg floating around by Peter Rauhofer. 2009-10-30T08:41:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/now_im_that_bitch_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/now_im_that_bitch_remixes Certain songs should be packaged as gay anthems from the very beginning without worrying about how to market it to a straight crowd and getting it on the radio.  The title alone is enough to knock the wig off most drag queens, and the chorus hook is something every ‘mo should be singing to themselves forever, “Now I’m that bitch/ You’ll never get to (ugh)/ Can’t get what you want/ So you’re acting like a punk/ You were too fly then/ So fly away now/ Now I’m that bitch/ And you’re just a clown.”  I so want there to be an unedited version.  Any guy who’s ever yearned for another, but didn’t get the attention they wanted, and then had them come around too late, needs this.  It’s the perfect “Look who got hot and doesn’t want your shit.  Now go get a cold sore, and while you’re at it, get me another drink” song.  Remixes by Kaskade (the best mix), Sam Sparro (second best), Mike Rizzo, Jason Nevins, Discotech and Serafin.  Also available in a radio version, “Now I’m That Chick.” 2009-10-30T08:38:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/fight_for_you http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/fight_for_you The first single from Morgan’s forthcoming album, “Fight For You” is everything we’ve loved about his pensive, dramatic progressive house style, but taken up a notch through the vocals.  The pipes are provided by Lissie, the vocalist on the first single from the last album, “The Longest Road,” this time replacing the beautiful, dull-eyed melancholy with a more dynamic delivery, including a belted bridge that essentially makes the entire song.  On first listen I thought he’d employed the talents of Astrid Suryanto as that kind of delivery seems more native to her, but Lissie’s taken her voice to another level and the effort pays off stunnigly.  Remixes by the new popular kids of re-rub Sultan & Ned Shephard, Beltek, Bass Kleph and our own big gay DJ Dan. 2009-10-30T08:37:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/release_me http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/release_me The first thing I thought when I saw this release was, “Oh my God, someone is covering Angelina’s ‘Release Me’.”  Angelina was a Latin house artists who hit it big for a hot minute in the SF Bay Area in the mid-90s with a couple radio friendly dance tracks like the aforementioned, “I Don’t Need Your Love” and a cheesy cover of “The Tide is High.”  So when I played Agnes’ track of the same name, I was cringing before I even put the disc in and wondered how it was justifiable to cover someone who was “discovered” at the Great America theme park and hope to not have a cinderblock thrown at you.  And with the very first note of Agnes’ confident, gorgeous voice all that fear is put to rest immediately.  Now we know why Agnes was the youngest contestant ever to win Pop Idol (Sweden’s American Idol counterpart). NOT a cover of Angelina, this song of the same name is exactly the kind of dance pop that could usher in another era of dance artists finding their way onto mainstream hit radio.  Similar to former dance radio crossover hits like “Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)” (feat. Sophie Ellis Bextor) and “Burn For You” by Kreo, “Release Me” is simple, fun, beautifully vocalized and sticks in your head immediately.  Taking it then from the radio to the dancefloor, the track has been fully serviced by Cahill, Moto Blanco and a zillion bootleg mixes.  Get at this one. 2009-09-22T11:08:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/i_think_of_you http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/i_think_of_you Made By Monkeys is exactly what I’ve been missing on the dancefloor lately — full vocals and emotion laden lyrics.  Not that the category has disappeared, but it seems that since about 2005, there was a fundamental switch from sing-a-long anthems to dubbed out tribal monotony, I prefer the former.  Made By Monkeys released their first single “I Try” in 2003, with vocals by Maria Matton, remixes by Peter Rauhofer and Gabriel & Dresden and DJ support by hard hitters like Oakenfold, Sasha & Digweed, Pete Tong and Steve Lawler.  “I Try” was the group’s first jump into dance music and the unique sound of it was the clearest evidence of that — a fresh take on an established genre, the product being best described as progressive house with a moody, poetic color.  6 years later the group is dropping their second single “I Think of You,” and picking up right where they left off.  With vocals by Darcy Conroy, the track has a similar longing atmosphere — a lovelorn woman holding onto elongated notes and describing a world crumbling around her, all the while being able to think of nothing but the one she loves.  It’s romantic to some, horribly depressing and melodramatic to others, but whichever way you take it, the sound is piercing and is sure to be one of the songs you remember from a marathon session on the dirty, sticky floor.  The single currently includes 10 mixes total, and includes such notable names as DJ Paulo, Timothy Allan and the return of Rui Da Silva. 2009-09-09T03:41:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/poker_face_the_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/poker_face_the_remixes At this point Lady Gaga has gone from underground NY club kid to international pop music phenomena, and is so heavily covered that talking about her further seems like overkill.  But here at Noize we believe we’re the center of everything, so just think of this as seminal text.  So Gaga achieved what seemed impossible and overcame the sophomore single slump, following the enormous “Just Dance” with yet another Billboard #1 single and securing herself as an artist force instead just a flash in the pan.  What struck me most was stark change in production value of the videos for “Dance” and this release.  The former was kitschy, clever, hyper stylized in its low-budget-ness, and looked like it was shot on a HandiCam in 1984.  The “Poker Face” video follows with smoke machines, flood lights, outdoor stages, pools and two horse-sized Great Danes.  Just goes to show what record labels are willing to invest when they’re convinced an artist is going to be a cash cow.  Club mixes are provided by Dave Audé and Jody Den Broeder. 2009-07-29T18:41:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/be_alright http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/be_alright Two years in the making, Kristine’s newest release began its life as one of the exclusive tracks on 2007’s most coveted compilation release, “Forever Tel Aviv” mixed by Offer Nissim.  The track was remixed by Nissim, and consequently had his signature dark, excessively dramatic sweeping sound engulfing the vocals.  So despite the uplifting, positive lyrical content, the result sounded like translucent words soaring through a beautiful storm at sea, which makes it all the more jarring to hear the subsequent mixes sounding like sunshine and rainbows and presented with a cover photo drenched in purest yellow and magenta.  In it’s newly bleached and blow-dryed incarnation, “Be Alright” is a clap-along, crowd bouncing pop rock piece with new mixes by Bass Mekanik, Boris, Hex Hector, Joe Carrano, Neil Case, The Perry Twins and Tom Stephan (Superchumbo), as well as the original Offer Nissim mix.  The single was released alongside Kristine’s new full length album “The Power of Music.” 2009-07-29T18:39:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/drop_a_house http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/drop_a_house This one’s got such a great story.  Everyone who was clubbing in the late 90s remembers The Tamperer’s “Feel It” feat Maya (“WHAT… she gonna look like with a chimney on her?!), but what no one knew til recently was the Milli Vanilli situation that was going on with it.  The actual vocalist of the track, Heather Leigh West, had recorded the vocals with a group called Urban Discharge in 1995 and had elected to credit herself only as “She” because of the conflict between the track’s severe message and her softer image.  The track didn’t chart effectively because of its explicit lyrics, but then emerged again in 1998, edited and re-produced by The Tamperer, but this time crediting the vocals to Maya Days.  The song became an international club hit, being placed on every dance compilation and DJ playlist for years to come, all the while visualizing a slightly built Black woman as the origin of this huge, raging voice, that came three years earlier from a little blonde White girl.  To set the record straight, in 2007 Heather re-recorded the song as a promo with DJ Liza, and is now re-releasing it with DJ Demarko! as a two-part maxi single, and letting the sound speak for itself: how could anyone but the original vocalist sound identical to the original recording.  Side note: Maya Days recorded her own 2007 version of the song, perhaps in her own defense, and it sounds like unplugged jam session in a Valley strip mall bar. 2009-07-29T18:37:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/sugar_the_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/sugar_the_remixes Candy is bad for you.  This is something we’ve been told by parents, dentists and fashion advertising for years, but despite that, or maybe because of it, we love it.  Flo Rida is kind of a hack, having gone from hard and thuggish on the monster urban hit “Low” to goofy dance rap with “Right Round” (sampling Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)”).  But no matter what our better judgement tells us, ear candy is still delicious, and the equally goofy “Sugar,” featuring a completely random usage of the scatted hook from Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee), ” is too fun to condemn.  Completed by its offering as a remix package, the song is all but nauseatingly commercial and the true definition of a guilty pleasure, including nicely executed treatments by Mondotek and Disco Fries, and a horrifying NRG mix by Mickey Modelle. 2009-07-29T18:34:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/day_n_night_the_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/day_n_night_the_remixes “Day ‘N’ Night” is the next in a recent lineage of electronic-influenced hip hop making a huge impact on hit radio.  Hip hop has been courting electronica and club music for several years now, but unlike people like Pitbull and Kanye West who just blatantly sample club hits [presumably because the genre is less familiar to the general public and they assume no one’s going to notice their highway robbery], Kid Cudi makes the music his own, using the genre’s legacy as inspiration instead of a gimmick, and creates a hybrid sound that is innovation not imitation.  And unlike a lot of hip hop, Cudi isn’t the least bit afraid of a club mix, employing the talents of Bimbo Jones, Crookers, D.O.N.S., Agent X, TC and Mobin Master, all with incredible effect. 2009-07-29T18:32:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/patron_tequila_the_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/patron_tequila_the_remixes This is THE sloppy drunk summer anthem!  The Paradiso Girls’ press release aligns them with The Supremes and Destinys Child in their prolificness, but that positioning feels slightly inappropriate after hearing the lyrics of their debut — I doubt Diana Ross or Beyonce would ever blow, “Hey girl, where’s your drink?/ We gon’ all get drink drunk tonight/ Hey girl, I got bud we can all get fucked up/ And by the end of the night I’mma have you drunk and throwing up/ And by the end of the night I’mma have you so fucked up!”  So I’m not sure they get a high mark in the Fancy Ladies of Society category, but the song is pure party fun and they spared no expense in their desire for a club crossover, with remixes from DJ Dan, Dave Audé, Bimbo Jones, Stonebridge and The Wideboys. 2009-07-29T18:30:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/when_love_takes_over http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/when_love_takes_over Sometimes lightning does strike twice.  Having already been part of one of the most successful contemporary girl groups, Kelly seemed doomed to perpetual underdoggedness in the huge shadow of the thighs of the only member to come out of that situation successfully.  But Kelly may just have found her new calling, in the vein of Sheryl Lee Ralph and Hannah Jones, as guest vocalist on dance tracks, and When Love Takes over is proving how successful that move can be.  Having already climbed the dance charts on iTunes, the track is proving to make some serious waves despite the lack of exposure dance music receives in this country.  This is definitely one of the summer staples of 2009. 2009-07-29T18:23:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/if_u_seek_amy http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/if_u_seek_amy This one deserves an award for her greatest F-You to pop radio.  Honestly, when I heard “Womanizer” I was a little disappointed.  After all the media frenzy and the video for “Pieces of Me,” I got pretty used to everything she did actually having meaning for a change, and being line-by-line specific to her life and her distaste for the celebrity culture that was slowly killing her.  So when something safe and tepid like “Womanizer” kicked off her comeback album, I was left wondering whether pop success has to equate to complete removal of personal relevance.  And sadly it seemed to: “Circus” followed and with a title like that I hoped at least for it to be used as a metaphor for the craziness that she’d been through, but instead it was just another “hey everybody, look at me, let’s dance” insta-hit.  But after playing her cards right in the beginning, Brit’s finally calmed the crowds enough to throw a little controversy back into the mix.  “If U Seek Amy” is by far one of her cleverest songs yet, and even if it’s a little cheap and trashy, its “oh, damn…” factor renders all that irrelevant.  Essentially an excuse to say on mainstream radio that, “all of the boys and all of the girls are beggin’ to F-U-C-K me,” the song uses quick elocution to deliver the homophonic phrase and give the finger to the Apple Pie/Lolita image that brought her to an impossible level of fame.  The video takes the sentiment even further and has Brit tip-toeing around like a 5-year old wearing her mother’s makeup and heels and silently radiating the words, “look what I’m getting away with…”.  I was never a Britney fan, but after this one, I just might be able to say that I am without wincing. 2009-04-10T16:51:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/come_back_to_me_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/come_back_to_me_remixes The biggest hopeful for America getting its first ever Asian popstar, Utada has all the right stuff to make the crossover from J-Pop to American Top 40, we’ll just have to see how well the effort goes over and how much funding her label’s willing to put in.  She made her mark in Fall of 2005 with “Devil Inside,” and had some formidable follow-ups, but it’s “Come Back To Me” that could really make the final push for her with its pop-perfect phrasing and sing-a-long chorus, not to mention the amazing attention to quality in commissioning remix treatments.  Tony Moran & Warren Rigg do what they always do, a pop-ized tribal beat peak hour mix, which punctuates everything nicely. Seamus Haji & Paul Emmanuel step up the ambient element a bit with some rubbery synths over a chunkier beat and twinkling chimes.  And Quentin Harris contributes his trademark stripped down, T-Dance style house rub, giving the vocals more of the spotlight.  Pay special attention to the song’s greatest line, “I wish that I could Photoshop all our bad memories, cuz the flashbacks won’t leave me alone.”  That’s J-Pop. 2009-04-10T16:49:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/beautiful_u_r_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/beautiful_u_r_remixes After having tried several different images and formats, the one that will always remain true for Deborah Cox is the grandiose ballad-turned-big room circuit anthem, and I for one think she should never stray from it.  Ever.  “Beautiful U R” is woman-to-woman “keep ya head up” piece that reads like a stylish PSA with a kick ass chorus, “Don’t ever let nobody bring you down, girl/ Don’t ever let nobody tear your world apart/ Look in the mirror and see who you are/ Beautiful you are.” Remix credits are Gabi Newman, Massimo Nocito and the Soul Seekerz, but the Women’s Shelter Award goes to Yinon Yahel for turning this into a super dramatic, Offer Nissim-style peak hour eyesore (not surprising since Yinon Yahel is the unsung hero who co-produces everything with Nissim).  The girl is back. 2009-04-10T16:46:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/beautiful_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/beautiful_remixes So Akon’s kind of a dick, anyone who throws a fan off a stage into a crowd gets that label from me, but you can’t argue with the fact that he produces perfect radio pop that, with this album, seems to be relying heavily on a synthy, European sound accompanied by dedicated remix treatments for every single.  “Beautiful” isn’t exactly a love song, “I see you in the club/ you showin’ thugs love/ I wanna get with you/ You’re so beautiful,” but it’s catchy as hell, uses Colby O’Donis and his requisite vocodered vocals, and is remixed by a kickass lesbian.  Tracy Young’s remix stands out against all the rest (Mike Rizzo, Sted E & Hybrid and Tonal), and makes this the one urban song you can’t wait to hear at the next party.  And if you’re going to be requesting this one from the DJ, make sure to mention you want the “with Rap” version of Tracy’s mix, despite all the failed attempts at a rap/house hybrid genre in the early 90s, Kardinal Offishall’s rhymes sound incredible over the storming circuit house production. 2009-04-10T16:42:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/love_story http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/love_story The second single following “Crash & Burn” from the still [almost a year after being announced] forthcoming debut solo album, “Smile In Bed,” “Love Story” is the perfect companion to a flowering crush after an extended dry spell.  The lyrics name all the elements of love breaking down the walls we put up in defense of heartbreak, and then ends the chorus with, “and with the road ahead/ this is the beginning/ of this love story.”  As with anything Nadia does, layers of her simple ad-libs add indescribably to the texture of the song, and in this case it’s executed as a repeated “La da da Da… La Da da da Da da.”  Remix credits are formidable and include minimal treatments by Starkillers, Sultan & Shephard and Dresden Johnston, but the kiss on the forehead goes to Andy Moor, who sets Nadia amongst a dizzying peak hour trance atmosphere that punctuates instead of overpowering.  Definitely one of my favorite songs this year. 2009-04-10T16:39:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/jai_ho_you_are_my_destiny http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/jai_ho_you_are_my_destiny This one is so amazing to me.  “Jai Ho” wins the Oscar for Best Song on Sunday, Feb. 23, then I wake up Monday morning to Nicole Scherzinger on LA’s KIIS FM talking about how much she loved the movie and how moved she was to write her own version of the song for pop radio.  I’m laying in bed mortified and titillated simultaneously all while being half awake and just waiting to see what this potential abomination sounds like.  Needless to say, my Monday was starting off with a bang. What then came out of my clock radio was pretty interesting.  Nicole takes the song, which of course I nor most of America can understand anyway because we don’t speak the language, and turns it into a Pussycat Dolls relationship pop ditty with a couple of the lines from the original song.  The beat sticks with what comprises most of the original (the original actually goes through about 4 different musical atmospheres), and adds in a few poppy elements to make it a little more radio-ish.  My personal favorite line is, “I’ll make you wanna say (Jai Ho!)”.  Only a Pussycat Doll could turn Jai Ho into something you scream out during sex.  Go Nicole go.  Oddly enough KIIS only played the original version, and for only about two weeks following the Oscars, and then forgot about the song entirely.  But whatever, it’s fun, it’s poppy, it makes you dance, it doesn’t mean a whole lot, but who’s complaining.  Just dance. 2009-03-30T16:58:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/boom_boom_pow http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/boom_boom_pow So The Peas are back with another no-questions-asked-hit single that demonstrates once again that these people will do anything necessary to remain commercial, and shows exactly why they’re as successful as they’ve been since dropping the underground sound and adding a blonde. The track is irresistible—the beat is body moving, the vocal filters sound rad and the keyboards are straight out of Europe—but what’s kinda funny is the image they’re boasting compared to the image the image they’re presenting.  Will.i.am rhymes, “I got that rock and roll, that future flow”, and Fergie blows, “I’m so 3008, you so 2000 and late,” which I’m assuming is referring to the electronic sound of the synthesizers and the effects on their vocals, but what they’re calling “futuristic” is really just a justification of following a trend that’s been in effect now for at least 5 years.  While by no means the filter’s origin, Cher’s “Believe” was the first hugely commercial usage of the vocoder effect and everyone scrambled after that one to use it in their own music. And in the last 3 years or so, Hip-Hop seems to be tired of sampling 70s and 80s hits, and has moved on almost entirely to emulating (Timbaland) or straight up borrowing (Kanye West) the hallmarks and successes of house, trance and electronica.  Janet tried to do this too, she said that the Discipline album was about her obsession with futuristic sounds and a computerized reality, but in the end it was just a way to not look like a follower.  Why is it so wrong to just say,  “I know this formula works for popular music and I’m going to follow what’s been done before so I can make some money?” “Boom Boom Pow” is an incredible club track, probably not something you’re going to hear at the next circuit party, but you’ll definitely hear this one out at any gay bar and it’ll doubtlessly be dominating Top 40 radio throughout the summer, so start loving it. 2009-03-30T16:44:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/feel_your_love http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/feel_your_love You know how sometimes a song just goes with a season? It doesn’t have to be about it, but something about the tones, the voice, the words, whatever, just makes it nestle in perfectly amidst a season’s hallmarks. For whatever reason, this one just works perfectly with that late fall-early winter lovey-dovey sentiment that happens when the air gets colder, the days grow shorter, and our guard against intimacy falls away like a leaf with the advent of the holidays and our need to share them. No remixes needed here, the original’s all you get and all you’ll need. 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/keep_this_fire_burning http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/keep_this_fire_burning Disco will never die, and this one’s even got an interesting story to go with it. Originally penned by Robyn, this song was a U.K. Top 20 hit for Beverly Knight in 2005. The song has now been redone as a nu-disco dance version with vocals by longtime Freemasons collaborator Amanda Wilson, and includes remixes by The Freemasons. The result is incredible. The songwriting itself is an uplifting “I’ll be by your side” anthem, and actually sounds like a companion track to Robyn’s recent release “Dream On.” The other mixes by Wawa, Christian Fischer, Jean Maxwell and Topaz, are all solid as is, but it’s the piano/bass pounding of the Freemasons mix that takes this to the level of addictive. Guaranteed: After one listen, you’ll be hooked. 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/single_ladies http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/single_ladies I dunno what it is about this song, but you play this and every gay man in the room becomes exponentially more gay. You could play this on the front lawn of any Midwest fraternity and all questioning or closeted members would be at the doors and windows in seconds. It’s like a cliff for lemmings, except in this case the end of that instinctive journey would be the doorway of the local gay bar and a fruity cocktail. Floating out there on promo are the club mixes by Dave Audé, Craig C., DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio, Karmatronic, Lost Daze, RedTop and the requisite Maurice Joshua Club Mix, which for the first time in ages doesn’t blow. Sounds like Maurice has been listening to a little Freemasons in his time off since the Destiny girls’ last single, and the product is the first mix he’s done that you might actually hear played somewhere other than on your car’s satellite radio system. 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/miles_away_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/miles_away_remixes This woman’s marketing ability is both genius and shameless. When the Hard Candy album dropped and we heard this song for the first time, we all knew there was trouble in paradise with Ritchie. “Miles” was too specific and scathing to be just another aimless “love gone wrong” song for the masses like “Sorry,” and it set the table perfectly for the tabloid rush that followed months later surrounding their marriage. Now that the divorce is final, what better time to capitalize on the media frenzy than to release the single that began it all? The rumor is that this is the last physical single Madonna will be releasing through Warner Bros., which is sad, but at least now that iTunes has caught up, all digital music outlets carry high quality files. So don’t cry too much, Argentina. 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/angel_on_my_shoulder_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/angel_on_my_shoulder_remixes Now on the third single from the flawless Strobelight Seduction album, Kaskade’s popularity only continues to grow. Some are complaining that Kaskade’s collaboration with Deadmau5 on the initial single “Move With Me” has influenced his style to the point of completely abandoning his former deep house sound and replaced it with with a pop progressive house/electro sound, but as long as the music he’s making is as gorgeous and hooky as these singles, who the F cares? After the disappointment of the “Move” remixes, which frankly was too good to be effectively remixed, this 9-track remix package was a welcome trade. The “Angel” mixes include chunky Funkerman rubs, dubby Troydon interpretations, but head straight to the four EDX mixes for the track’s elements folded atop gorgeous progressive trance production. 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/sirens_of_the_sea_maxi_single http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/sirens_of_the_sea_maxi_single Why labels do what they do has never ceased to confuse me, and here’s another example.  “Sirens of the Sea” has been in club circulation forever, having made one of its first commercial appearances on Anjunabeats Volume 3 back in 2005, yet wasn’t given a full single release until July of this year.  Weird.  Regardless, this is probably OceanLab’s most solid single since the unstoppable success of “Satellite”, rocking not only amazing production and remixes, but gorgeous song writing and vocals courtesy of vocal trance darling Justine Suissa.  The lyrics depict lucid watery imagery and uses the mythological narrative of the Siren, the half woman, half bird sea nymphs, to create a metaphor for powerlessness in love and longing, the chorus proclaiming, “I… Cannot.. Resist.. Your Call…”.  The single includes 7 mixes, but go straight to the Maor Levi reconstruction to experience the song in its dubbed prime. 2008-12-18T18:26:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/call_my_name_the_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/call_my_name_the_remixes The second single to be taken from Morgan Page’s debut artist album “Elevate,” “Call My Name” feels a bit like Röyksopp meets a Jason Nevins rock remix, and features the vulnerable, masculine voice of Tyler James.  The song is the narrative of a man waking up beside the person he loves, overcome with his insecurity that the person is going to leave him, and the mingling of his scattered thoughts with the actions and words of the person beside him.  Definitely something no homo could ever relate to.  The single includes a lurking, bleepy remix by Thomas Gold, a lush, sparkling mix by J Nitti, a rework by Morgan Page and, the best mix of the package, TV Rock’s gorgeous, guitar-strummy, rounded synth-laden masterpiece.  Want to shed a tear?  Take a listen. 2008-11-17T19:05:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/when_i_grow_up_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/when_i_grow_up_remixes I really hated this when I first heard it. But like most pop, it’s written in such a way that it wheedles its way into your heart like a manipulative boyfriend and finds some cunning way to hang around and eventually make you love it. And as usual, I didn’t personally care for it until I heard the remixes, the scope of which is almost overwhelming. Of course they went with Ralphi Rosario, as he was responsible for making club accessible the Dolls’ lead single from the first album, but then they added to the cast list Dave Audé, Dirty South, The Wideboys and Digital Dog, totaling 10 mixes, dubs and edits, and making this what was probably one of the most expensive single releases in months. The album has since been released, including what are probably several songs taken from Nicole Scherzinger’s cancelled solo album. From here, it looks like this album’s gonna keep the girls right where they’ve been for the last few years: a rock-steady pop staple. 2008-10-08T08:29:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/energy http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/energy The woman behind the curtain finally drops a spotlight on the starlet and takes center stage. Keri Hilson, the songwriter behind pop radio hits like Britney’s “Gimme More” and “Break The Ice,” Omarion’s “Ice Box,” Timbaland’s “The Way I Are” and Usher’s “Love In This Club,” finally gets her chance and goes solo with a forthcoming Timbaland-produced (read: mandatorily successful) album and this debut single. The original is somewhat electro-flavored urban pop (please, what would Timbaland be without stealing dance music’s hallmarks and repackaging them?), but the gay’ed up version comes from the go-to remixers The Wideboys, who do a perfect job of leaving everything from the original intact and adding just enough kick to translate it cleanly. 2008-10-08T08:27:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/disturbia http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/disturbia I literally haven’t been able to get enough of this song since I first heard it back in May. But anyone who says people don’t change for the one they’re with is full of it. Ri’s been dating Chris Brown for a while now and, surprise, surprise, her new single was written by her current bed buddy and sounds identical to everything he’s been doing of late. Rihanna’s got a tolerable voice, but, under Brown’s influence, has elected to go with Danity Kane-type auto tuning, vocodering her pipes into something unrecognizable. But “Disturbia” is ear candy rivaling the radio pop perfection of Cher’s “Believe"—it’s not meant to be deep, it’s meant to be fun, and more catchy that chlamydia. The remixes capitalize on that quality beautifully, with mainstream club rubs from Jody Den Broeder and Craig C., and a dense tribal barrage from Craig C. and Nique. Jump on this one, ‘cuz it’s gonna be your new favorite. 2008-10-08T08:26:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/bruised_water http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/bruised_water This little gem began as a white label mashup, putting the a cappella of Natasha’s “I Bruise Easily” atop Chicane’s classic instrumental track “Saltwater,” and was in circulation as such until someone apparently realized how massive this could be if given some commercial attention, and a few months later emerged as a full single featuring remixes by Mischa Daniels, Adam K and Chicane himself. The remixes are all totally solid, but the bootleg is the best, because—and correct me if I’m wrong—when you remix the mashup, doesn’t it just become a mix of “I Bruise Easily”? Anyway, hunt for this one, it’s angsty pop dance gold. 2008-10-08T08:24:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/no_more_tears_enough_is_enough http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/no_more_tears_enough_is_enough Anyone who has been panting for some quality pop diva house in the vein of 1999-2002, get excited. Two reigning queens of the genre’s heyday have returned to pimp slap Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer off their pedestals. Amber, still best known for the monstrously popular “Sexual (Li Da Di),” and Zelma Davis, sadly best remembered as the “embodiment” of Martha Wash’s voice in C+C Music Factory despite being an incredible vocalist herself, team up to cover the classic power ballad and make it over for big rooms with stomping remixes by Pathos V2 and Solar City. 2008-10-08T08:22:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/just_dance http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/just_dance Absolute pop perfection. A dancey, electro ditty about getting sauced and getting down; simpler and more relatable music has yet to be created. Produced by Robyn-collaborator RedOne and featuring guest vocals by T-Pain-ish urban hit radio newcomer Colby O’Donis, “Just Dance” is one of those instantly classic songs debut artists dream of creating and hate having to come up with something to follow. Official remixes by Harry Romero, Richard Vission and Trevor Simpson, and unofficials floating around by Manny Lehman, Tony Azradon and Ananyi. 2008-08-05T07:04:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/love_is_gone http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/love_is_gone “Fuck Me I’m Famous” producer David Guetta teams up with out singer/songwriter Chris Willis to create this hooky, sing-along dance floor anthem. The track first came into circulation in summer of 2007 but has been steadily building momentum with regular circulation on Hit Radio and a fresh face thanks to recent additional mixes. “Love Is Gone” is pulled from Guetta’s Pop Life album, on which Chris has four other singer/songwriter credits and marks him as the only openly gay artist on pop radio today. Remixes for “Love Is Gone” by Fred Riester, Joachim Garraud, Fuzzy Hair, Eddie Thoneick and Amo & Navas. 2008-08-05T07:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/spotlight http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/spotlight Remember when J-Hud performed at Long Beach Gay Pride, sang a never-before heard song and plugged her soon-to-come solo album? Yeah, I thought that was 2006, too. After delays and cancellations—oh, and that Oscar—Jennifer Hudson’s official debut as a recording artist that’s actually recorded has arrived. Seems the powers that be decided they needed to turn down the diva volume a bit if they wanted Jennifer to fit nicely amidst all the no-talents on the radio today, so on “Spotlight,” we get to see a more subtle version of her lion’s roar. A song about being kept under constant surveillance by an insecure lover, “Spotlight” feels lackluster on first listen without all the heaving and grunting we’ve come to expect, but it’s the remixes (provided by urban-to-club hit makers Moto Blanco and Johnny Vicious) that unlock the song’s hidden force. 2008-08-05T06:59:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/i_kissed_a_girl http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/i_kissed_a_girl I think Jesus just took a hand off the cross and put it over his gaping mouth. Katy Perry (formerly contemporary Christian Rock artist Katy Hudson) is steadily climbing charts everywhere with her bi-curious pop rock hit “I Kissed A Girl,” the follow-up to her Madonna-toted debut single “Ur So Gay,” and a stark departure from her spiritual beginning. And while both song titles sound like they could be intra-community hag-to-fag humor, I doubt you’ll be hearing either of these out at Pride festivals anytime soon. While not derogatory, both are definitely more shock gimmick than anything else, amounting to a clearly straight girl experimenting while shit-faced and a judgmental girl disappointed by her boyfriend’s vanity, respectively. Regardless, “I Kissed A Girl” has been gay-ed up by Jason Nevins and may just be too catchy for the politics to matter. 2008-08-05T06:58:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/crash_burn http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/crash_burn Fresh from the ashes of iiO’s passing, Nadia Ali’s solo career emerged Phoenix-style with a stream of DJ collaborations and now “Crash & Burn,” the first single from the forthcoming album Smile In Bed. Produced by Sultan and Ned Shepard, the song is about reckless love—the romance that could never sustain itself but can’t possibly be abandoned until it shatters fantastically before your eyes. It’s almost impossible not to wonder if that narrative isn’t something of a metaphor for the heights iiO reached with only one song and the slow demise over the coming years. Nothing has ever been said by either side of the duo as to how and why such a successful combination had to end so quickly, but even if the song has nothing to do with it, it’s more than a little delicious to imagine “Crash” as their tortured backstory. Remixes by Astro & Glyde, Dean Coleman, Dilamani & Rassek, DJ Shah, Justin Thomas, and Kered & Kiraly. 2008-08-05T06:48:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/control_yourself http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/control_yourself Long-time circuit darling Erin Hamilton returns to the main stage with her first new material since 2002’s “I Got The Music In Me.” “Control Yourself” is a trademark circuit house power anthem that casts Erin in the role of every gay man in West Hollywood, breaking up with and kicking to the curb yet another obsessive ex. Boasting remixes by Solar City, Lenny B., Dena Cucci, Reflex, Perry Twins and Manny Lehman, “Control” is poised to push its way to the front of the line throughout the summer, so be expecting to hear this one throughout the party season. 2008-06-13T09:17:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/dance_like_theres_no_tomorrow http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/dance_like_theres_no_tomorrow Although some hate it, I'm going to defend it to the end. Sometimes you just want something fun and vapid to dance to with absolutely no substance or political double entendres, something Paula did with enormous success in the '80s and '90s and seems not have lost her knack for after all the "Idols" and alcohol hazes. This is about nothing more than having a bad day and consequently wanting to go out, look amazing, dance and get attention-and who doesn't? Official remixes by Paul Oakenfold & Soul Seekerz. 2008-05-13T08:00:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/feedback http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/feedback After several tepid albums and lackluster singles, Janet’s long-awaited comeback song stands up to her icon status. This futuristic sex robot pop track has Janet demanding her trick’s close attention to her whorish moans and an appropriate reaction upon delivery. And if Darkchild’s poppin’ album version doesn’t dampen your drawers, the single’s extensive remix package, including submissions by Ralphi Rosario & Craig J, Moto Blanco, The Wideboys and Jody Den Broder, is sure to have something that make you call her “big poppa” 2008-05-13T07:59:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/daylight http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/daylight If this single is any indication, Kelly Rowland is one of the most underrated vocalists around. She's had nothing but stellar releases since going solo but hasn't received the label support she deserves. The party boy's anthem: "And it looks like daylight's gonna catch me up again/ Most people like getting up when I'm just getting in." Add incredible remixes by Joey Negro, Karmatronic, Hex Hector and Camaro Brothers, and you've got a whole new Special K. Look for the Freemasons' remix of the previous single "Work." 2008-05-13T07:42:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/touch_my_body http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/zingles/touch_my_body So maybe it's a little weird that the video has Mariah engaging in a secret pillow fight with a faux Best Buy Geek Squad computer technician, and that she's singing about YouTube, and that the song is too narcissistic and self-glorifying. But hey, other than all that it's timeless Mariah. Maybe someone who committed herself to UCLA's Neuro Psychiatric Institute a few years ago shouldn't be singing the line, "If you run your mouth and brag about this secret rendezvous, I will hunt you down." "Touch My Body"'s saving grace is Seamus Haji's power makeover, stretching the original version's meandering three-and-a-half minutes into nearly ten of skin-on-skin anthem house. 2008-05-13T07:36:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/play_hard_ep http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/play_hard_ep While this EP dropped almost a year ago, it’s only in the last few months that they’ve finally had the mainstream spotlight aimed at them, and Krewella’s playing hard with all that attention. The gays will immediately be drawn to the name (c’mon, it’s phonetic Cruella), but it’s the sound that really appeals.  An amalgamation of dubstep, electro, house and rock, Krewella’s sound takes from everything awesome and filters it through a pop sensibility, yielding a candy-sweet product. Ke$ha-level vocal production, dynamically varying sonic atmospheres and instantly obsess-able melodies merge in a 6-track EP that feels like a full length. The Chicago trio, composed of sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf and producer Kris “Rain Man” Trindl, got their start in the warehouses of the underground rave scene and are now topping the Billboard chart with their runaway single “Alive.” Look for them on their recently extended “Get Wet or Die Trying” tour and the follow-up remix EP Play Harder. 2013-05-09T17:52:22+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/ora_ora http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/ora_ora Rita Ora is a little shit starter and, thus, awesome. Her lead single “How We Do (Party)” essentially sums her up, lyrically: “I get that drunk sex feeling/ Yeah when I’m with you… I wanna party and bullshit/ And party and bullshit.” Following some dabblings in acting and singing competition shows, Rita got her start the old-fashioned way: singing in bars. Then, following an A&R encounter, she was flying across the Atlantic to meet Jay-Z. Ya know, that old story. Flash forward to 2012, Rita released her debut album Ora in her native U.K. featuring collaborations with will.i.am, Ester Dean, Drake, The-Dream, Kanye West and Stargate. Her sound is what Rihanna’s would have been had she been based in Europe, and the sheer power of the album is incredible. The album has yet to be domestically released, but following the release of “How We Do” to radio recently, you can bet it’s coming. Get excited and get crunk. 2013-05-09T17:51:35+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/true_romance http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/true_romance Another of the seemingly zillions of talented, non-mainstream artists that emerged from the MySpace era and is finally getting her fifteen minutes, Charli XCX is a delicious combination of influences and intentions. Looking like a young, pre-dread Ani DiFranco, with the voice that’s a mix of Tegan & Sara and Jade Starling of Pretty Poison, Charli XCX sites disparate cinematic influences like The Craft, Carrie, Party Monster and Clueless, and reveals a center composed of rebel, follower, groupie, visionary, brazen bitch and fragile girl. The sound is a dense, layered electro pop employing “sweeping synths, crunchy beats, emotive vocals, coy raps” and cheeky lyricism like Lily Allen gone meta. Growing up in an unconventional home, her childhood included art school during the day and avant garde performances in the U.K.’s rave scene at night. At the astonishingly young age of 20, Charli XCX has emerged a seasoned artist with an album that truly reflects all it took to get here. 2013-05-09T17:50:47+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_red_room_ep http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_red_room_ep A seemingly impossible feat, indie L.A. trio DWNTWN immaculately translates delicate acoustic pop into dreamy yet danceable synth pop. Composed of Jamie Leffler, Robert Cepeda and Jerrod Bettis, DWNTWN looks like a bunch of L.A. hipsters and sounds like the love child of Daft Punk’s Discovery album, Canadian artist Lights, and Depeche Mode. This 4-track EP brilliantly frames the group’s brand of breathy melancholia, blending naked emotions and lamentations atop beats and synths that can simultaneously lull for private listening and wallop over stadium speakers. The explanation of what the red room is never gets made clear, but based on the lyrical content throughout, someone broke someone’s heart and it wasn’t pretty. Look for their new track “Move Me” closing out the Kitsune America 2 compilation. 2013-05-09T17:48:11+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/paul_oakenfold http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/paul_oakenfold A year after re-launching the groundbreaking Perfecto label with We Are Planet Perfecto Vol. 1, Paul Oakenfold releases an even more epic masterpiece: the grandly named Four Seasons. Composed of the seasonally titled mixed sets that had been individually released each quarter of 2012, Four Seasons is 12 hours of music; each installment includes a continuous mix as well as each track individually and unmixed — as if further proof were needed that, just because House mixes have gone the way of the podcast, trance and progressive House are alive and well in the same format we have come to know and love. As with all of this master’s mixes, his true strength lies in his track selection and ability to discern truly outstanding music. For those who recall his Essential Mix World Tour, Four Seasons’ epic-ness is very similar to this from a decade ago. 2013-02-15T10:57:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/heal http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/heal Loreen could be the next big thing in U.S. pop if she can just manage that tricky jump from European phenomenon to awareness in America’s crowded music scene. From instantly catchy melodies to over-the-top drama of instrumentation and a Bjôrk-esque vocal dynamism, Loreen is a musical powerhouse guaranteed to make devoted fans of serious popsters — if only they get the chance to hear her. Heal is the debut album eight years in the making following her participation in Swedish Idol 2004. Back in the public eye after representing Sweden in Eurovision Song Contest 2012 and winning with “Euphoria,” the time is now to overcome past inertia and catapult her to well-deserved superstardom. Heal is a perfect pop album for our time: 12 tracks of radio-ready dance tracks (“My Heart Is Refusing Me,” “Euphoria,” “Sober,” “Breaking Robot”), hooky ballads (“Everytime,” “Do We Even Matter,” “Heal”) and beat-heavy mid-tunes (“Crying Out Your Name,” “Sidewalk,” “If She’s the One”). If the Fates are just, this woman will get exactly what she deserves: total U.S. radio domination. 2013-02-15T10:55:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/everything_is_expensive http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/everything_is_expensive Although she hasn’t quite broken Sade’s record for ten years between albums, the seven years between the release of each of her three albums still marks pretty intense hiatuses. Her “usual” at the bar should be a 7&7. Esthero began in 1998 as a champion of the late-‘90s trip-hop movement with Breath From Another. She returned in 2005 with an almost schizophrenic eclecticism on Wikked Lil’ Grrrls to declare she was “sick and tired of the shit on the radio … I see Britney on my video screen, I want something more.” Now in 2012, released entirely on her own through PledgeMusic, the aptly titled Everything Is Expensive is probably the clearest image of the real Esthero yet. In the midst of label-less limbo but with the total freedom to create without catering to the suits, the amalgamation of melancholy and aimless creativity are apparent — but in a good way. To define the sound would be nearly impossible as it changes almost from track to track, but to give it a visual metaphor: It’s really hippie organic granola, mixed with the mess of screws and bolts at the bottom of a toolbox; add to that the contents of a junk drawer and a deck of naughty novelty cards. The album is genius, meandering, crude, lush, startlingly beautiful and above all, honest. 2013-02-15T10:54:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/18_months http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/18_months If 2011 was the year of David Guetta, this double-disc masterpiece is proof that 2012 was the year of Calvin Harris. If Guetta became a household name, Scottish producer/singer/songwriter Calvin Harris has been a bit less visible in his collaborations, instead letting the featured artist take center stage, supported by his productions. America and Europe have been completely engulfed in Harris’ sound for well over a year now, but many have no idea that their favorite pop artist only sounds the way they do because of Harris’ hands on the console. 18 Months is his third studio album, comprised half of hugely successful singles like “We Found Love” featuring Rihanna, “Let’s Go” featuring Ne-Yo, “Sweet Nothing” featuring Florence Welch, and “Feel So Close.” The other half is all future hits, but the whole plays like a yearbook of weekend party snapshots. What defines Harris, and probably what’s afforded him some anonymity, is his ability to highlight his guest artists’ brand while creating tracks that are trademark without being formulaic. Additional guest spots include Kelis, Example, Nicky Romero, Ellie Goulding, Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal and Ayah Marar. 2013-02-15T10:37:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/onomix http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/onomix Yoko Ono is one of those people — part artistic visionary, part public figure, part crazy — who can’t help but create. Since changing her moniker to simply Ono with her big switch to the world of club music in 2001, she has produced, alongside all the biggest names in remixology, a steady stream of standout music that ranges from motivational, controversial, progressive, poetic to just plain odd. Most of the tracks were collected on the 2007 album Open Your Box, but in this new set, she presents her material in a format that suits it. Onomix is a continuous two-disc DJ mix retrospective that chronicles the tracks predominantly in their dub formats as opposed to the full vocal mixes, which conveys a dreamy, late night acid-trip atmosphere — all throbbing beats and swirling hooks over singing/talking/moaning/screaming. In other words, it’s exactly what afterhours should be. The set includes remixes by everyone amazing, including Ralphi Rosario, Friscia & Lamboy, Bimbo Jones, Tom Novy, Danny Tenaglia, Dave Aude, Basement Jaxx, Richard Morel and Eric Kupper. 2012-11-02T20:38:23+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/you_once_told_me http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/you_once_told_me This is a 10-year-old dream come true. Originally a collaboration of producer Josh Gabriel, singer/songwriter Mavie Marcos and guitarist David Penner, Andain first came into dance music’s consciousness with Josh Gabriel’s remix of the sultry, brooding “Summer Calling,” included on Tiësto’s album In Search of Sunrise 3: Panama. A gorgeous blend of acoustic elements and electronic production, in the group’s original format Andain provides moody, downtempo electronica with gentle vocals and intimate words. But as with many similar groups, it’s the remixes that garnered it widespread attention. And when the Gabriel & Dresden remix of the career-defining second single about a woman lamenting all the freedoms lost by a cursory marriage, “Beautiful Things,” first hit Clubland in 2003, every DJ recognized that something special had arrived. Between a reformation of the group’s members and demands by other projects, the planned forthcoming album was put on hold despite the momentum. Only now are we finally seeing the products of the pairing of Gabriel and Marcos. Current singles in rotation are “Turn Up the Sound,” “Much Too Much” and “Promises.” 2012-11-02T20:37:26+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/elysium http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/elysium Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe differ from nearly all of the musicians who swirl around them for many reasons but mostly because they’re so frighteningly intelligent. Now, 28 years into their career, you’ll never see these two pulling a Britney, being swallowed by the pop machine and publicly losing their minds. They’re a glittering example of how U.K. artists since the Beatles transformed pop music into serious art. For their part, they still view their fame more as “privileged observers than paid-up participants,” in the appreciative words of a critic for upmarket U.K. newspaper The Guardian. Now on their eleventh studio album, PSB have moved far away from the mainstream with “jarring pop-dance” (well, mostly, anyway), instead focusing on lush, symphonic arrangements to surround Neil’s delicate vocals and pointed lyrics. On tracks like “Your Early Stuff” and “Ego Music,” they give commentary on the current state of pop music culture and what it feels like to be seen (by some) as the music of decades past. But they prove they can still do standout dance anthems like no one else with “A Face Like That,” a song akin to the “Closer to Heaven” and “Radiophonic” of 1999’s Nightlife. 2012-11-02T20:35:41+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/album_title_goes_here http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/album_title_goes_here From faceless, mouse-eared DJ to worldwide household name, Deadmau5 has gone from total anonymity to instantly recognizable in a few short years. Doing the red carpet in full costume definitely does something for notoriety. On his sixth studio album, the superstar Canadian producer does a little of everything; keeping in line with the bleepy, electro grit that everyone loves right now, but also including the epic trancey ambience that was his initial hallmark, moody downtempo electronica, walloping electronic hip-hop — and dreamy pop dance with the enormous single “The Veldt” featuring formerly unknown Chris James, who sounds like he’s doing his best Owl City impression. Also pay special attention to “Telemiscommunications” featuring indie darling Imogen Heap. 2012-11-02T20:32:55+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/magic_hour http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/magic_hour As schizophrenic as a coked-out drag queen with a broken heel and false eyelashes hanging off her chin, Scissor Sisters’ fourth studio album is described by lead singer Jake Shears as “a sweet joyful mélange of beat-driven future-pop. It style-hops all over the place unabashedly.” How beautifully right he is. Without the hindrance of consistency, Magic Hour explores seemingly disparate interests, like one of those all-night meandering conversations with your best friend over a bottle of Jack. Of course, there’s plenty of the camp and frivolity that’s become the Scissor Sisters’ trademark — but here with added range, thanks to a raft of producers and collaborators that includes Pharrell Williams, Amanda Ghost, Calvin Harris, Stuart Price and Azealia Banks. “Shady Love,” a glam hip-hop track featuring Azealia Banks and Shears’ alter ego Krystal Pepsy, was originally intended to be the album’s lead single. Replacing it is the Calvin Harris-produced “Only The Horses,” a twinkling, next-generation disco track with a power ballad chorus. Look for a bootleg Peter Rauhofer mix floating around that blows the official mixes out of the water. Side note: The album’s shining pink star is an after-hours-style camped-up track titled “Let’s Have a Kiki” that pays homage to the Harlem vogue balls documented in the film Paris Is Burning. 2012-07-31T23:19:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/forever http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/forever We plugged Medina’s first album a few issues ago, Welcome to Medina, the English translation of her second Danish album Velkommen til Medina. Lo and behold, now we have an English-only second album Forever (save for three tracks translated from her third Danish album For Altid). The sound on Forever blends Euro dance with pop and a little hip-hop. What makes Medina particularly appealing to gay listeners is her bluntness and distinctly European approach to sexuality. When Britney did her naughty little allusion to a threesome, she had to call it “3” and make every allusion she could to the topic without actually saying, “Let’s have a threesome ‘cuz I want it from both ends.” The final song on Forever, by contrast, doesn’t have to be coy. Like its title, “Threesome” serves the subject straight up: “I’ve been up all night just imagining what it feels like kissing on your girlfriend…/Maybe we could drink some, then we could have a threesome.” Equally straight to the point is “Boring”: After asking what her boyfriend would do after “I fucked your best friend,” she declares, “Yes, baby, you bore the shit outta me.” It’s like your bitchiest girlfriend put to music all the cuntiest stuff she’s ever said over banging dance beats. 2012-07-31T23:17:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/changes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/changes David Morales, the godfather of the modern pop remix, triumphantly returns with his first artist album since 2004’s 2 Worlds Collide, and a triumphant return it is. Joined by an army of the most capable voices in dance music, Changes is exactly that — Morales’ stylistic morph into the world of modern progressive and Circuit House. It’s something he executes in a way that only he can. Always a classicist, Morales has maintained the hallmarks of House throughout his career: the kick drum, the high hat, the keyboard piano, the strings. That aesthetic still exists on Changes, but the sound has evolved into something more contemporary, processed, filtered and manipulated. Accompanying this updated studio sound is an all-star roster that includes Ultra Naté (“Free”), Janice Robinson (“Livin’ Joy”), Polina (with Kaskade), Róisín Murphy (with Moloko), Jonathan Mendelsohn (with Dash Berlin) and Tamra Keenan (with Kaskade). The only thing missing is David’s “world jumping” device of switching tempos and styles in the same track, but the album’s pop-driven structure is so perfect that that may have been the final ingredient that ruined the balance of flavors. Highlights include “Stay,” “Last Time” and “Golden Era.” 2012-07-31T23:16:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/adrian_lux http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/adrian_lux Adrian Lux’s debut album is like a package of Swedish Fish candy: They come in many colors, but they’re all delicious. The advantage of releasing an album after having released a zillion successful singles is that the album contains no dead tracks; it’s just certified gold from beginning to end. Grandiose, minimal, dreamy, pounding, techno-fied all describe the variety of styles — his strongest quality. Grounded in the Stockholm hip-hop and reggae scenes, Lux’s take on dance and electronic music is informed by far-reaching influences outside of the clubs. Only 26, this native Swede has already released seven amazing singles, all contained on this album. They’ve been remixed for the likes of Britney Spears, Deborah Cox, Natalia Kills and Basement Jaxx. Presently sharing a bed with the Rebecca half of Rebecca & Fiona, the dude knows his way around dance divas. If you dig dreamy dance music, go straightaway for “Burning,” “Teenage Crime” and “Weekend Heroes.” If club thumping drops your panties, “All I Ever Wanted,” “Can’t Sleep” and “Alive” will make ‘em hit the floor. This guy is definitely one to watch. 2012-07-31T23:09:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/mdna http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/mdna I admittedly am one of the few gay men who doesn’t obsess over Madonna. I buy everything she puts out, I love a lot of what she does, but I wouldn’t scour the internet for all the inside dirt and dirty details about the genesis of each album. But from what I — and anyone who hasn’t been hiding in a cave — know, MDNA is her “Guy Richie breakup” album. Track for track, the album tends to sound like something we’ve heard before, not from carelessness but with calculated accuracy for the sake of candy coating the real breakaway element: the rawness of her lyrics. Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s motherhood, but on MDNA Madonna reveals herself, not with near-naked photography or racy outfits, but with her bare feelings. There are clearly lighter moments; hey, we all saw the SuperBowl performance. But the heart of the album is her own, torn out for all to see. But don’t go thinking it’s all weepy eyes and wet towel moments, Madonna’s vicious tongue is in full effect on tracks like “Gang Bang” and “Love Spent.” The video of “Girl Gone Wild,” the second single, plays like a celebratory sequel to “Bad Girl” from Erotica, and featuring Madonna turning it out amongst the Ukrainian fashion dance group Kazaky. Production credits for the album include the Benassi Bros., Martin Solveig and the welcome return of William Orbit, rounding out the best Madge album since Confessions. 2012-05-01T19:51:32+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/in_the_air http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/in_the_air It’s been two long years, but another installment of Morgan Page’s ever-evolving sound has finally arrived. Admittedly this is probably the album I’ve been most excited about for 2012, so I’m biased, but Morgan’s music is that perfect blend of sound and substance, and thus satisfies like few others can. What sets him apart is his fundamental ability simultaneously to move the body and the heart, to create a groove that drips sweat on the dance floor and still leaves you feeling like you did in your best slow-motion kiss. Now part of this is in fact due to his incredible roster of collaborators. Morgan somehow works with singer-songwriters that sound like no one you’ve heard before. The core of it all, however, remains the moody boy from Burlington, Vermont who clawed his way to the top the old-fashioned way. The gale force of In The Air began in 2011 with the collaboration title track with Sultan & Ned Shepard and BT, quickly becoming one of the year’s biggest dance tracks. Then “Body Work” dropped with Canadian indie band Tegan & Sara. And I peed. Overall the album features the same variety as 2008’s Elevate, but with a smoother sound and the lack of vocalist Lissie. Guests include Coury Palermo, Nadia Ali, Andy Caldwell, Jonathan Mendelsohn, Richard Walters, Shelley Harland, Shana Halligan and Greg Laswell. 2012-05-01T19:50:32+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/his_name_is_luigi http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/his_name_is_luigi I’ve been waiting two years to tell people about this guy, and, with this album finally released Stateside, I can now make my case. Luigi Masi is proof that if you have musical ability but only an average voice, the right producers and an aptitude for post-production vocal processing, you can still make an incredible album. Just like Ke$ha, but British and sober. In its original 2009 format, His Name Is Luigi was titled Save His Shoes and featured virtually the same track listing (re-ordered) but sans the first three new tracks and the remixes at the end. Luigi Masi represents the new brand of electro teen pop, a sound that embodies the youth zeitgeist of text messages and social media omni-exposure while still remaining true to the hallmarks of hanging out at the mall and high school dating. The single that originally led me to Luigi was “Strobelight,” a slick, swaggering dance track with metallic vocals as seductive as the lighting it describes and released with club mixes by Wideboys. The remainder of the album varies from synth ballads to funky electronics to grinding dance and reminds you what it feels like to be young enough to remain completely convinced that you know everything. Other standouts include “Pull the Trigger,” “Perfect Criminal,” and “Island.” 2012-05-01T19:49:32+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/bangarang_ep http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/bangarang_ep What we’re all witnessing right now is the completely unexpected rise of a genre that would seemingly rub most people like a cheese grater against clenched knuckles, but has become the hottest trend in dance music since AutoTune. And it’s current champion is a mop-haired, eyeglass-wearing, former punk rocker who goes by the name Skrillex. Dubstep has existed since the late ‘90s, an amalgamation of dub, drum n’ bass and two-step; but it wasn’t until recently that the genre really took off. Remember all those rotating bins at the hardware store of bolts, nuts, screws and nails, and running your fingers through them while Dad drooled over the power jigsaw? If you took that and mixed in some glow sticks, crazy pants and a few sliced-up cassette tapes of some unknown vocalists, that’s what dubstep sounds like. Skrillex’s brand, however, acknowledges myriad influences. It’s like computerized heavy metal, all the aggressiveness and density then pixelated, copy & pasted, and mixed with a healthy dose of funk and given a sheen of hip hop sensibility. It’s overwhelming. All tracks on Bangarang are stellar, but pay special attention to the last one, “Summit,” featuring girlfriend and U.K. songbird Ellie Goulding. (If you’re searching for a pop take on dubstep, look for Nero’s debut album Welcome Reality. Nero is to dubstep what Kosheen was to drum n’ bass.) 2012-05-01T19:48:32+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/we_are_planet_perfecto_vol._1 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/we_are_planet_perfecto_vol._1 Something epic this way comes. Paul Oakenfold’s Perfecto imprint has been legendary in the world of club music since its 1997 inception. That prestige is about to be reestablished with wrecking-ball force. Noticeably off the radar for a while, with this first volume of the We Are Planet Perfecto mix series, Oakenfold unveils his new “genre non-conforming” future sound. The two-disc set comprises new music by artists like Juventa, Nicky Romero, Sonic Element and Sunleed; classic anthems breathtakingly remixed and revived like Grace’s “Not Over Yet,” Oakenfold and Brittany Murphy’s “Faster Kill Pussy Cat,” PPK’s “Resurrection,” and CeCe Peniston’s “Finally”; and fresh tracks by Oakenfold himself rumored to be lifted from his forthcoming and twice-delayed artist album Pop Killer. Meanwhile, this one showcases a new direction for the label but exercises its versatility by re-presenting Perfecto’s previous hits in the new progressive sound, showing how effortlessly they blend with new material, and reminds you of one of Oakenfold’s most notable abilities — creating a startling musical journey that never leaves you bored or wondering why the current track was included. Who knows, maybe American gay clubs will actually start playing trance again with this kind of makeover. Fingers crossed. 2012-02-09T09:15:39+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/siberia http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/siberia If you took Ke$ha’s electro-pop sound, Kasey Chambers’ voice and Natalie Imbruglia’s demureness from the “Torn” video, you’d have Canadian electronic artist Lights, an addicting amalgamation of disparate elements to say the least. On first listen, Lights sounds like something that a dopey producer of ‘90s WB programming would have put in Dawson’s Creek for its seemingly adolescent cuteness. But the bags of hate mail would start pouring in once the intelligent portion of the public noticed the lyrical profundity (and likely misuse in context of the program) of this rather clever progressive artist. On Siberia, Lights sounds noticeably harder than on her 2009 debut The Listening, the smooth pulses and subdued electro elements now pushed to a new passion for dubstep distortion and blown-out bass. What sets Lights apart from all that electro-pop is her frighteningly acute ability for shy saccharine pop melodies and hooks, contrasted against the aggressive production sounds as weird as crushed Oreos in chili — but is just as much of an unexpected delight. 2012-02-09T09:14:39+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/fire_ice http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/fire_ice This boy has come so far from where he began. Originally a near-unknown House purist with a few singles on Om Records and a dedicated niche following, Kaskade’s name now credits remixes done for a zillion mainstream artists and announces his residency at the Marquee Nightclub in Vegas on billboards all over Hollywood. On his seventh studio album, Kaskade displays Sunlounger’s same bipolar presentation, expressing all 10 tracks across 2 discs as both a banging club rub (the “fire”) and a chillout downtempo track (the “ice”). Pushing the definition of progressive House in all directions, Fire & Ice employs hollowed-out guitar strums, delicate strings, jagged keyboards, playful bass notes and skinny, pleading synths to create a contrasting sound as dichotomous as its title. Kaskade has shed his favoritism of any particular vocalist and features a different vocal or musical collaboration on each track, including folksinger Mindy Gledhill, Swedish duo Rebecca & Fiona, alt rock band Neon Trees, newly crowned dance royalty Skrillex, pop’s new princess Skylar Grey, and Kaskade’s own side projects Late Night Alumni and Haley. It’s a mixed bag, for sure, but what else would you expect from such a title? 2012-02-09T09:13:39+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/talk_that_talk http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/talk_that_talk At this point, Rihanna’s albums have become my holiday music. Talk That Talk is the third album in three years that’s dropped in November, and simply for the release date I align all three with Thanksgiving leftovers and the baking of red and green sugar cookies. Following her successful 2010 leap into the world of electronic dance music with Loud’s lead single “Only Girl (in the World),” Talk launched with “We Found Love,” a straight-up club single sporting minimalistic verses strung together with a power chorus penned and produced by Scottish electronic singer-songwriter Calvin Harris. The album also follows a similar format as Loud, eclectically blending dance, hip-hop and reggae sounds beneath lyrics that position Rihanna as a rough-riding badass (“Cockiness (Love It),” “Birthday Cake,” “Roc Me Out”) with sporadic moments of raw emotional vulnerability (“Drunk on Love,” “Where Have You Been,” “Farewell”). The message of all Rihanna’s music since the Chris Brown incident seems to be “the world saw me broken down and battered, I have to make you believe I could have beaten him just as hard.”  Also look for Rihanna’s re-vocalization of Gil-Scott Heron and Jamie xx’s spoken word House track “I’ll Take Care of U” on Drake’s forthcoming single “Take Care” from the album of the same name. 2012-02-09T09:13:39+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_night_the_sun_came_up http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_night_the_sun_came_up Dev’s flying as high as a G6. Originally discovered on MySpace by production team The Cataracs, Dev’s first introduction to the mainstream was on Far East Movement’s Billboard #1 single “Like A G6,” the chorus of which was lifted from a verse in Dev’s self-made single “Booty Bounce.”  Her first solo single, “Bass Down Low,” hit the radio late last year and paved the way for the present single “In the Dark,” an addictive blend of Latin house, ambient keyboards and a catchy-as-hell saxophone hook. The Night the Sun Came Up is a disparate sizzurp-like concoction of street aesthetics and booty bass revival with Euro dance and electro pop — a testament to Dev’s integrity as an artist as more than a pop mannequin. The probability of future singles includes “In My Trunk,” “Kiss My Lips” and “Breathe.”  At the forefront of the progression of U.S. radio’s new obsession with dance music, she’s gonna stay right where she is: on top. 2011-10-28T18:45:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/perfectionist http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/perfectionist Natalia Kills wants you to know that she’s a badass with a heart. She’s Gaga style without the dead Kermits, Lil’ Kim brutality without the incarceration, and an urban pop sound without the commercial sellout. Perfectionist might be her debut album, but she’s been in the public eye since age 9. She was featured in a long-running British radio drama and even auditioned in front of George Lucas for the role of Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequels. After signing to Interscope’s Cherrytree Records, the British singer-songwriter released “Mirrors” in August of 2010, and everyone — the gays especially — sat up and took notice. Now on its third single, Perfectionist is an interesting mixture of sounds, including aggressive electro pop (“Mirrors,” “Zombie,”” Love Is a Suicide”), sweet radio jams (“Wonderland,” “Free,” “Kill My Boyfriend”), jagged rock (“Break You Hard,” “Acid Annie,” “Not In Love”), and aching ballads (“Broke,” “Heaven,” “If I Was God”). It’s a hodgepodge, but a good one. 2011-10-28T18:45:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/welcome_to_medina http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/welcome_to_medina Medina is the Danish Britney Spears, but without all the batshit crazy. The combination of her synthy dance pop sound and sultry vocals is one of those organic combinations that instantaneously elicits a response of “Who is this?”  Medina’s sophomore album (in its original Danish incarnation Velkommen Til Medina) has been out overseas since summer 2009, when its triple-platinum lead single “Kun for Mig” spent over a year on the Danish charts. Shortly thereafter, an English translation of the lead single, now “You and I,” was released with a Deadmau5 remix that made the rounds of DJ playlists worldwide. Alongside three subsequent English singles — “Lonely,” “Addiction” and “Gutter” — it had everyone wet in anticipation for whatever was coming. Now three years on, Medina drops the English version as Welcome to Medina, with a reworked tracklist that includes all the English singles and their original Danish versions, and a bonus remix disc. 2011-10-28T18:43:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/nothing_but_the_beat http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/nothing_but_the_beat Sometimes hard work does, in fact, pay off. At the age of 43, Guetta is just now reaching the height of his career; I’ve no doubt he can ride the wave right into the next decade. Four years ago, everyone and his mother had to have Timbaland produce a track. Now, with the American adoption of the European dance sound, that torch has been passed to Guetta. Nothing But the Beat hops on the train all superstar DJs have been jumping on in the last 10 years: ditching the niche club market and amalgamating pop artist stardom with an addictive dance sensibility — not to mention a nicer paycheck. Beat employs pop royalty of the moment, including Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Taio Cruz, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Usher, will.i.am, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Akon, Timbaland, Dev, Jennifer Hudson, Jessie J and Sia, and could easily sweep the Grammys. Nothing but the beat?  More like nothing but sweet candy. Get a taste. 2011-10-28T18:42:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_ultimate_collection http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_ultimate_collection Sade is one of those artists whose musical expression is one of such beauty that it’s become as synonymous with sensuality and lovemaking as rose petals and satin sheets. Despite her melancholic delivery and her focus on loves lost, her voice sounds so sexy that you can’t help wanting to get naked while listening. The Ultimate Collection is the next chapter of Sade’s hits, following The Best Of from 1994, while adding in the hits from Lovers Rock and Soldier of Love. It includ es four new songs, one of them a new remix of “The Moon and The Sky” featuring Jay-Z. The second single off the album, “Love Is Found” has been released with remixes by Gareth Wyn and Alex Metric. Also look for some recently surfacing bootleg remix albums titled Think Sade and Think Sade 2. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/exit_110 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/exit_110 The follow-up album six years in the making, Exit 110 is the continuation of iiO’s debut album Poetica, comprised of songs recorded during the original sessions for the first album and before Nadia Ali’s professional separation from Markus Moser to focus on her solo career. All the charm of iiO is here, with elements of ‘80s synth pop, unique melodies and Nadia’s endlessly lovable words and vocals. The stark contrast was present on Poetica and is even more noticeable on Exit 110: One of iiO’s bigger hallmarks is their ability to sound completely different from everyone else out there and not come across as remotely self-conscious. Between Moser’s penchant for nostalgic production elements and Ali’s melancholic and Eastern-influenced delivery of autobiographical lyrics, iiO has always stood out as one of the most personal dance music groups. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/beach_house_2011 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/beach_house_2011 Last year Beach House 2010 was nominated for Best Compilation at the International Dance Music Awards, and ended up being Hed Kandi’s biggest-selling title. So all eyes were on this year’s installment to see if they could top it. In a series that has, at certain points over the last few years, become more of a brand than a collection of individual and standout tracks, 2011’s chapter of Beach House holds up to the original installments championed by Hed Kandi founder Mark Doyle. A blend of new tracks in the trademark “sundrenched” deep, beachy House sound and fresh remixes of classics, BH 2011 is guaranteed to brighten any pool party or day at the beach. The CD release is in a traditional triple-disc, unmixed format; the digital release also includes all three discs as continuous mixed sets. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/mix_magic_music http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/mix_magic_music Yep, it’s true, after what felt like the longest drought ever, we finally get served a proper superstar DJ mix album — and it doubles as an artist album to boot: Tony produced every track, all the while maintaining variety with different featured vocalists and collaborators, including Judy Torres, Zhana Saunders, Frenchie Davis, Ultra Nate and Deborah Cox. Very much the companion to, and logical next step following, his 2008 release The Event, Mix Magic Music combines his expertise in what makes the dance floor move, a clear pop sensibility and a new direction away from the tribal of the last few years toward progressive House. Not to be missed, especially standouts “Can I Love You More” with Trey Lorenz, “Magic” with Jennifer Holliday, and “Sensation” with Orion. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/twentyone http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/twentyone It’s not the most common occurrence that an artist comes along who is liked by everyone, regardless of geography, age, or genre preference. The sound of pop music today is so produced, so commercial, so aimed at an audience and manufactured to appeal specifically to it, it seems only logical that the only way to get beyond all that would be to strip it all away to a piano, a drum, a guitar and a husky limitless voice shaped into powerful words and earnest sentiments. Adele’s 2008 debut 19 was a gentle, bluesy opus of acoustic ballads; 21 still stays true to that foundation, but amplifies the energy a bit, brightens the sound and, on many of the tracks, adds elements of funk and disco by way of percussion and tempo. The album’s lead single, “Rolling in the Deep,” has been remixed extensively including mixes by Paul Oakenfold, Oliver Watts, Claude, and Benny Royal. 2011-04-29T06:33:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/i_am_the_dance_commander_i_command_you_to_dance http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/i_am_the_dance_commander_i_command_you_to_dance It feels like forever since an American pop artist has honored the dance genre with a proper remix album — but who else but Ke$ha, with her belligerent 1 a.m. sound and sloppy party girl image? Composed of nine remixed tracks from the Animal and Cannibal albums and the new track “Fuck Him He’s A DJ,” Commander takes everything we’ve loved about the princess and Jack and glitter and either augments or completely reinvents it. “Tik Tok” gets an aggressive dubstep facelift, “Your Love Is My Drug” is given the now-ubiquitous Dave Audé treatment, “We R Who We R” is Fred Falke-ized, and dance ballad “Animal” is made over into a stretched out, dubby electro love song. Ke$ha ushered in a new brand of carefree fun and frivolity in 2009, and Commander cements it as a party mainstay in the caliber of the keg and the line for the bathroom. 2011-04-29T06:32:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/killer_love http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/killer_love This one’s been leaning up against the wall alongside the dance floor for a while now.  After her first solo album, Her Name Is Nicole, was delayed in 2007 and then canceled at the last second in 2008 due to several unsuccessful singles and half its tracks were absorbed into the forthcoming Pussycat Dolls Doll Domination album. Coming right after all the press and promotion finished so as to maximize on embarrassment, the big question was, “Can Nicole separate from the Dolls and float on her own?” Now started and restarted more times than Family Guy, Moroccan super-producer RedOne was called in to give the album some consistency, not to mention the most popular sound of the moment. The end product is well worth the wait. Mostly aggressive dance with a rock and soul edge, all the party girls are gonna love this. And when they’re coming down from their extracurriculars, the ballads provide a nice backdrop, two of which feature guest vocals by Sting and Enrique Iglesias. 2011-04-29T06:31:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/lights http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/lights I can’t say enough good things about this album. Named the number one breakout act of the year by BBC’s Sound of 2010 poll and awarded the Critics’ Choice Award at the 2010 BRIT Awards (following Adele’s win of both in 2008), Ellie is a prodigious powerhouse and people are taking notice. A singer and songwriter from a very young age, Ellie was first exposed to electronic music while attending the University of Kent and developed her sound with the help of producer Frankmusik. Chiefly produced by Starsmith, Lights is decidedly electronic at heart but instrumentally eclectic and a sound that is her own in every way. Mostly mid-tempo but with a few ballads and uptempo scattered throughout, the heavy percussion (regardless of tempo) and tasteful electronic elements combine hypnotically with Ellie’s pixie-like voice and its endless acrobatics. The album was re-released as Bright Lights with six additional tracks — all amazing — and was finally released here in March in its original format. 2011-04-29T06:17:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/tron_legacy http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/tron_legacy In the last decade, filmmakers have come to view electronic artists as the perfect go-to for unique soundtracks that punctuate and sonically explain their narratives in a way that straight orchestral and instrumental music could never touch. Electronic music in itself is an alternative expression that departs from the acoustic world that surrounds it and creates moods and metaphors that have always felt more akin to a modern urban reality. For a movie like TRON: Legacy, anything less would have been a violation of the film’s intention.  Mixing the band’s robotic persona with the 85-piece London Orchestra and guided by music supervisor Jason Bentley (Los Angeles’ KCRW), the TRON score creates a digital soundscape that translates the film’s dynamics into pixelated emotions accented by taunt strings and cold brass. Notably, the film was actually cut to the French duo’s score — the complete opposite of the way soundtracks and films usually inform each other during production. After two whole years DP spent creating the sound of Legacy, there couldn’t have been a better nod to them.  Perfect mood music for late nights spent intimately with machinery. 2011-02-15T12:39:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_beach_side_of_life http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_beach_side_of_life Despite the Mai Tai cocktail not changing much since its creation, its continued formulaic composition has never affected its reputation as “the” tropical drink. Like that umbrella-clad libation, so too has Roger Shah’s rock-steady reverence to beachy ambience over pounding big room beats made his Sunlounger moniker a staple of the Ibiza-style sound. The third album is the same dune bike we’ve been riding the last three years, just a different color and with new spokes. What defines the Sunlounger brand is Shah’s ability to create an atmosphere that feels so recognizably summer: the watery synth textures, the whining guitars, the soft-edged bass pulse. Close your eyes, and it’s impossible not to picture gently pawing waves, the sensual flicker of torch light, and the taste of sea air on your lips. Already on its fourth single release, the album maintains the double-disc Sunlounger trademark of dual presentation of all songs. One is an ambient chill breakdown and the other a bangin’ club track; both offer unique ways to appreciate the instrumentation and ethereal vocals. Head straight for “Beautiful Night,” “Found,” and “Breaking Waves.” 2011-02-15T12:38:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/body_talk http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/body_talk In this third and final installment of the “Body Talk” series, Robyn has successfully relaunched herself yet again after her staggering resurfacing with the 2007 album and solidified her title as Swedish pop royalty.  When she first stormed onto the scene back in 1997, Robyn was a finely crafted product made specifically to appeal and sell. After battles with labels and a determination for creative control, Robyn has left the commercial machine behind and reemerged as a seasoned artist with a sound and style that have earned her a rabidly loyal following. Concluding the two previous EP installments, Body Talk is an LP collection of new tracks as well as a compilation of the previous singles from parts 1 and 2, amounting to 15 tracks of candy pop bliss. New tracks include the lead single “Indestructible,” new fan favorite “Call Your Girlfriend,” the radio-perfect “Time Machine,” plus “Get Myself Together” and “Stars 4-Ever.”  Also included is the Diplo remix of the previously released “Dancehall Queen.” 2011-02-15T12:33:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/cannibal http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/cannibal Ke$ha’s one of those artists who steps out and is instantly loved or hated, or loved and hated, by everyone. Her suicide soda combination of hyper-studioed, over-produced, electro-pop, slut-wave styling, “just been fucked” hair, and unashamed love of glitter and Jack Daniel’s demands a response. Regardless of your feelings about her and her music, at least she evokes a reaction as strong as a bottle of bourbon. Cannibal is the 9-track follow-up EP to her debut LP of endless Top 10 hits, Animal, and it guarantees that she’s anything but a flash in the pan. The lead single “We R Who We R” is her take on the current personal empowerment craze in pop (see also Pink’s “Raise Your Glass,” Katy Perry’s “Fireworks,” Gaga’s forthcoming “Born This Way”), and is her perfect slant on the topic: “I’ve got that glitter on my eyes/Stockings ripped all up the side… /You know we’re superstars/We are who we are!”  Expect another wave of undeniable hits, including “Cannibal,” “Blow,” and maybe even “Crazy Beautiful Life.” The party started in 2009, and it’s still going strong. 2011-02-15T12:31:50+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/beach_angel_iv http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/beach_angel_iv Another release that was supposed to drop when more seasonally appropriate, but for whatever reason hung out behind the bar until late September instead of getting naked and in the water when people were actually paying attention. This installment of Beach Angel starts out a bit more chill than beat-driven. The beachy melodies are there, but the first disc inspires non-movement more than anything else. It’s not until the end of the first disc that the trademark sensual, sun-drenched House quality of the series shows up, Mai Tai in hand and barely there in a Speedo sparing no details. But like the sloppy party girl who shows up late to her own birthday, she makes good of the time she’s got. Rest assured that by track 10, the party picks up and steadily builds all the way through track 34, concluding with Syke ‘N’ Sugarstarr featuring Alexandra Prince’s “So Alive” that sends you off feeling exactly that: so alive. 2010-11-02T09:47:15+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/queen_of_clubs http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/queen_of_clubs In case there was any confusion, this album title confirms what people have been saying for a while. Nadia has been a staple of club music since she was introduced to producer Mark Moser while working at Versace. The two became iiO, one of the most successful dance groups of the last decade, with global hits like “Rapture.” Since going solo in 2005, Nadia has released a string of singles and a solo album and has guested on endless tracks for top-name producers. Now in 2010, Queen of Clubs serves as a benchmark of what she’s accomplished, a collection of remixes from the Embers album, a few of her collaborations and even an iiO track from the Poetica album. Queen of Clubs is amazing from start to finish and underscores her ability as a singer/songwriter as well as a dance floor diva. Not to be missed. 2010-11-02T09:46:46+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/all_this_love http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/all_this_love The guest vocalist finally gets her name up top and a release all her own. Longtime a favorite of Kaskade, Haley Gibby has appeared on a number of Kaskade’s biggest singles across the last two albums, including “Move For Me,” “Step One Two,” “I Remember” with Deadmau5, “Dynasty,” “Don’t Stop Dancing” and the collaboration with Tiësto, “Only You.” Additionally she was the vocals behind the group Summer of Space, an alternate moniker for her work with Kaskade. Now four years later, her time has finally come to stand on her own, and the product is nothing short of amazing: perfect, breathy, hooky dance music with a pop sensibility and a voice far beyond the typical dance artist. Not one bad track on the album, but go straight for “Falling In Love,” “This Is How It Goes,” “What Do You Say” and “The Chance.” Addictive. 2010-11-02T09:44:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/a_year_without_rain http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/a_year_without_rain That this wasn’t released during the summer is a crime against humanity. But at least now, fall and early winter will be more than cold days and earlier nights. Consisting entirely of simple, silly lyrics and auto-tuned sentimentality, A Day Without Rain is exactly what being a dance pop princess is all about — keeping it light, accessible and instantly catchy. And the huge hair doesn’t hurt. Selena’s breaking free of the Disney machine, but she definitely hasn’t forgotten how to remain a marketable product while doing what she really wants. Expect to hear a bunch of these on the radio for the next couple months, including the already huge “Round & Round,” and what are likely to be future hits: “A Year Without Rain,” “Off The Chain” and “Rock God.” A day without rain, indeed; slide this one in anytime to warm even the coldest of moments. 2010-11-02T09:42:02+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/love_and_its_opposite http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/love_and_its_opposite This is the record that all great singer/songwriters should make when they’ve stopped trying to be stars and just want to make art that expresses what goes on in their heads. Described by Thorn as “a record about the person I am now and the people around me ... about real life after 40,” Love and its Opposite plays as an album created not to get radio plays, not to rock the next party, but for the simplest reason that music exists — for the listener to empathetically connect with the person singing. On first listen, you’ll notice the lack of beat-driven intention that 2007’s Out of the Woods had as its foundation. But it’s on the second and third listens that the gentle melodies and painfully specific lyrics become the exclusive draw to press play again upon the disc’s completion, and underscores what made Tracey and Everything But The Girl such an enduring force: their ability to maintain an unparalleled level of lyrical intimacy across any musical platform. Essentially the album is a snapshot of her own mind — how she perceives her children, her marriage, the people around her and close to her — all while conveying it through her unrivaled voice and hooky vocal dynamics. She addresses love not as a lovesick girl, but as a woman who’s experienced the dynamic realities of it and understands it, not idealizes it. This album should come with a leather couch, a timer — and an inflated mental health practitioner’s invoice. 2010-07-29T16:13:29+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/night_work http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/night_work The first thing to grab you will be the cover art: a black-and-white photo of a man’s taut, flexed butt in stretch pants enthusiastically framed by the owner’s strong hands. The image, via Robert Mapplethorpe, is intended to pay homage to the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers album, but what makes this cover truly wonderful (aside from making all the tops hot and bothered) is that it instantly and publicly brands the band as gay in the same mainstream context that usually prompts others to tone it down. They’re the new Pet Shop Boys. What’s interesting is that this was the album that almost didn’t happen. After working 18 months on the follow-up to 2005’s Ta-Dah, the band scrapped the original version of Night Work as something they couldn’t fully get behind. Only after running away to Berlin for several months did lead singer Jake Shears get the inspiration to re-conceive the album alongside a new executive producer, Stuart Price. Known for his hugely successful work with Madonna (Confessions on a Dance Floor), the Killers (Hot Fuss), and Kylie (Aphrodite), Stuart Price (whose remixes are often credited as Jacques Lu Cont and Thin White Duke) was clearly brought in to give the band the dance-oriented sound that now dominates American pop while still allowing the band’s disco/glam-rock essence to remain at the core of the music. The result is a successful labyrinth of sound. The lead single is a ballady number, “Fire with Fire,” that’s been given the Peter Rauhofer-remix treatment. But for something perfect in its original form, go straight to the last track, “Invisible Light.” Pure magic. 2010-07-29T16:09:29+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/flesh_tone http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/flesh_tone The girl whose milkshake brought the boys to their feet has since wiped up the spilt dairy, and put in a lighted dance floor. Gone is her Neptunes-produced, lollipop-licking hip-hop sound — what she has (allegedly) since referred to as being an unnatural but profitable business move. Replacing it has come a club-lovers’ format and a Grace Jones-style personal presentation. The move to dance may also be a business-minded one. Whatever; the union of the electronic sound and her voice is so organic — you’d be hard-pressed to prove that this was anything but an intentional progression. Prior to Flesh Tone, Kelis courted the club sound through collaborations with and guest vocals for artists like Benny Benassi and the Crookers — as well as myriad remix treatments her singles have received over the years from producers, including X-Press 2, the Scumfrog, Linus Loves, Dave Audé, E-Smoove and Junior Vasquez. Containing collaborations with producers like David Guetta, Will.i.am, Boys Noize, Diplo, DJ Ammo and Benny Benassi, Flesh Tone is a 9-track album (10 in its bonus track digital form), that contains not a single ballad while still managing to cover the same spectrum of emotions and intentions that a typical pop album does. The craze began with the release of the Guetta-produced initial teaser “Acapella,” and has now moved to its second single, “4th of July” with a standout remix treatment by Richard X. 2010-07-29T16:01:29+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/aphrodite http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/aphrodite Kylie, now 42 and a survivor of breast cancer, left all the weight of the last few years at the door and gives us one of the most effervescent installments of Kyliedom to date. “We didn’t want to try to reinvent the wheel, we just wanted to make really good songs,” she has said — and Kylie is a commercial artist to the core. Through her 22-year career, the Aussie has acquired a fundamental instinct for both the cold consumer aspect and inimitable magic of pop. While some of her contemporaries have become “serious artists” with age, Kylie sticks to the guns that made her what she is and never fails to reinvent herself with each album, all while maintaining a brand consistency. Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, co-writer on “Too Much,” boldly states, “When we were writing lyrics together, sometimes she’d put something down and I’d think, ‘Oh, my God, that is the lamest thing I’ve ever heard!’ And then it comes out of her mouth and it’s absolutely brilliant.” Therein lies the alchemy that is Kylie: to make unforgettable what would otherwise be forgettable. Track for track, Aphrodite is composed of total simplicity of songwriting and statement. But in her delivery, the tried and true becomes tremendous. Standouts include “Get Outta My Way,” “Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love),” “Too Much,” “Cupid Boy,” and the lead single, “All the Lovers.” 2010-07-29T15:59:29+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/tiesto_-_in_search_of_sunrise http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/tiesto_-_in_search_of_sunrise This is a bit of a flashback, but the unmixed versions have just been released and they’re so worthy of mention, I couldn’t resist. The first volume of In Search of Sunrise was released in May 2000, and the sequel followed quickly in December. What began as just another mixed-set series became a worldwide phenomena and one of the most successful compilation series ever. Now on its eighth installment and handed off to Richard Durand, the In Search of Sunrise series flawlessly captured in 2000 a snapshot of the best in trance and progressive. It brought to light so many artists and producers that defined the genre; it also provided first light to tracks that later became classics and dancefloor staples. The first two volumes were recently re-released as unmixed digital packages, all tracks separate and in their full length glory, and it just serves to remind of how successful Tiesto was at selecting standout tracks amongst all the uninspired and nearly identical club releases that flood the bins. Volume 1 set the tone of the series with tracks like “Anomaly (Calling Your Name),” famously used as the backdrop for Jason Biggs and Shannon Elizabeth’s shaved beaver scene in the film American Pie. Billie Ray Martin’s Honey was remixed by Chicane, which went on to be included in a zillion compilations and was given a update remix treatment in 2003. BT’s “Mercury & Solace” comes from when he was still more of an indie artist and hadn’t yet achieved his mainstream crossover appeal. Volume 2 followed the initial release’s success with a deeper sound, with tracks like Rui Da Silva’s “Touch Me” featuring vocals by Cassandra Fox (or Cass now), which even today remains a staple and has been remade and remixed endlessly. Salt Tank’s beautifully lush “Eugina” was remixed by Michael Woods — another track that has been included on a zillion compilations. And the new vocal mix of Cass & Slide’s “Perception” turned the intricate, nearly 11-minute instrumental original into a haunting poem by Naimee Coleman. 2010-06-22T13:32:28+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/soldier_of_love http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/soldier_of_love Sade, the band, is one of those acts that does it the way I think it should be done — artists, not revenue-generating stars. The band had not produced an album since 2000’s Lovers Rock. What motivated the creation of Soldier of Love wasn’t any kind of obligation; it was because they had something to say. Isn’t that the way art is supposed to be? Sade Adu is one of those vocalists who could sing the phone book, and people would sit and listen, so the band will always have that going for them. And despite a decade separating the release of this and the last album, theirs is a sound and an atmosphere that no one forgets once they’ve experienced them. So no matter how much time they put between releases, there will always be an audience. Soldier of Love was touted as the band’s new direction in sound, but to be honest, it sounds like good-old tried-and-true Sade. Not a bad thing, mind you. The album’s first single, also titled “Soldier of Love,” has an incredible chunky beat and extremely minimal instrumentation, which frames Sade’s voice gorgeously. The 9-track remix package is less mainstream and more creative, incorporating chilled electronic beats, deep house, and several guest raps. 2010-04-27T07:13:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/believe http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/believe Morgan Page is a withholder. Over the last eight years he’s built an immense fan base for his particular brand of foggy, moody progressive House by applying it to a zillion remixes for disparate artists like Jason Mraz, Madonna, Alanis Morissette, Jeffree Star, Jody Watley, Yoko Ono, Nelly Furtado and Stevie Nicks. To name a few. But with all that demand, his own artist work gets perpetually pushed to the side and we’re left panting at the mere mention of something native with  his name on it. Believe began with the tease of the initial singles “Fight for You” and “Strange Condition” (awesome cover of Pete Yorn), and fulfilled its promise with the album’s full release in all its murky glory, and does not disappoint. Now staple vocalist Elisabeth Morris or “Lissie” appears on several of the album’s vocal tracks, but she’s also joined by a group of impressive guests, including Télépopmusik’s Angela McCluskey, deep House darling Samantha James, trip-hop crooner Natalie Walker, and the dynamic Matt Alber. Standout tracks include “Believe,” “Back to Life,” “Only Human,” and “Tell Me Why.” 2010-04-27T07:10:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/once_upon_a_night http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/once_upon_a_night Holland’s got it goin’ on. Between Ferry, Tiesto, van Buuren, and those wooden shoes, I don’t know what’s not to love. Oh, and the legalized drugs, prostitution and gay marriage. Bless the Dutch. And Corsten continues to represent his country in the best way possible with this gorgeous two-disc set highlighting the sound that dominates Europeans and their weekends. What marks this particular release as noteworthy is not how sparing the vocals are, but how much you don’t miss them. This is why we love trance. Unlike House, which positions the beat and percussion as the focal point, trance focuses on the melodies and uses the beat almost like a metronome to give the ambience structure. Vocals exist throughout both discs — but aside from a handful of full vocal tracks, they are used as textures or repeating elements. A hooked exhale, a stuttered hum … it all lends itself to creating this breathtakingly intimate atmosphere where you feel that the music is enveloping you, touching your skin with amorphous melodies and an angel’s voice. It’s magic. 2010-04-27T07:08:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_hopeful_machines http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_hopeful_machines BT is like Sade, he puts out albums when he’s got something to say. Constantly striving to reinvent and innovate, BT is a producer/artist/programmer whose name alone turns heads. I remember reading about the reaction Tori Amos had to her manager when she first heard his treatment of her vocals on their 1996 collaboration, “Blue Skies.” It was something like, “Holy shit, you have to hear this…” His sound has been imitated endlessly since his mainstream recognition — which I’m sure in no small way motivates his perpetual progress in sound and audio engineering. Following This Binary Universe, on which he played with very extended track times and purely instrumental soundscapes, These Hopeful Machines feels like a merger of that intention with the pop sensibilities of 2003’s Emotional Technology. The double-disc album contains 12 songs total, most of which clock in at over 10 minutes, and blend his passions for gorgeous ambience atop complex beats, and the dance-rock hybrid that will always be his hallmark. BT does his own vocals amidst guest performances by Christian Burns, Andrew Bayer, Jes, Kirsty Hawkshaw, Ulrich Schnauss, Rob Dickinson, and The Psychedelic Furs. 2010-04-27T07:06:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_elements_of_freedom http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_elements_of_freedom I’m not implying anything when I say this, but no one can write a love song like a gay person, and if Alicia is not gay, it’s a disservice to our community. There is a total self-abandonment that seems a hallmark of gay love, a starkness to the emotion that comes with finally finding love amidst the feelings of fear and secrecy—a trait most clearly exemplified by the severe pathos of Morrissey—that is very present in Keys’ music. This is Alicia’s third album since 2001, and not one album has ever failed to provide me with at least one, if not several, songs to lament, long and love so pointedly that I feel a deeper understanding of myself for the song’s addition in my “life playlist.” The influence of the Grammy for “No One” is evident on several tracks, most notably “Doesn’t Mean Anything”: The usually syncopated R&B bass line has been simplified to the 4-4 beat used on the award-winning song. The album’s character is mid-tempo and contains ballad tracks perfect for those late-night moments with another (or just yourself). Be sure to pay special attention to “Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down,” the sans-rap, all-vocal alternate of the radio version featuring Jay-Z, which fully deserves a radio presence of its own. 2010-02-13T18:41:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/animal http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/animal This girl is going to own 2010. Ke$ha is all the fun of Lady Gaga but without the pomp, theatrics and feigned profundity. She’s the girl who danced on a table at the frat party; the girl who crawled the length of the bar while downing everyone’s shots; the girl who rode in the trunk from one party to the next because at least there she could keep drinking. Ke$ha’s Animal brings to the new decade all the careless fun danceability of the ‘80s, but with the heart and soul to back it up.  The album harnesses pop’s new obsession with electro sounds, along with its teen-strength love affair with Auto-Tune and severe vocal editing, and creates the soundtrack to 2010 nightlife. She does the sloppy drunk fun thing with “Tik Tok,” “Take It Off,” “Blah Blah Blah,” and “Party at a Rich Dude’s House” (about a party at Paris Hilton’s in which she threw up in the closet). But she also shows that the party girl does have some specifics in mind after the lights come on with songs like “Your Love Is My Drug,” “Stephen,” “Dancing With Tears in My Eyes,” and “Blind.”  All in all, you can expect this album to be the go-to at every pool party this summer. 2010-02-13T18:40:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/rated_r http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/rated_r A therapist once told me after a break-up, “Don’t let go of your anger. Your anger will give shape to all the emotions you’re feeling right now. It will give you strength when you feel weak and broken.” Clearly someone said these words to Rihanna after having had the crap kicked out of her. Though thus far not nearly as commercially successful as her previous releases, “Rated R” manages in 13 tracks to be her most coherent, impacting and resonating piece of work to date. From start to finish, the album approaches the myriad emotional responses Rihanna experienced during and following her tumultuous relationship with Chris (“Why the hell am I not incarcerated?”) Brown, from every possible angle.  She proclaims her resilience in “Hard” and “G4L,” reaffirms who she was before the media frenzy in “Wait Your Turn” and “Rockstar,” and reminds us that through the abuse she also loved in “Stupid in Love,” “Cold Case Love” and “The Last Song.” She even flirts with the idea of the temptation of another woman on “Te Amo.” The disc’s incredible lead single “Russian Roulette” equates being with Brown to holding a loaded gun to her head. Don’t believe the lack of hype. This album is gold. 2010-02-13T18:38:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_fame_monster http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_fame_monster GaGa’s ear-popping rise to legend status continues with The Fame Monster. This EP was originally intended as a “tide you over addendum” to her original release, The Fame. But it has already managed to outshine all former radio singles with the career-defining “Bad Romance.” The remainder of the album sounds like perfect permutations of album tracks from The Fame, including “Monster” (sounds like “Poker Face”), “Speechless” (sounds like “Brown Eyes”), “Dance in the Dark” (sounds like “I Like It Rough”), and “Alejandro” (sounds like an updated version of Ace. Also included is “Telephone,” a duet with Beyoncé. Produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, it presents a more urban radio version of GaGa and a viable next incarnation of the Lady. All in all, no one could have asked for a better follow-up to one of the biggest albums of 2009. From this point forward, all top albums should be followed up with an EP of similar material just to keep the ball rolling. 2010-02-13T18:36:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/space_cowboy http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/space_cowboy One of the genius producers behind Lady Gaga’s ear-popping sheer vertical rise to fame, Space Cowboy re-releases and revamps his initial Japan-only release “Digital Rock” with reworked production and an expanded tracklisting.  The sound is largely homogenous, a blend of Euro pop, rock-inspired elements and severely auto-tuned vocals, but broken up by different guest vocalists, samples and hooks.  At a run time of just under 38 minutes, the album plays like a continuous party soundtrack and could probably be played on repeat without anyone being the wiser.  Guest vocalists include Natlia Kills, Chelsea of the Paradiso Girls, Cinema Bizarre, Chentelle Paige, Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, Kee, Vistoso Bosses, Nadia Oh and LMFAO.  “Falling Down” and “I Came 2 Party” have already been released as the lead singles with remixes by FrankMusic, Robot to Mars, DJ Dan, Starkillers, Jump Smokers, Discotech and David Garcia. 2009-12-29T15:37:51+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/memoirs_of_an_imperfect_angel http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/memoirs_of_an_imperfect_angel On first listen the response to this is disappointment, as everything is either slow or mid-tempo.  And it’s this very reason that it took me 2 months to appreciate this album following putting the promo in the first time, and missing out on those two months of loving it.  Mariah is an undisputed master of the ballad, having the ability to change the emphasis of the genre, which tends to be on the lyrical storytelling, to the pop instrumentation and the radio hook quality she’s capable of creating.  All of these songs, if you let them, pull you in immediately and have some form of pop quality that has you hitting the back step button by track’s end because you want to hear that catchy thing she did on it again.  They’re slow jamz that don’t put you to sleep.  But to satisfy the radio crowd, and to make up for the somewhat lackluster sales in comparison to many of Mariah’s other albums, it has already been announced that the disc will be re-released as a remix package, every track getting a treatment, and judging by the mixes that have already been leaked, it’s gonna be freaking hot.  And for a quick fix, a two disc version of the present version of the album is available featuring the remixes of “Obsessed,” radio edited, and includes productions by Seamus & Emanuel, Cahill, Jump Smokers and Friscia & Lamboy. 2009-10-30T09:43:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/wait_for_me http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/wait_for_me So if Moby went back to the club on the Last Night album, he’s gone back to the hipster coffee house on this one.  Perhaps the stylistic sibling of the “Hotel” album, “Wait For Me” is an endlessly mellow, thoughtful, and sometimes melancholy set of 3- and 4-minute passing thoughts that would do well alongside William Orbit’s “Pieces in a Modern Style” album as mood-setting atmosphere treatments best served sometime between the sunset and sunrise, and preferably beneath conversation dipped in dancefloor exhaustion.  The first single, “Mistake,” was of course released as a remix package, as will all subsequent singles most certainly.  But in its native format, this album really feels like an antithetical response to the former album, reminding us of all that Moby is capable of communicating. 2009-10-30T09:41:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/blacksummersnight http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/blacksummersnight Not exactly the sound we normally include in this column, but vastly too good to be overlooked for that.  Maxwell’s new “first of three chapters” album “BLACKsummer’snight” is short, with a total running time of about 37 and a half minutes, but creates in those minutes an atmosphere of intense masculine intimacy and sensuality.  Now I know when a lot of you come home from the party with your flavor of the night, you’re looking to pound hard, pound fast and pass out fifteen minutes or less, but I encourage you to let this album’s duration outline an extended session, and maybe, just maybe, take your time and make it last.  I’m never one to use the term “love making,” I prefer “porking” far more, but dare I say that the former best describes the activity that goes best with this concentrated 9-track set. 2009-10-30T09:40:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/a_state_of_trance_2009 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/a_state_of_trance_2009 Yet another perfect installment in the ASOT series piloted by Armin Van Buuren, this 2009 chapter is no different than any of the previous.  And for a fun change, that statement’s not a downer.  This time pulling almost exclusively from his Armada label, 2009 serves as something of a resume for what the label’s been up to since the last ASOT release, and frames some of the music luscious vocal and instrumental trance heard since, well… the last one.  Longtime fans of the genre will recognize several update mixes of trance classics, including the phenomenal reconstruction of “Come To Me” by Phuture Sound feat. Angie, a few new classics are established, such as “Man On The Run” by Dash Berlin and “Change Your Mind” by Sunlounger. 2009-10-30T09:37:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/anjunabeats_volume_7 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/anjunabeats_volume_7 At this point Anjunabeats has established itself as one of the most reliable things in existence alongside the toaster and the condom.  Now on it’s seventh volume since 2001, the Anjunabeats label has become synonymous with the pulse of trance and progressive and, with every semi-annual release, presents us with an accurate cross section of the tracks and artists that are or will be dominating the genre.  Staple powerhouses like Mike Koglin, Mike Shiver and Super8 & Tab with newcomers to the series like Aruna, Dirty Vegas and rising star Mat Zo.  Music nerds like myself will also note that this is the first time the album cover art design has changed, from the left justified all-Helvetica Neue title, to the centered Helvetica Neue and serif type treatment.  Go team go. 2009-10-30T09:21:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/for_lack_of_a_better_name http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/for_lack_of_a_better_name The man who performs with an enormous mouse head helmet behind DJ decks releases another set of trance and progressive to blow your socks off.  Following “Random Album Title,” what else would make sense to call your sophomore release other than “For Lack Of A Better Name?”  Clearly Joel Zimmerman isn’t gimmicking with cute titles and intentions, he just wants you to listen to his music for what it is.  The majority of the album is instrumental, but between the cheeky track names, intense production and David Morales-style variation in atmospheres, anything this man puts out is the perfect combination of banging and thought provoking.  The disc’s first single “Ghosts ‘n Stuff” is amazing and the final tracks “The 16th Hour” and “Strobe” are reasons enough by themselves to buy the album. 2009-10-30T09:18:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/kaleidoscope http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/kaleidoscope Like Guetta, Tiesto made his big crossover to pop via collaboration — few people on earth are left who’ve never heard Tiesto’s sweeping remix of Sarah McLachlan collaboration track “Silence” with electronica act Delirium.  After that, Tiesto gained a huge new fanbase and over the years his sound morphed a bit from the dramatic, melodic trance that made him famous, to a more aggressive, electro progressive sound that has been applied to a number of pop remixes in the last few years.  That sound now takes full shape across Kaleidoscope’s seventeen tracks, and features collaborations with many of the artists he’d previously remixed, including Nelly Furtado, Tegan & Sara, Calvin Harris, and includes the runaway summer single “I Will Be Here” featuring Priscilla Ahn and the future hit “Who Wants To Be Alone” featuring Furtado. 2009-10-30T09:10:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/one_love http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/one_love David’s been a huge star in the dance world for years, starring in his own “Fuck Me I’m Famous” parties around the world, releasing a never ending string of singles and remixes, and crafting his own special brand of house music.  But after his collaboration with The Black Eyed Peas on their The End album, David’s made the jump from underground to street level and has solidified his success as a crossover artist.  Doing what’s clearly a trend of dance producers at the moment and securing a pop music market appeal by collaborating with hit radio artists, Guetta employs pop talent on every tracks, including Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child, Chris Willis, Akon, Kid Cudi, Ne-Yo, Estelle, Will.i.am, and of course The Peas.  This one’s got more singles than a church social. 2009-10-30T09:09:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/celebration http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/celebration I criticized this one when I first heard about it, accusing Madonna of simply trying to complete her contract with the final album in the easiest way possible with a greatest hits.  But I take it all back, this record really is what we’ve been needing.  The Immaculate Collection was a near perfect compilation, collecting onto a single disc everything that was wonderful about 80s Madonna.  All that really needed to be done was an addendum to that with the huge hits from the albums since to create the definitive Madonna.  And here it is.  Ignore entirely the dismally constructed GHV2, Celebration does 19 years later what Immaculate did in 1990 — everything you loved about Madonna, presented in the same version you originally loved it as, but with a remastering that ups the pleasure level just a touch. 2009-10-30T09:08:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/paint_your_face http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/paint_your_face One thing internet exposure of music has done is open peoples’ eyes and ears to the more creative, crazy, experimental sounds of indie artists, and Sliimy is a prime example of that.  Fans of Junior Senior, Mika, and Hellogoodbye will rejoice at the quirky, poppy, playful sound of Sliimy.  Hailing from Saint-Etienne, France, the 20-year old musician first made a name for himself on YouTube with his acoustic cover of Britney Spears’ “Womanizer.”  Quickly gaining the attention of celebrity notables like Katy Perry, Lady GaGa, Miley Cyrus, Paris and Perez, Ms. Perez Hilton signed Sliimy as the first artist on his Perezcious Music label and was asked to join Britney and Katy on the European leg of their tour.  The debut album “Paint Your Face” is nothing but pop fun and frivolity across dance, ballad and funk tracks. 2009-10-30T09:06:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/just_one_day http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/just_one_day Kim’s one of the few girls who’ve fought the good fight in entertainment and actually emerged victorious.  “Just One Day” is the first solo album Kim’s crafted and actually seen released.  Most will remember her name from when she hooked up with production team Mynt for their “Still Not Sorry” album, which featured the runaway single “How Did You Know,” a cover of the Kurtis Mantronik original.  But what you probably didn’t hear about were the first two albums she crafted and then had deleted prior to release by the labels that signed her.  Clearly the girl’s determined.  Following 11 hit singles, numerous promotions tours and endless club dates, “Just One Day” is a dream fulfilled, ten years following the inception of her career, and perfect slice of pop dance that marks her as one of the lasting voices in dance.  Tracks you’ve probably heard and loved before include “Like A Star,” “Alone” (cover of Heart), “Break Up,” and her biggest single to date, “Feel Your Love.” 2009-10-30T09:03:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/scars http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/scars The seminal group drops their 5th full length and continue with more of the same crunchy, bassy, real instruments meets club beats, hippie, experimental vibe that’s set them apart from all others from the beginning.  The album’s introduction was the initial single, “Raindrops,” first circulated in late summer, which featured a pop perfect simplicity and the ecstatic vocals of Felix Buxton.  The album promises quite a few additional hits, and features collaborations on every track, including the one that seemed written in the stars, that with funky, white soul brother turned dance diva Sam Sparro. 2009-10-30T09:02:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/invasion_of_i_gotta_feeling_megamix_ep http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/invasion_of_i_gotta_feeling_megamix_ep This David Guetta produced and co-penned radio staple is going to be the song that every man, woman and child plays while getting ready to go out until the end of eternity.  Its sickly happy and optimistic is conveyed with equal intensity in the lyrics, the delivery, the guitar strums and the bouncy percussion, and rendering any in earshot bobbing and looking forward to something.  Aptly released on the Invasion of I Gotta Feeling Megamix EP, the remixes push the track through multiple environments courtesy of Laidback Luke, Zuper Blahq, Printz Board, David Guetta and even a Spanglish version from Taboo.  By now most are pretty sick of this, but ya know what, like “Single Ladies,” it’s a phenomenon.  You kinda have to just respect it for the effect it has on people. 2009-10-30T08:22:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/la_roux http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/la_roux So some will remember La Roux as, and even she’s been quoted saying this, the performer that everyone ignored at this year’s White Party in Palm Springs.  Apparently she took to the stage and no one had any idea who she was, so they all yelled something, turned back to each other, did a bump and then continued having oral sex in the sun.  Or something like that.  Regardless of how you do or don’t remember it, that introduction to the gay guys didn’t seem to go over so well.  Flash forward almost 6 months and you’re hearing her music remixed at all the gay clubs and the regard has been built so that guys are actually waiting for this album to drop.  Following extensive remix treatments of the first two singles, “Bulletproof” and “I’m Not Your Toy,” by names like Dave Audé, Razor N Guido, Morgan Page, Dean Coleman, Nima Nas and Manhattan Clique, the floor’s been abuzz with her manipulated vocals atop a rattling bass line. 2009-09-22T11:05:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/i_look_to_you http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/i_look_to_you Get ready ladies…  Whitney’s crazy ass is back to show you that, no matter what you’ve heard, she’s still got it in her to always love you and, according to the Wendy Williams interview, is still living at home with Jesus. I Look To You will be Whitney’s seventh studio album and her first release since 2002’s mediocre “Just Whitney,” which plainly “just sucked.”  With any luck this album truly will be her return to a [flattering] place in the spotlight and a public regard that outshines the drug allegations, spousal abuse and general bat shit craziness — a maneuver accomplished in no small part by a staggering ensemble of producers and collaborators enlisted for the task of creating an album that fit what’s left of her rusty pipes.  In true Whitney style, the initial single, “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength,” is a Diane Warren penned power ballad that’ll do equally well as a sappy radio staple as it will when remixed for the dance floor, with official remix treatments coming from Peter Rauhofer and Daddy’s Groove, a bootleg from Offer Nissim (which caused all KINDS of drama), and private mixes by Rafael Lelis and Edson Pride.  Remaining collaborators include Alicia Keys, R Kelly, Swizz Beats, David Foster, Akon, Stargate, Johnta Austin and of course Clive Davis.  Listening parties in London, New York and Los Angeles have garnered rave reviews and standing ovations from guests, so from the sound of things, they did something right.  Additionally the album’s release date was bumped forward a day, from September 1 to August 31, to make the album eligible for Grammy nomination in 2010.  Apparently the powers that be are ready for this one to not only make a comeback, but completely beat out.  At the time of this article, the Freemasons have just unveiled their staggering remix of the album’s second single, or I think they’re actually calling it the first “official single,” “Million Dollar Bill,” and without question puts Whitney back up alongside the standards she set “It’s Not Right, But It’s OK,” “I Learned From The Best,” and “Heartbreak Hotel.”  Our girl is back. 2009-09-09T03:33:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/i_feel_cream http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/i_feel_cream This is coitus music.  The rough, nasty kind.  Though her name might not ring an immediate bell, chances are you’ve heard of Peaches over the years.  Because despite being more of an underground artist, her lyrics and song titles tend to stand out a bit, like “Fuck The Pain Away,” “Diddle My Skittle,” “Stuff Me Up,” and “Rock The Shocker.”  They just tend to stick in your mind.  Her electroclash synth punk style and sexual frankness have always given her a hybrid appeal, making her equally accessible to gay dance crowds, straight urban clubs and rowdy punk settings.  “I Feel Cream” continues with similar subject territory as her previous three albums, but also seems to show a bit more vulnerability, a softer Peaches than most are used to.  This isn’t to say that she’s not still talking about the joys of taking a big dick atop a gurgling bassline, but alongside that you’ve also got her lamenting about not wanting to lose a lover and demanding that an object of desire talk to her.  So it’s an emotional mixed bag, but beneath it all is still the same strap-on dildo adorned, goat horn wearing girl with adhesive facial hair that we all love. 2009-07-29T18:47:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/future_memories http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/future_memories This man made such a huge name for himself with his very first single in 1999, I’m always amazed that he’s able to continually create and innovate with material that rivals all that came before.  Most remember “9 PM (Till I Come)” as “that wobbly guitar song with the chick whispering, ‘Till I Come” that was played in every gay club, straight club, frat party and radio station mix show well into the early 2000s.  And while nothing he’s done since that has had the same American pop crossover behind it, ATB remains in a category alongside artists like Benny Benassi, Cascada and Darude to anyone who appreciates pop-accessible dance music.  “Future Memories” continues with the format he established with 2000’s “Two Worlds”: a double disc release composed of a dance disc and a chill disc.  ATB branches out with his vocalist usage on the album, deviating from the affair he’s had for years with Wild Strawberries singer Roberta Carter Harrison by also employing trance darlings like Betsie Larkin, Tiff Lacey, Aruna, Jan Löchel and Kaskade’s discovery Haley.  The majority of the dance disc is vocal while the chill disc is entirely instrumental save for a downtempo cover of Everything But The Girl’s “Missing, which could have been disastrous without the beauty of Tiff’s vocals.  That’s kind of a song you can’t cover without raising some heckles, but he gets away with it.  Other gems on the first disc are “What About Us,” “Swept Away,” “A New Day,” “Gravity,” and “My Saving Grace.” 2009-07-29T18:45:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/shakedown_2 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/shakedown_2 A successful sequel is a feat not easily accomplished, especially not one that actually rivals the original.  The initial release punctuated 2006, and despite a December street date it managed to be one on of the bestselling compilations of the year.  The release underscored a shift in remix trends—labels steering away from heavier, circuit house mixes of their artists’ material, toward a brighter, disco funk influenced sound that still achieves profundity instead of careless frivolity.  The album’s two discs are composed of both artist tracks (“Heartbreak” feat. Sophie Ellis Bextor, “Uninvited” feat. Bailey Tzuke) and pop remixes (Solange Knowles, Jamiroquai, Peyton, Moby, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Kylie Minogue), as well as a handful of exclusives including several bootlegs that had cropped up over the last few years (Eurythmics’ “Here Comes The Rain Again,” New Order’s “Blue Monday,” Lisa Stansfield’s “People Hold On”).  All in all, this is the soundtrack of Summer 2009. 2009-07-29T18:44:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/above_beyonce_dance_mixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/above_beyonce_dance_mixes You gotta give Beyoncé and her thighs some props for this, she’s shown some serious commitment to her gay fans and her crossover appeal to the clubs.  Generally speaking remixes are just a marketing tool used to record labels to promote their artists’ material in another context through an altered format, so it’s nice to see an artist of her stature acknowledging the remixes as material worth celebrating for its own merit.  And even though their name is absent from this particular collection, you can bet that some of the fuel for this release was how thrilled she was with all the remix treatments the Freemasons did for her previous album.  All the big singles from the “I Am Sasha Fierce” album are present, “If I Were A Boy,” “Single Ladies,” “Diva,” “Halo,” and “Ego,” along with “Broken-Hearted Girl” and “Sweet Dreams,” and have been reconstructed by Maurice Joshua, DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio, Karmatronic, Dave Audé, Catalyst, OK DAC and Harlan Pepper & AG III. 2009-07-29T18:43:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/sirens_of_the_sea_remixed http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/sirens_of_the_sea_remixed Destined to be remixed from the moment it hit shelves, Sirens of the Sea, Oceanlab’s debut release last summer was the full length release 7 years in the making.  After dropping their first single in 2002, Oceanlab became the little artist side project to follow, officially combining the freshly A-listed trance trio Above & Beyond with the other worldly liquid voice of Justine Suissa.  So when the website announced the impending release of the remix album back in early Spring, the desk chairs of a million trance fanatics could be heard being wet ‘round the world.  All 12 tracks of the initial release have been given the re-rub treatment across the remix album’s two discs, the majority receiving dual reconstructions, and all are dance floor-ready right out of the box.  Remixing credits include Jaytech, Michael Cassette, Andy Duguid, Gareth Emery, Lange, Oliver Smith, 16 Bit Lolitas, Andrew Bayer, Myon & Shane 54, Sonorous, Duderstadt and of course Above & Beyond.  In addition to the revamping of Sirens’ tracks, the Remixed edition also includes the group’s first three singles (not included on the original album), “Satellite (Above & Beyond Mix),” “Sky Falls Down (Armin Van Buuren Remix),” and “Clear Blue Water (Ferry Corsten Remix).”  The iTunes release also included 5 additional remixes by Ronski Speed, Daniel Kandi, Jaytech vs. James Grant, Martin Roth and Cosmic Gate. 2009-07-11T13:25:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_end http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_end So The Peas are back and from the sound of the album are going to be riding this one long enough to be played at California’s next legal gay marriage.  The End has been lounging atop the Billboard charts since its release, alongside its first two singles, “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Got A Feelin’,” and prompts the question, “What’s wrong with selling out when it generates this kind of success?”  To hear songs like “Rock That Body” or “Missing You” composed entirely of electronic beats and simple dancey hooks, you can almost forget their 1998 debut “Behind The Front,” when they looked and sounded like they were separated at birth from A Tribe Called Quest and used unique, independent vocalists like Esthero and Les Nubians to sing the occasional chorus against their otherwise sans-melody beats.  But that’s progress, and while the purist would say that the purpose of music is to communicate and express what people are feeling, the music industry will always counter and say the purpose is to make money.  And that’s what they’re doing, and very aptly.  Collaborating this time with House Music legend David Guetta instead of the latest Urban influences, The Peas create a purely dance pop album with just enough Hip Hop edge to remind you they’re not Eiffel 65, but not by much.  The cover art is a clear homage to the unfeeling, mechanized imagery of Kraftwerk’s 1986 Electric Cafe album, and functions as the telling face of what lies beneath—futuristic, auto-tuned and more processed than a Twinkie.  But it’s perfect in every way, the slick hooks are memorizable after one listen, the beats and samples are delicious and the lyrics are written in such a way as to feel relatable to everyone and alienate no one.  Expect these tracks to be dominating your public social life. 2009-07-11T12:35:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/sounds_of_the_universe http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/sounds_of_the_universe Misery loves company, so if you’re looking for a companion to hardship (money, love, money, sex, money, employment, maybe money), then look no further than DM’s newest installment, Sounds of the Universe.  Nearly thirty years after their conception, Dave Gahan could sing Vengaboys karaoke and still make you want to open an artery while fumbling for a bottle of pills.  And his fans wouldn’t have it any other way.  The band’s tip of the tongue hallmarks remain—lust, spirituality, romantic yearning, sinful temptation and sadomasochism—and run through the album’s thirteen tracks like dirty motor oil in pavement cracks.  The disc’s first single, “Wrong,” which was a classic on first listen, is already in circulation and has been serviced as a full remix package, including A-List treatments by Thin White Duke (Jacques Lu Cont), Frankie Knuckles, Trentemoeller and a promo-only rub by Peter Rauhofer. 2009-05-01T15:48:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/imagine_the_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/imagine_the_remixes Armin’s moved up the status ladder with a ridiculous speed.  We toted the original album last summer as some of the best trance to come along in a while, and apparently every other producer on earth thought the same.  When Armin approached the various producers to remix his material, what he got back was such an enthusiasm for the task, and consequently so much quality material, that what was originally slated as a single disc release become a double to compensate.  Those familiar with the original album know that there were a solid 8 vocal tracks that were on hands and knees to be remixed, and this album makes good on that plea with some incredible results.  Remixing credits include most of trance’s parliament: Martin Roth, First State, Shane 54, Sied Van Riel, Ohmna, John O’Callaghan, Alex M.O.R.P.H., Cosmic Gate, Stoneface & Terminal, and Richard Durand. 2009-04-10T17:13:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/generation_next http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/generation_next Three years have past since we last heard Junior create a lead-heavy set of thumping dance floor bliss (Party Groove’s White Party Vol.7), and it was time to remind the world why Junior is and will always be one of the highest level Godfather’s of Clubland.  In the last few years, the words “Junior Vasquez Club Mix” have been oddly absent from maxi singles save for a few Britney and Pink tracks.  After the huge run of Vasquez mixes that went mainstream in the early 2000s, he seems to have returned to the strobe-pierced darkness that named him its King, the only reminder of his existence being the occasional bootleg remix floating around the internet.  But with “Generation Next”, the hiatus is over and Vasquez proves in 13 tracks that as club music goes through its next adolescence, his throne will remain at the forefront of it all. 2009-04-10T17:08:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_grand http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_grand Following the immense success of Kaskade’s first mixed set “Bring The Night,” which spent what feels like months at the top of the iTunes’ dance chart, “The Grand” continues with the same gorgeous formula of the best sing-a-long house and progressive you’ve never heard before.  The set consists of a number of Kaskade’s own tracks, remixed by the likes of EDX, Mischa Daniels, Mind Electric, Santiago & Bushido and Tommy Trash, and a number of Kaskade’s remix production for other artists, including Jes’s “Imagination,” Zip Zip Through The Night’s “Beestung” featuring Alex Kenji, Plumb’s “In My Arms,” and one of the album’s most amazing tracks: “This Is How It Goes” by Haley [Gibby], the vocalist half of Summer of Space, the group she formed with Ryan Raddon (Kaskade). 2009-04-10T16:57:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/rihanna_good_girl_gone_bad_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/rihanna_good_girl_gone_bad_remixes It’s April and Rihanna’s already had a year.  But despite the Chris Brown beat down and the rampant herpes allegations, it’s nice to know that she and her label still make time to appease her dance music fans and the mob of gays that love her.  At first glance this looks like the American version of the bonus disc from the European import version of the original album, but there’s actually quite a bit more to appreciate here.  Firstly, all the remixes are in radio edit format, presumably to make it more digestible to the masses who don’t understand full length mixes (Weirdos), and maybe a little more palatable to the drunken A.D.D. guests at your next pool party.  Secondly it contains remixes of the bonus tracks from the Reloaded re-release of the album, “Take A Bow” and “Disturbia”, done by Jody Den Broeder and Tony Moran & Warren Rigg respectively.  The disc is rounded out with the previously domestically-unavailable Lindbergh Palace mix of “Umbrella.” 2009-04-07T18:39:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/cyndi_lauper_floor_remixes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/cyndi_lauper_floor_remixes It had to happen.  Cyndi releases a dance floor album and it becomes obligatory to remix the hell out of it.  This Japanese-only import has been a highly coveted item ever since word of its impending release first surfaced, and its scarcity only makes the whole prospect that much more delicious.  The majority of the remix credits go to Richard “Pink Noise” Morel and newcomers Freedombunch, who do an amazing job at making a first impression.  The obvious gem of the album is Morel’s NRG mashup of “Set Your Heart” with “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” which has been making its rounds of every gay bar for months now.  In addition to that are remixes of “Into The Nightlife,” “Same Ol’ [Fuckin’] Story,” “Set Your Heart,” “High and Mighty,” and revive remixes of “Time After Time” and “True Colors.” 2009-04-07T18:35:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_fame http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_fame There’s something about Lady GaGa that makes the gays love her instantly, and I think I know why. Lady GaGa reminds you of that crazy girl in high school: the one who wore a cape and Robin Hood boots to class, who in drama class always did monologues that ended in death, and who made all the plain girls turn up their pressed powdered noses at her defiance. And of course this girl was your best friend because she thought that you were fabulous. Now that girl’s got an album just as eclectic as her style and every homo in the world is eating it up. The Fame is a blend of rock, pop, electro, dance and hip-hop, then hosed with a hot glue gun and dipped in glitter and given a platinum weave. The current single “Poker Face” follows the same formula as its predecessor “Just Dance,” and there’s much more where both those came from. Don’t ask questions, just buy this. Now. You’ll Love: Just Dance, Love Game, Paparazzi, Poker Face, Starstruck 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/genesis_vol_1 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/genesis_vol_1 Tracy Young Genesis Vol. 1 The First Lady of the Circuit brings it back again with a new sound and a new compilation series. From the sound of things, Tracy’s butched it up in the way of peppering the mix with a lot of the dark and dirty tracks, a.k.a. the totally interchangeable tribal tracks with deep voices saying weird things. In fact, the first half of the disc is all dark jungle, save for vocal piercings from Ceevox (“What’s Done Is Done”) and Celeda (“Good Time”). But the second half sees the return of the accessible side of Tracy, combining lead beats with powerful vocals and singalong hooks like “Shine” by Yinon Yahel and Jesse LaBelle, “Reach” by Lil’ Mo Yin Yang, “Open Your Heart” by Axwell & Dirty South feat. Rudy, and the now classic “Alright” by Red Carpet. Genesis Vol.1 offers a combination nu-skool/old-skool sound, mixing the modern Circuit sound of mostly vocal-less production with the classic smiling atmosphere of uplifting vocal tracks. Something here for everyone. You’ll Love: Genesis, Shine, Do It Properly, Reach, Open Your Heart, Alright 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/remixed http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/remixed The wait is over, Offer’s got something new to offer. Offer has become one of the most highly regarded names in club music in the last few years, and the fact that the majority of his stuff gets released as bootlegs and never makes it across the Atlantic from his native Israel only adds to his mystique and allure. So when it was announced that a domestically available follow-up artist album to his 2006 First Time would be coming, I—along with anyone else who loves this man’s style—made a little puddle on the floor. In essence, this is all a long time coming, since most of the artist tracks contained have been trickling out as singles since early 2007. Finally, though, they’re all collected on one disc, along with a handful of new ones, a second disc of remixes of past and present material. This is also the only place a hardcopy exists of the one of four trance mixes of “For Your Love” from the 2008 round of remixes. You’ll Love: Out of My Skin, Remember My Name, For Your Love (Sied Van Riel Mix) 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_best_of_chicane_1996_2006 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/the_best_of_chicane_1996_2006 Don’t sit on trying to find this. It was originally released on iTunes two weeks before physical release, then removed from iTunes just in time for the physical to be delayed to retailers. What you have before you (when you finally get it) is a select collection from one of the most creative and expressive minds in electronic music. After releasing only three full-length artist albums, Chicane has crafted well over a dozen classic tracks that have been played and revived continually over the years, and made a name for himself amongst the genre’s royalty. Additionally, this album is the only place to find several of the previously unreleased tracks from Chicane’s stillborn 2003 Easy To Assemble album (cancelled before release), and the edit version of his bootleg collaboration with Natasha Bedingfield, “Bruised Water.” You’ll Love: Daylight, Locking Down, Love on the Run, Stoned in Love (feat. Tom Jones) 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/alchemy_gst_reloaded_the_suar_sessions http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/alchemy_gst_reloaded_the_suar_sessions Alchemy is a special, glamorously packaged double-CD, that continues to demonstrate Ultra Naté‘s dedication to the fans, DJs and dancers who’ve sustained her career.  The first disc is essentially “Grime. Silk. Thunder. Remixed”, containing mostly previously unreleased remixes of the original album’s tracks by top producers like Bimbo Jones, Kenny Dope, Quentin Harris, Morgan Page, Craig C., Mood II Swing, DJ Spen and DFA, including the newly released Automatic 2008 remix by Tikaro, J. Louis and Ferran.  The second disc, titled The Sugar Sessions, is a continuous DJ mix by Ultra Naté herself.  Didn’t know she could spin, did ya?  The set is an example of what you can expect at Sugar in Baltimore, the club Ultra has been spinning at every Friday for the last five years, and is comprised of a mix of tracky deep house mixes of Ultra’s own material. The Favorites:  Falling (Mark & Shark Mix), Love’s The Only Drug (Adam Rios Shelter Mix) 2008-12-18T18:14:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/opus_secundo http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/opus_secundo Practice makes perfect.  Mr. Sam released Opus in 2007, and went on and on in the liner notes about how much of an undertaking the creation of a compilation is, how personal the tracklisting should be and how much it all needs to come together to say something, to have an underlying statement.  And I’m sure it did have all that, problem is it was dull.  Aside from a few choice tracks, the album felt like big landscapes of mediocrity broken occasionally by musical fireworks.  Someone must have said something, because Opus Secundo is hands down amazing from beginning to end.  What’s funny is that many of the same artists from the first are present on the second, but this second batch just works better, stirs deeper, moves more.  It’s more dramatic, I think that’s it.  If you love trance, you’ll bust one over this. The Favorites:  In The End, Stay With Me, Alive, Cygnes, Hold My Breath 2008-11-17T19:12:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/sirens_of_the_sea http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/sirens_of_the_sea This is after-the-party music. Not really a hook-up soundtrack, though some songs have a certain sensuality. More so, this is the perfect backdrop to dark skies creeping toward the blue of dawn and coming down in someone’s living room. Uplifting, beautifully vocalized, gentle, at times driven, and deeply intimate. OceanLab is the alternate moniker for the Above & Beyond production team paired exclusively with singer/songwriter Justine Suissa. Fans have been aggressively waiting for this one since the release of the group’s first single “Clear Blue Water” in 2002. The group has been trickling releases throughout the years, but only two of those singles appear on the Sirens album—10 of the album’s 13 tracks are fresh, original pieces that represent a new musical brand: album-oriented pop trance. Lacking the huge arpeggio crescendos of big room anthem-trance, or the disposable cheese of trance-NRG, the music and lyrics of Sirens have the same timeless quality as Sarah McLachlan, but use the hallmarks and ambience of trance to further the subject matter and create a watery sound that lets the listener melt away into its aquatic texture. 2008-10-08T08:21:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/invol2ver http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/invol2ver Sasha’s essentially a prophet in the world of dance music. The man is so celebrated in his vision of sound that there are artists who write and produce music specifically for him and him alone to spin. Unlike a lot of producers out there who have surrendered to a feeling of immediacy—music that says “you are a regular person inside a club listening to this"—Sasha has held to that classic clubber’s ideology of “experiencing an altered state through music,” and creates compositions that truly lift out of this reality and leave you feeling as though you’ve seen something, experienced something, and are changed for it. Invol2ver is the second chapter following the initial 2004 Involver, and is a continuous mix of Sasha artist tracks and Sasha remixes of others’ material. The Favorites: Arcadia, Destroy Everything You Touch, Burma, You Are The Worst Thing In The World 2008-10-08T08:18:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/happy_people http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/happy_people Happy People is a combination follow-up artist album and mixed compilation—the double-disc release contains every artist track he’s done since the First Time debut album, but like Forever Tel Aviv, is in a continuously mixed format, chock full of hand-picked favorites and remixes he’s done for other artists. The catch, however, is that its release is somewhat fragmented, mainly due to the unlicensed usage of samples from Britney’s “Gimme More” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” It was allegedly allowed into the U.S. after the tracklisting was revised not to include the unlicensed content but then disappeared from distribution and hasn’t been heard from since. The album is still available on Israeli sites, though whether an order of it would make it across the Atlantic is iffy. The risk is totally worth it. Tracklisting includes five new tracks with longtime collaborator Maya, a reconstruction of Captain Hollywood Project’s “More & More”, and Offer Nissim remixes of Deborah Cox, Shirley Bassey, Kim Cooper, Suzanne Palmer, Tony Moran, Erin Hamilton and Christina Aguilera. The Favorites: Love, More & More, Shine, Flame 2008 2008-10-08T08:16:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/unexpected http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/unexpected While Sarah Palin’s out there making religion look about as heinous as possible, Michelle Williams shows the world (and The Gays) that just because there’s faith in her life, it doesn’t mean she’s a hater. Following her first two devotional albums, Michelle returns to the pop world she dominated as one third of Destiny’s Child, but this time on her own terms and with a unique sound. Unexpected is exactly that, the Michelle you never saw coming and won’t be forgetting anytime soon—an album that radiates confidence and unforced sensuality over a musical texture that blends muscular urban funk with Euro-sweetened pop, a marriage of cultures completely unheard in the American musical landscape. The Favorites: Hello Heartbreak, We Break The Dawn, Private Party, Stop This Car 2008-10-08T08:13:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/elevate http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/elevate Following the unofficial release of his bootleg remix compilation aptly titled Cease & Desist from a few years ago, it was time Page showed the world what had become of his musical genius since making the transition to legal productions. And the result is nothing short of dizzying. Where other producers seek to create a pounding rhythm that moves the body, Page seeks to create a calculated maelstrom of sodden emotion that moves the innards. It’s like trance but without the ethereal intention, a moody trip across a solid percussive foundation. The compilation contains several of Page’s own artist tracks mixed among his remixes for other artists. Despite the listener’s inklings to head straight for the two biggest names to have been given the Morgan Page treatment—Nelly Furtado and Delirium—these are actually among the least noteworthy of the album’s offering, completely overshadowed by tracks like Jenny Owen Youngs’ “Fuck Was I,” Leigh Nash’s (formerly of Sixepence None The Richer) “Nervous In The Light Of Dawn,” and Page’s own tracks “Call My Name” feat. Tyler James, “Fade Away” feat. Matt Wasley and “The Longest Road” feat. Lissie, a Deadmau5 remix of which is contained as a bonus track. 2008-08-05T06:33:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/one_mighty_weekend_2008 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/one_mighty_weekend_2008 Dana Divine’s hook in the first song says it all: “Remember the Music? Turn It Up!”  Coming out of the Pride season, one compilation stands above all the rest in its encapsulation of the “I Love Being Gay!” vibe and impeccable track selection that reminds us of all the music and energy our weekends were steeped with in the glory days of gayness. It’s no surprise all that comes from the ever-dependable Masterbeat label. The double-disc set, co-conducted by Brett Henrichsen and Alyson Calagna, follows Masterbeat’s rock steady commitment to joygasm-inducing, sing-a-long club music with top artists like Ultra Naté, Inaya Day, Suzanne Palmer, Debby Holiday, and power producers like Paulo, The Cube Guys, Twisted Dee, Tony Moran, Warren Rigg and Manny Lehman. While the months of flags, fabulousness and faggotry are coming to a close, music like this demands that you keep sashaying all the way to Santa’s lap. 2008-08-05T06:23:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/imagine http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/imagine Armin Van Buuren is nothing short of amazing: At the age of 32, he had made the steep ascent to international stardom that earned him the status of DJ Magazine’s No. 1 DJ of 2007. A seven-year weekly gig as host of the popular radio show “A State of Trance,” a successful compilation series of the same name, his own Armind label, three albums and an overwhelming list of artist tracks and remixes hardly seems an appropriate résumé for someone whose humble beginnings fresh out of secondary school into a local Dutch nightclub began in 1995. Armin proves that if you follow your passion, the potential for success is limitless. Imagine is Armin’s third artist album. It includes the DJ Shah collaboration track “Going Wrong” featuring Chris Jones, and employs the vocal talents of Jaren, Audrey Gallagher, Sharon Den Adel, Jacqueline Govaert, Kathy Burton, Vera Ostrova and the soon-to-be-classic Jennifer Rene. Though not breaking any new ground thematically, the album demonstrates the vast emotional depth electronic music is capable of and the stark beauty of a lovelorn voice. Vocal tracks like “Unforgivable,” “Never Say Never” and “Fine Without You” seem destined for a single release, and instrumentals like “Imagine” and “Intricacy” will doubtlessly be making appearances on purist trance compilations. 2008-08-05T05:58:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/spirit http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/spirit Heralded as having the biggest debut of any winner/con- testant from a musical talent game show, Leona Lewis has been turning heads and setting records ever since the world took notice of her on Britain’s American Idol predecessor, X Factor. Leona set a world record when her debut single “A Moment Like This” was downloaded over 50,000 times in the first 30 minutes after she was announced the winner of the show’s third season. Then BBC News reported that she had set another record when the first single from her debut album Spirit, “Bleeding Love,” was downloaded 1.7 million times in one week. Spirit employs the combined efforts of many of today’s hit-making producers and songwriters, including ballads by Avril Lavigne, longtime Mariah Carey collaborator Walter Afanaseiff and Simon Cowell himself. Unlike many involved in these career-making game shows, Leona’s debut isn’t a misfire attempt at creating a career via image for the artist. Instead Lewis’ debut album cover looks not unlike Mariah Carey’s—not overly sexy, not overly styled, just a beautiful face set against a black background and timeless type framing her. This woman has a voice and if you purchase this disc, you’re going to hear it. Simple and honest. Expect even more big things from this one for years to come. 2008-08-05T04:34:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/fierce_pussy_the_remix_album http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/music_reviews/fierce_pussy_the_remix_album Paris Hilton wishes she could be Amanda Lepore. The self-proclaimed "Number One Transsexual in the World", Lepore has represented enigmatic, underground glamor and fame since the early 90s and has remained infamous across the globe for her daring and willingness to not only cross the line, but drag a throne across it, recline, spread her legs and proudly aim a million watt spotlight and her lady hamper. This spring she releases the teaser album Fierce Pussy: The Remix Album, featuring 4 songs across 12 tracks and reinterpretations by Funky Junction, Craig C, Tim London and guest appearances by Cazwell and Larry Tee. All tracks (Champagne, My Pussy, I Know What Boys Like, and My Hair Looks Fierce) are plucked from her forthcoming full length album, Brand New Woman out later this year. 2008-06-13T07:45:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/hiv_service_organizations_go_clubbing http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/hiv_service_organizations_go_clubbing Testing vans are becoming a part of the gay nightlife scene. It’s becoming more convenient than ever to get an HIV test. OraSure is now offering OraQuick, a home testing kit available in pharmacies. Like a routine flu shot, rapid tests are getting easier to find and are being offered in some unlikely places. Health agencies have taken to thrift stores, hair salons and even local motor vehicle departments to reach people. In the not-unreasonable belief that testing agencies need to go where people who need to be tested congregate, some people can now get tested when they’re out clubbing. They used to say that, when the fox wants eggs, he goes to the henhouse. Similarly, to find sexually active men who haven’t been tested, HIV service organizations are putting themselves front and center in places where such men congregate. From New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, HIV testing vans are now routinely parking outside of gay bars and nightclubs in hopes of reaching the one in five Americans the federal Centers for Disease Control estimates are HIV-positive but unaware of their status. Vans from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation have been regularly setting up shop along West Hollywood’s Santa Monica Boulevard near a number of popular gay clubs. On a typical Saturday night, the organization’s worker bees usually give 30 to 40 tests. Alexander Goncalvez, who runs the mobile testing units in L.A., notes that not everyone is fond of the idea. The thought of having an HIV scare when you’re out partying might seem like the ultimate buzzkill. “Some people might see it as not the best way to let someone know they’re positive,” Goncalvez admits. “But rapid tests aren’t always available to everyone, depending on where they live or what kind of health insurance they have. Sometimes it takes friends to say, ‘Hey, let’s go get tested together.’” Mobile Reminders to Get Tested The mobile units, however, serve as more than just a way to bring tests to the people who need them. They also remind gay men about the availability of HIV tests and encourage routine testing. Most importantly, they are a way of reaching those who might not otherwise have access to testing facilities, are unwilling to visit a testing site or just don’t want to bother taking the time. The on-site test is quick, confidential, free and always paired with counseling and linkage to care should someone test positive. The vans also provide a “safe space” where passersby can drop in with sexual health questions. There are club promoters who have been working closely with organizations doing the testing. Some even donate entrance passes that the testing teams can give out to clubgoers in exchange for getting tested. As Goncalvez notes, “Sometimes people need an incentive to get tested, or they use that free pass or drink ticket as an excuse to go and do it.” Other promoters are so encouraging that they allow the agencies to set up a table inside the club itself, or they make announcements on stage during drag shows to let patrons know free testing is available just outside. Not all club owners, however, are so accommodating. Some, fearing it’ll give their businesses a bad rap, have been known to request that the units park a block away. While some of the vans are discreet, others wear loud and clear lettering, which raises the question: Are men worried about being seen getting into an HIV-testing van? Does this automatically mark them as potentially positive? Or does the regular presence of testing in the club scene make it more normal and less stigmatized? In WeHo, at least, it’s the latter, according to Goncalvez: Clubgoers have become so used to seeing the vans that some have made friends with the staff. London Bar Sets a Testing Record In Washington, D.C., Whitman-Walker Health, the city’s major AIDS service organization, keeps its vans low-key, painted white with only the nonprofit health center’s logo. “We decided not to put any signs advertising free HIV testing,” says Whitman-Walker Community Health Manager Juan Carlos Loubriel. “It’s more discreet. Some people don’t want to be seen doing it. I think it’s not about the amount of tests you give out, but how many positives you can find. When you find a positive person and link them to care immediately, that’s where you can make a difference.” In contrast, San Francisco’s joint operation of the Stop AIDS Project and Alliance Health Project parks an out-and-proud 30-foot purple RV in the Castro between popular clubs Q Bar and 440. Testing times are posted on the groups’ websites. It should be noted that all of the testing organizations take pains not to take advantage of the situation. While Goncalvez points out that “sometimes people need alcohol in their system to work up the courage to get an HIV test,” if anyone appears so intoxicated he doesn’t understand the consent form before signing — or can’t even sign it — the staff will turn him away with information about where to test when sober. For his part, Goncalvez firmly believes that bringing testing to the gay club scene can only be a good thing: “For us, it’s about making it convenient for clients. Not everyone has access to a free rapid HIV test, and if people want to hop on the unit at 2 o’clock in the morning, then great. If anything, they walk out with condoms, knowing their status.” Perhaps bars and clubs in the United States could take a page from one of their counterparts in the United Kingdom. In London, this past World AIDS Day (December 1), a gay bar set a new world record for administering the most HIV tests in an eight-hour period: 745, with six positives. 2013-05-09T17:55:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/why_do_some_people_feel_the_need_to_record_intimate_moments http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/why_do_some_people_feel_the_need_to_record_intimate_moments How many times have you been flirting with some hot guy only to find he doesn’t want to have real, hot, sweaty physical contact but only wants to “cam”? And if you do meet up, how many times does he ask you, just as the condom’s slipping on, “Can we film this?” Or, best of all, if you’ve actually managed to get him to do the deed, he suddenly turns around and exclaims, “Wow, this is so hot! Let me take a picture.” It all started with the Internet, which, as the song in the musical Avenue Q tells us, is made for porn. But it was the smartphone that made it possible for every man to bring out his inner Chi Chi LaRue. It used to be that we left porn to the pros. Now everybody can be a star on Xtube. Finally, thanks to Twitter and Facebook, everyone feels the need to share — overshare — every moment of their lives. This is especially true for gay men, who use their cell phones for everything but remotely regulating the home thermostat and broiling the steak in the oven. Now, these film fanatics will always claim that whatever they’ve recorded is only a memento for their own use. And, in many cases, it may be true that, for them, this is just like the photos you took on your last Atlantis Cruise or at a Circuit party. But then again, maybe not. What happens when he sends it to his BFF, who promised he wouldn’t share it with a soul? Except that he did, with two of his friends, and so on, until one of them finally posts it on a website, so now 7 billion people can vicariously enjoy your bedroom romp. Or what happens when you and this trick have a falling out over something? Believe it or not, it has been known to happen. I’ve had messes accuse me of stealing their credit cards. I’ve known guys who suddenly can’t locate their iPad. Bottom-feeding gossip websites like TMZ, Gawker and Perez Hilton wouldn’t survive if it weren’t for the stupidity of some otherwise very talented and smart people. Consider Dustin Lance Black, who had just come off an Oscar win for writing the screenplay for Milk, the landmark film about a gay political icon, when a video surfaced of him apparently barebacking with a much younger guy. Many who had looked up to Black as a role model were instead berating him for misleading gay youth into having unprotected sex. Sexting is fine when you’re a 16-year-old girl, because stupidity and not considering the outcome of your actions is part of the DNA of a teenager. As a lawyer for a college kid who made a very, very stupid video recently put it, “It wasn’t a crime to make that video but it was stupid. It is common for ‘young’ and ‘stupid’ to be used in the same sentence.” Except that, these days, doing something stupid has far-ranging consequences. It used to be bad enough when a girl was marked as a slut in her high school or town. Now, thanks to the Internet, the whole world can call her that. Not surprisingly, there are many instances when this exposure has resulted in tragedy, such as the Rutgers University student who jumped off a bridge after his roommate secretly filmed his encounter with another man. Yes, I know that some people believe that filming it makes it hotter, an attitude embodied by the song “Sex Room” by the aptly named rapper Ludacris: “Welcome to my sex room/Where your body meets my body/It’s our private after party/If you want it, girl, I got it in my sex room/Mirrors in the headboard/Even got a camcord/Baby, won’t you dance in my sex room?” Hey, Lud: If it’s private, why do you have the camcorder out — unless it’s to impress your posse the next day? Someone needs to tell these people that it’s called “private life” for a reason. Certain activities that take place in the bedroom (and the bathroom, for that matter) were never meant for public consumption. That’s why Cattie’s bedroom is the Las Vegas of sex: What goes on Chez Cattie stays there. I won’t even sort my laundry in the Laundromat — my neighbors don’t need to look over my shoulder to inspect my underwear. If someone is going to film me having sex, I’m at least going to get paid for it — and have professionals doing my makeup, lighting and direction. Turn the lights down low; better yet, turn them off and light candles. Burn some incense. Get out a bottle of massage oil. Or maybe some handcuffs, if that’s what you’re into. Don’t just have sex, make love. But keep it to yourselves, OK? Because after that shot is taken or that camcorder is rolling, don’t be surprised if your neighbors, family, co-workers, or fellow parishioners are looking at you as if you were naked. Because that might be what they’ve just seen. 2013-02-15T10:35:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/keep_it_clean http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/keep_it_clean It might be a touchy subject, but let’s face it: Nothing is a bigger buzzkill than a top pulling out and scampering to the shower to get off the “souvenir” you left on his condom. Or the sudden sensation that Rover had an “accident” — only he didn’t; you did. Or, worst of all, leaving track marks on the 350-thread-count Porthault bed sheet. Fear not, dear reader! Take these tips for a roll in the hay that won’t send your easy rider fleeing the stable. Eat Your Veggies The long-term solution to a tidy tush begins with a high-fiber diet. Consider a lovely meadow strewn with “cow pies” and contrast it to pooper-scooper duties while walking your dog. Cows eat grass. Dogs eat … everything. Makes sense, right? Even if you’re a surf-and-turf guy, make the centerpiece of your pre-rendezvous dinner a heaping plate of steamed greens or a garden salad. And be sure to skip the rice! Healthier, too. Oh, and avoid suppositories and laxatives: They’re the gift that keeps on giving. Spray N Vac In 1953, C.B. Fleet Company introduced the disposable enema. In 1973, with Summer’s Eve, TV audiences were subjected to perplexing ads full of psychedelic imagery that never actually explained what the product was. For gay men, “the Fleet’s in” has long had a double meaning. Some guys even have a fetish for them (official term: “klismaphilia”; you have been warned). But continued use of douches eventually causes damage ranging from scratchy skin to depletion of natural fluids and worse. Safer — and cheaper: a rubber bulb used for ear wax removal filled with water, preferably filtered. The best method, however, comes to us from — who else? — the French, experts in all matters amour. Home improvement stores sell bidet attachments for toilets that are not only safe for long-term use, they’re a lot more sanitary than toilet paper. Hairy Dilemma Bears beware: Excessive body hair “down there” can inhibit proper cleaning. This doesn’t mean you have to subject yourself to a wax job, which for the hirsute heinie, is akin to an interrogation in Guantanamo Bay. At least consider a little manscaping with a home hair trimmer. Just put the setting at a safe distance. In a Lather In the end (sorry!), Mom was right when she told you to use plenty of soap and water. Was Mom ever wrong? The safest method remains the easiest: Using your hands or a washcloth, spend some extra time in the shower. Dig deep, and let the onrush of water do the rest. Above all, remember: no glove, no love!   2013-02-15T10:24:59+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/from_team_players_to_trinogomy http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/from_team_players_to_trinogomy Seems like couples from coast to coast are switching from two lanes to three. And I don’t mean by having a baby, getting a dog, or letting the mother-in-law move in. I mean a three-way relationship – or at least a ménage à trois. The rewards can be great, the risks even greater. Setting up rules and boundaries helps, but that doesn’t always prevent a nuclear meltdown, so tread lightly. Of course there’s nothing new about seeing six legs in a bed, darling. Your dear old Cattie has fond memories of making the beast with three backs. But the elbows and knees! I’ve had to grit my teeth and muscle my way out of more than one crowded room. More and more, though, it seems that many of us are coming out of the closet once again to proclaim a love that dared not speak its name until recently. Facebook profiles boldly announce that someone’s relationship is “complicated” Show me one that isn’t! Partners of ten years are taking on a third to dig themselves out of a sexual or emotional rut. Picking a side to sleep on just got trickier, not to mention the line at the bathroom sink in the morning. And then there’s trinogomy. Like monogamy, but less boring and infinitely more complex. It’s not like trigonometry, although having a background in geometry helps once in a while. God bless you brave little dears who think that dealing with just one person’s emotional wreckage is too easy and decide to take on one more! More power to you, happy little homemakers!  Of course these triangular relationships bring up all sorts of questions – for those in them and those forced to witness them (what do you get a throuple for their anniversary, anyway?) Also, how do you balance the emotions so no one feels like a third wheel? Is it safe for three people to have sex on a bed with wheels? How invested should the third get when there is an established twosome already? Will it break the original couple up eventually? What if you find yourself more sexually compatible with one of the other two people? Is anyone allowed to be greedy and play around outside the triangle? Can one of the three take a nap while the sex is happening? The answer to all of these questions is who the fuck knows, honey. But just like an election in Russia, it probably won’t surprise you or end very well except for the guy on top. But the first question that pops into my mind is: “Isn’t two enough?” If they love each other and are somewhat satisfied with the sex, why complicate the situation?  Can three people really fall in love? When a playmate turns into a housemate, starting from the need to add some spice to the relationship, does it ever end well? And if it does, then what? Add a fourth? A fifth? Isn’t this how harems got started? After that it’s off to the brothel, and then Mormonism isn’t far behind! Isn’t this what the Bible-beaters warned us about? Breathe, Cattie! Oh my word, sorry about that. I seem to have developed a case of the slippery slopes there. Poppycock to all of that! I say do what makes you happy, obviously. If there’s room in your heart for more than one person at a time, the more the merrier. Relationships are hard no matter how many people are playing, trust me. And sex can be boring with ten people in the room, so have fun however you can, poodles. All silliness aside, the three-headed relationships that I know of seem to strike an interesting balance where the third equalizes the other two. What may have started out as spice ends up being glue after all. So keep your preconceived notions on the shelf where they belong, dears. What works for you might not work the same way for everyone. You know what they say: Three’s a crowd. And who loves crowds more than we do, right? Play safe and love each other with all your hearts, my little chickadees. You all deserve it. Well, except for you, Tony. Bitch. 2012-11-02T20:25:09+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/size_matters http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/size_matters It’s more than bragging rights on Manhunt. Size matters to nightlife producers, too. Bars and mid-sized lounges are fine for regular parties. But for large-scale events that draw into the four figures, a party producer has to look for a truly big room in a city big enough to fill it. The problem: The big ones are increasingly hard to come by. America’s major cities are starved for spaces that can hold Circuit-style events, leaving producers with an increasingly lean menu of options. Why the square-footage famine? The reasons are easy to find: real estate pressures, money and waning support. The solutions are much harder. Nightlife has become a tough business. Take the revenue from ticket prices and maybe (not usually) the bar tab. Now, subtract the one-night rental fee; insurance; payroll; marketing; a “name” DJ and performers; décor; and, if the space is not a dedicated nightclub, ad hoc light and sound systems. And don’t forget the medical personnel and standing ambulance now necessary for any late-night affair. Not to mention potential liabilities, ranging from police or fire department harassment to an “act of God” (anything from a tornado to a terror alert) that can decimate attendance. Add another few dozen variables and it’s a miracle that anyone is producing large parties at all. For their part, the nightclub owners are facing pressures from all sides. Neighbors who flocked to “edgy” neighborhoods discover that the clubs that gave their neighborhood its hip cachet in the first place means living with noisy crowds, police patrols, drunken patrons and trucks loading and unloading. In space-starved areas like Miami’s South Beach and pretty much the entire island of Manhattan, big clubs take up space that would bring in more income as restaurants, art galleries, luxury housing or office buildings — with a lot less hassles. “People need to invest big money in nightclubs, and many don’t want to anymore,” complains Alegria promoter and producer Ric Sena. Can you blame them? If things go belly up, investors risk losing more than pride. For several years, Sena held his fabled Alegria events at New York City’s Crobar, which Joey Morrisey invested $6 million to turn into M2. But M2 became a casualty of community groups and aggressive policing. The city eventually shut down M2 — for smoking violations! — about two years ago, and the space has remained dark ever since. This summer, Morrisey’s company filed for bankruptcy. “I don’t think he’ll ever want to invest that kind of money again,” says Sena, who hosted a 2010 Alegria event at M2. “That was money put into one of the best venues in New York City. It makes people rethink investing in nightlife. Or they decide to invest in small clubs that aren’t as risky.” Before M2 fell, there was Twilo and the Roxy. Peter Gatien, who at one time ran four enormous dance spaces in New York — Limelight, Palladium, USA and Tunnel — became the victim of a relentless campaign by police and a crusading federal prosecutor named Rudy Giuliani. Today, the City That Never Sleeps has only a handful of dedicated big-room clubs: Best Buy Theater, Pacha and Webster Hall. How Public Officials Are Killing Nightlife Don’t look for Nation in Washington, D.C.; it’s now an office building. Los Angeles’ Probe is now a massive furniture studio and showroom. Miami’s Salvation? An Office Depot. Club Universe in San Francisco? Gone. Even the Boom Boom Room, the venerable Laguna Beach, Calif., big room, is facing the wrecker’s ball. Real estate pressures have turned once-marginal neighborhoods like San Francisco’s South of Market and New York’s West Chelsea into upscale neighborhoods. “All of a sudden, multimillion dollar condos are being built,” notes New York promoter Mark Nelson. “And these people do not want nightclubs in their neighborhood.” For their part, elected leaders find it expedient to side with vocal community groups against an industry stigmatized for its less savory elements. At one time, it took only six weeks for Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager to convert an old CBS studio into the most famous nightclub in the world, Studio 54. Anyone trying to open a club today faces a thicket of bureaucracy, hostile civic groups and public hearings — let alone one whose signature logo was a giant coke spoon descending into a smiling quarter-moon. If somehow they beat the odds, they can face relentless scrutiny from undercover investigators and journalists. “A few years ago, NYC claimed to be the ‘nightlife capital of the world,’” says Nelson. “Now, the police and various boards — health, fire, etc. — hunt down nightclub owners to make their quotas.” Our cherished gayborhoods are hardly immune. Only a few years ago, the precinct captain in New York’s Chelsea was bragging that the police would bring down Splash, a large dance bar, which was hounded for “violations” like shirtless bartenders. Gay Clubgoers: Harassed & Harassing Pity the poor gay clubgoer who only wants a night of dancing. At the door, he faces the humiliation of a patdown more suitable to a night in the slammer. Once inside, he is confronted by tittering staff and scowling security guards. “Straight clubs can have a different mentality and might work with staff and security that isn’t exposed to the gay crowd,” Sena says. “They’ve never seen a bunch of shirtless guys dancing and kissing each other. I try to educate them. I say, ‘Look, you only need ten on security for a gay night, because there are no fights.’ But if you show up and see 20 extra guys with arms crossed, staring at a scene they don’t like with nothing to do for hours, they’ll wait for a customer to do anything that’s an excuse to jump on his neck, because really, they’re disgusted by what they’re seeing.” Sena continues to seek out gay-friendly large spaces. To bring his Alegria series to Chicago this summer, he had to settle on a smaller space, Nikki, which holds barely 1,000. Gay promoters also have to fight the perception that their attendees are less likely to contribute to the all-important bar revenue. “Straight patrons spend ridiculous amounts of money on bottle service,” says L.A.’s Tom Whitman. For many gay men, the only bottle they purchase is water, which they refill at the bathroom sinks. “The true dance clubs that are big enough to hold a Circuit event always have a regular Saturday night, which realistically is the only night a big event can work, except for on holiday weekends,” Whitman notes. It’s no surprise, then, that when Club Montage in San Diego rebranded, it became Spin, marketed to a decidedly more mixed crowd. Still, gay party producers soldier on. They work with the few venues that are still available and get creative when they can’t. Whitman uses Universal Studios for Wonderland and movie studio backlots for smaller (but still plenty big) events. Non-traditional spaces are expensive, though, and producers who want to use parks, warehouses, and other raw spaces need to pay through the nose to trick them out with all the necessities (lights, sounds, décor, bars, permits …) that a club immediately provides. All that overhead is reflected in ticket prices. “You better know you’re going to have a few thousand guys who want to spend a decent ticket price,” warns Whitman. In a tough economic climate, that’s an uphill battle. Add to that: cultural assimilation, hookup technologies and a move away from the all-night musical “journey.” “The economic climate has made rentals out of this world, and for the spaces that are left the risk is entirely on the producer,” says Nelson. “With the gay crowd being somewhat fickle, it’s very high risk to rent a space, do a bar guarantee and spend money on ‘name’ entertainment.” Even when a promoter does jump in, he faces opposition from gay men who might find the venue not chic enough or “geographically undesirable.” Last year, Sena brought Alegria to Los Angeles’ Club Nokia. “Even though it was sold out, people didn’t like the venue,” he notes. “It was the only option for a Saturday night.” This year, he wasn’t able to find any suitable spaces in L.A. “People need to support the venues that are left,” Sena adds. The next time you’re complaining about a ticket price above the regular Saturday night dance bar, or about having to drive and find parking in an “iffy” part of town, or about going out on a “school night,” consider the alternative. So stop complaining, buy a ticket and join the party. 2012-11-02T20:21:22+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/happy_new_year http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/happy_new_year In Mexico, everyone eats one grape and makes a wish 12 times as the clock chimes in the new year. They also make a list of all the bad things that happened in the past year, then burn it to get rid of negative energy. In Germany and Finland, people interpret the shapes made by hot metal thrown into cold water. In Ecuador, men dress as a woman, the “widow” of the old year. Life-sized dummies representing misfortunes are burned in the streets. Mexicans decorate their homes according to color symbols (red for love, green for money, etc.) — pretty tame compared to the tradition in sexy Brazil, where underwear is chosen for its symbolic color. Over that, everyone wears all white. In Rio de Janeiro, it’s Carnival in December, the streets thronged with samba dancers in their most colorful clothes. On Copacabana Beach, people throw white lilies, candles and trinkets into the ocean to celebrate Yemaja, the African sea goddess. Here in America, we party in the streets, too. And we dance. New Year’s Eve is the one night when everyone goes wild. If there was ever a night that seemed to be invented for gay men, it’s December 31. While party poopers dismiss it as “amateur night,” the rest of us want to be in a big room with a few thousand of our nearest and dearest to usher out the old year and welcome the new one. Looking Back, Looking Forward New Year’s has its roots in ancient Rome, where the day was dedicated to Janus, a god always shown with two heads representing endings and beginnings. Ever since, it’s been the one day that we wax nostalgic while looking forward to what the future brings. If you’re one of those people who make New Year’s resolutions, that probably means disappointment. A 2009 study found that over two-thirds of people don’t make good on their vows. If you work out, you’ve probably noticed how crowded the gym floor and exercise classes get in January. By February … not so much. And by March, it’s back to the regular members. In fact, gym owners expect most people not to keep one of the most commonly made New Year’s resolutions: to work out. As for that other common resolution, Mark Twain said it best (as usual): “It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times.” Aside from those pesky New Year’s resolutions, the other traditions associated with the holiday are a lot more festive. “Auld Lang Syne,” which everyone sings at the stroke of midnight, was written by the national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns, back in 1788. Our lyrics are a loose translation of the Scots dialect. It was big band leader Guy Lombardo who popularized it for New Year’s celebrations when he played it on his annual radio (and later TV) live broadcasts from the Waldorf-Astoria Ballroom. In fact New York City is probably the city most closely associated with the holiday, thanks to the annual ball drop in Times Square. What began in 1904 to celebrate the opening of the headquarters of the New York Times, the paper that gave its name to the world-famous intersection, attracts a million people willing to stand for hours, some of them several blocks from the actual ball drop, with millions more watching on TV. The Parties Just as ways to celebrate vary by country, so, too, gay men have their own traditions. In most cities, partygoers are on the dance floor for hours before the ball drops. Oddly enough, in New York, no one would be caught dead arriving at a club before 1:30 a.m., 1 at the earliest. Why? Maybe it’s to avoid the hordes of revelers cramming Midtown. Or maybe it’s just “cooler than thou” Gotham attitude. Whatever the reason, people tend to congregate at small house parties or are disco napping while the ball drops. The great gay poet W.H. Auden advised us that “the only way to spend New Year’s Eve is either quietly with friends or in a brothel. Otherwise when the evening ends and people pair off, someone is bound to be left in tears.” Poor W.H. He never considered the third — and best — alternative: spending it in a huge club full of hot men, dancing. While every bar and club from Boston to San Diego has its own celebration, the three biggest parties are held on the two coasts. “Alegria” means “happiness” in Spanish and Portuguese, and, by extension, “festivity,” and New Year’s is no exception. Did you think the best-known gay party franchise in North America would miss the biggest party night of the year? No way. Producer Ric Sena always pulls out the stops to ensure a night to remember. This year, Alegria New Year’s will happen on Sunday night, Dec. 30, which means you will have two days to recover from a night (and day!) of dancing. On the left coast, the hottest men flock to Brett Henrichsen’s Masterbeat parties. Yes, parties: the fun takes place at four events over three days at Los Angeles’ biggest and best rooms, including the first gay event at LA’s hottest new club The Belasco, directly next to the Mayan (home of New Year’s Eve and especially appropriate to see in 2013, since the Mayan calendar predicted the world would be over by then). Among the DJ’s booked are Henrichsen himself and Rosabel (half of the duo, Ralphi Rosario, is interviewed in this issue.) If you’re lucky enough to be in Miami’s South Beach, you’ll also be within walking distance of Mansion, the Washington Avenue club that once again will host Tracy Young’s New Year’s Day 12-hour dance extravaganza. Of course, you would expect a town that has become known as Party Central for the number and size of its nightclubs (not to mention the number and size of the bodies beautiful that populate them) to boast a giant-sized club celebration. On New Year’s Day, Tracy will once again spin at the party she has masterminded for ten years, Genesis. Whether you go to a party alone, in a posse or with a significant other, remember to expect the unexpected. New Year’s is a time full of possibilities, a time to look forward. The future is stretching before you, it’s infinite, so make the most of it! The Most Popular New Year’s Resolutions Drink less booze Eat better Take classes and learn Find a better job Get fit Lose weight Manage debt Manage stress Quit smoking Don’t make any resolutions Best New Year’s Dance Songs New Year’s Day, U2   (François Kevorkian remix) Auld Lang Syne, Mariah Carey   (Ralphi Rosario remix) Happy New Year, Abba   (DJ Alex B remix) 1999, Prince   (Scott Wozniak remix) End of Time, Beyoncé Party All Around the World Sydney Sydney’s beautiful harbor lights up with one of the world’s largest fireworks displays over the Opera House and other landmarks. Rio de Janiero After putting on white — or stripping down to appropriately color-coded underwear — everyone sambas down to the beach to give homage to Yemaja, the sea goddess. The sight of thousands of white lilies lilting gently along the South Atlantic breeze while the beach is covered in soft candles is one of the most magical images on our planet. Barcelona Matinee has made a huge impact on these shores. With its Iberian emphasis on sexy men, sexy women, sexy costumes, sexy music, sexy … well, sexy everything, it’s conquered New York and is reaching into other cities. But if you want to experience Matinee on its home ground, you have to return to Catalonia and its magnificent capital city, where the women are all beautiful, and the men are even more beautiful, and where no party begins before 3 a.m. Amsterdam A huge crowd gathers in front of the national museum, with street parties jutting out in all directions and across canals. The museum has a sound system and a rotating roster of DJs, which turns this into a mammoth winter outdoor all-night dance party. Montreal Baby, it’s cold outside, but in the clubs, the temperature is hot, hot hot! As befits the club capital of North America, there’s plenty to do all night, the next morning, the next day, the next night … and on. Bal des Boys once again will offer a mammoth party with a star DJ lineup, this year at Sky Pub. Club Stereo will be packed. But if you want le tout expérience Montréal, Resolution takes over the Montreal Bell Centre on New Year’s Day for a rave-type Euro trance party. Berlin Not surprisingly, the place to go for New Year’s is Berghain, the world’s most famous techno palace. . The world’s most famous House of Techno. This is more than a Circuit party or a rave. People actually set up makeshift campsites in the cavernous former factory complex as they settle into a very long weekend of partying. Bet Ya Didn’t Know … Births spike in late September and October — always around nine months after New Year’s Eve Most popular time for marriage proposals: not spring or summer, but December Worst night of the year for domestic violence: New Year’s Eve, alas — one-third increase over other such weekends Largest post-World War II crowd in Times Square: 2 million on Dec. 31, 1999 Best hangover cure: Before you go to bed, take two aspirin. In the morning, take two more aspirin, then drink a Bloody Mary. “While your blood is dealing with the new alcohol, it is ignoring the old and in the meantime tomato juice and celery are full of vitamins,” according to mixologist Colleen Graham. And force yourself to eat. It may be torture, but you’ll feel better. Match Foods Served TO the TV Show   a) Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest   b) New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin   c) 106 & Party on BET   d) American Country New Year’s Eve Live   e) NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly   f) MTV New Year’s Eve   1) Oxtail & black-eyed peas   2) Lots & lots of black coffee   3) Toasted white bread, crusts removed; ginger ale   4) Caviar & hot dogs   5) Pizza & Pepsi   6) Possum fritters & moonshine whiskey Laws that take effect January 1, 2013   Californians under 18 cannot undergo so-called “reparative” therapy, whose aim is to “cure” homosexuals.   States receive expanded Medicaid coverage.   Floridians will be severely limited in accessing insurance money to pay for medical and legal bills.   Taxmageddon — substantial increases in individual income tax rates are set to occur.   Bush tax cuts scheduled to expire.   Employers in California cannot ask applicants or workers for passwords to social media sites so they can access those sites.   If passed by voters, same-sex marriage becomes legal in the state of Maryland.   Connecticut significantly expands the circumstances under which someone may be granted the legal use of medical marijuana.   Iowans looking for a lawyer will have to be notified if a lawyer advertising his services has an office and practices in that state.   2012-10-31T17:27:02+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/plug_in_log_on_drop_out http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/plug_in_log_on_drop_out Gay men have long been the proverbial canary in the digital coalmine. Research has repeatedly shown that we embrace every bright, shiny new digital gadget that comes on the market early and enthusiastically. “Gays and lesbians have a long history of being early adapters of new technologies,” according to Out Now Consulting, an Australian company. Not long ago, Logo put out some statistics that bore this out. Whereas only slightly more than a third of heterosexuals paid bills online, for example, nearly two-thirds of gay men and lesbians did so. Twice as many of us have personal blogs (24 percent vs. 12 percent). And twice as many of us read blogs daily. That term “adapters” takes on new meaning when one considers the history of social media, the Internet and mobile devices. Back in the pre-historic days of the early 1990s, the only way to “chat” other than phone lines was to log onto AOL. AOL’s chat rooms originally were intended as a way for family and friends to keep in touch - a proto-Facebook. Ha! Very quickly, hook-up chat rooms known as “M4M,” which had sprung up in every city and catering to every fetish, took over. Despite the painfully slow dial-up modems via telephone wires, as early as 1989, cities like New York had dozens of M4M chat rooms. This happened over and over again. I remember talking to a man who had started an early Texas-based Internet site that allowed for photo sharing. He expected it would be used by businesspeople showing charts or new products; or a way for Grandma to view Baby’s first steps. He soon found his site had been taken over by - you guessed it - gay men exchanging photos that would have bugged out Granny’s eyeballs. Cue to the rise of broadband, and with it, hook-up sites like Manhunt, which has over four million paying users. Consider that that’s only one of a slew of such sites catering to every taste, from daddy hunters to bears to barebackers to uses of the human body no surgeon could envision. With the rise of mobile devices, the hook-up scene has accordingly switched, with granddaddy Grindr being joined by a host of competing apps. The many apps available on so-called smartphones have long since surpassed actually speaking to someone else, which is beginning to seem as fusty as Alexander Graham Bell paging Mr. Watson. By far the commonest usage of smartphones is browsing the Internet, followed by social networking (including cruising), music and games. Making phone calls is in there somewhere, as is texting, of course, and taking photos.Walking, Dancing ... Texting Living in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, New York’s main gayborhood, and walking two large dogs who can easily get tangled in an inattentive ongoing pedestrian’s legs, I can testify that most - not many, most - gay men pay more attention to their smartphones than to what’s going on around them, up to and including pit bulls. This phenomenon is hardly limited to walking. Go into any gay-centric restaurant, gay bar or club, and you’ll see more men intent on their cell phones than on the people around them. Singer-songwriter Jonny McGovern, who has made something of a cottage industry out of celebrating and satirizing gay culture, even has a song out called “Texting on the Dance Floor.” “It’s certainly changed nightlife,” McGovern says. “I remember when people who had cell phones on the dance floor looked ridiculous. But now, you’re constantly connected 24/7.” McGovern was inspired to write his song when he was in a Los Angeles club and “everyone was on cell phones. There’s no way to fight it. The crazy thing was, I was then texting someone to tell him everyone was texting!” Why Go Out When You Can Order In? The effect of the digital revolution on gay nightlife hasn’t completely sorted itself out yet, but the effect appears to be profound. Hard as it is to believe, not all that long ago, you had to get dressed and go out to a bar - or at least cruise the streets - to get laid. Younger gay men are growing into adulthood in a world in which it’s much easier, more efficient and quicker to go online to find fun. Add to that the XXX photos that allow you to inspect the plumbing without the bother of undressing him; and the availability of hundreds of men. “When you order in, you can be very specific,” points out John Blair, veteran club promoter who now owns XL bar in New York’s Out Hotel. How can a street scene or a bar compete with that? Older observers bemoan the end of what they see as an essential part of the gay experience - the interested head turn, the slow backtrack, the small talk … all the little niceties that used to make hooking up a mating ritual instead of a buffet table. Philip Brian Harper, a professor at New York University, calls it the “serendipity of male sexual encounters. There was a publicness of gay male sexual culture missing now,” Harper has told me. “When there was no Manhunt, the manhunt had to take place in public contexts rather than in private spaces in front of a computer screen.” Another professor, Ken Race of the University of Sydney (Australia), sees cruising moving from bath, bar and boulevard online as “an increasingly privatized sexual culture.” It’s gotten to the point where meeting someone at a club isn’t even socially acceptable. The parting tag line used to be “Your place or mine?”; now it’s “I’ll see you later on Manhunt.” No one wants to seal the deal without checking out his profile and photos - and making sure that there’s no one out there hotter who’s cruising you before sealing the deal. The Changing Scene If everyone’s online, who’s in the clubs? Plenty of people, although the model has changed. Rather than going out with the purpose of hooking up, people are meeting in bars or dancing in the clubs for the sheer fun of it. This helps explain why there are so many more women (and straight men, for that matter) in “our” venues: When you’re not trying to score, you can let your hair down and be silly. I’ve heard many older gay men bemoan how much less younger gay guys affect a macho posture. Instead of sneering in a corner holding a beer, they’re laughing, throwing their hands in the air at the first bars of a Katy Perry song. Oh yes, and texting. They’re also drinking cocktails - great for the bars but not so great for the old-fashioned all-night dancing “journey.” Part of the reason is that they don’t have to work as hard to establish a gay identity. Coming out earlier and acceptance from straight friends mean that they don’t have to be more macho than a straight man to find acceptance. Nor do they feel they have to be in a big room with 1,500 people who look like them every weekend to assert their sexual identity. “They’re out by age 13,” notes Stephen Pevner, whose Saint-at-Large produces the Black Party. “The young guys know who they are and don’t need affirmation.” But also, life is just plain harder these days. “Twentysomethings are struggling,” Pevner says. “They’re working harder. They have to be at their jobs on Monday morning. And they don’t have the time to put into the amount of work it takes to have a gym body.” So what will pry gay men away from their electronic gadgets and back into bars? Maybe smaller, more intimate, more underground-feeling events, where socializing still feels edgy. At least that’s the theory according to New Yorker Daniel Nardicio, whose in-your-face, down-and-dirty parties in some very out-of-the-way makeshift spaces attract flocks of twentysomethings. “There has to be an element of danger, of sleaze,” he says. “The mainstream bars can’t do that because they’re so patrolled by the police. So I look at more lenient private spaces.” Also, Nardicio adds, the possibility of getting it on on site. To compete with online sex, he offers … sex. “Sex still sells,” Nardicio says. “But it has to be more than throwing mattresses on the floor for a sex party. It has to be out of the box, but promote bonding.” Bonding. It’s a concept.   2012-07-31T23:37:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/house_artist_peyton http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/house_artist_peyton I’m about to meet one of my House music idols. Following five years of messaging back and forth on MySpace and Facebook, demanding lyrics for his songs and discussing obsessive details of his vocals, I’m walking into the London West Hollywood, a posh hotel just below West Hollywood’s famed Sunset Strip. I am about to meet Peyton in the flesh. After wandering through the lobby, I hear a raspy voice yell my name and turn to see a pair of blue eyes over a Cheshire Cat grin coming at me. Standing before me is the vessel for one of those voices in music that you hear once and never, ever forget.  It was a sweltering night in June of 2006 when I was up late designing a website and listening to the first Fierce Angel compilation when I happened upon Peyton’s track “Falling,” and spent the remainder of the night becoming more and more drunk off his voice with each play. Since then, every subsequent release has gone straight to the top of my “Most Played” iTunes. At Last: a Gay Male House Music Vocalist! After a short walk through West Hollywood and a quick browsing of Andrew Christian (somehow undies came up in conversation, and I figured he’d appreciate a gander at our local undergarment royalty), we’re sitting at Bossa Nova about to have lunch on an oddly cold day in April before he leaves for Palm Springs to perform at the 2011 White Party. Our server comes to get our drink orders, and, noticing Peyton’s European accent, asks where he’s from. He explains that he’s a singer, lives in Britain and has flown in for a weekend gig. Our server says she’s also a singer and asks him what his genre is: “House music,” Peyton replies. Blank stare. Clearly more comfortable with the term “House” describing a salad than a musical genre, our server smiles politely, explains to Peyton what an Arnold Palmer is (“You Americans have a name for ice tea and lemonade?”) and heads back to the kitchen. Had we been lunching somewhere in Europe or Australia, the server probably would have recognized him. Maybe she would have commented on the time she saw him perform in a club or how crazy she gets on the dance floor when one of his hits is played. But this is America, where House music is a niche genre. Furthermore, because of the genre’s minority status in America and mainstream comprehension limited due to its departure from the usual pop fare, the DJ ends up as the “superstar” — not the artist actually creating the music. Hence our server’s ignorance of Peyton’s musical accomplishments. Peyton’s inclusion in the three days of pure party bliss known as the White Party last year was long overdue. He had already performed at such enormous international events as Belgium’s Sensation White (30,000 people), and Sydney Mardi Gras’ Harbour Party. Every year, thousands of gay men (and a handful of awesome ladies) storm Palm Springs to create one of the biggest celebrations in the country. And while classically we’ve always relied on women to vocalize the powerful sentiments of House music, it’s about time we put center stage a voice that we can directly identify with, that of an out-gay man with a voice that can rival any of our divas. So while his name may not be as instantly recognizable as Gaga or Madonna amongst the crowd, make no mistake: Peyton is a musical tour de force with a global following who’s on the cusp of one-name recognition on these shores as well. Don’t forget, even Kylie Minogue was invisible to American audiences until “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” 14 years into her musical career. From the Carolinas to Leeds Born the proverbial “son of a preacher man” in North Carolina, Peyton grew up in the background of the Christian fundamentalist Pentecostal movement with a father who became one of the original TV evangelists. His upbringing included working initially as the director of the children’s church and singing regularly during Sunday services, eventually rising to music director. One listen to anything Peyton’s done musically and his gospel roots are immediately evidenced by your hands steadily rising toward the ceiling like a crazy church lady and the sudden impulse to don an oversized floppy hat. Peyton’s discovery of House music happened while attending Leeds College of Music in Britain, an event that coincided with his own rising self-awareness and subsequent coming out.  So when he became part of the soulful soundtrack of the 24-hour party people, it must have seemed like God’s will — a natural marriage of his idiosyncratic musical background with his burgeoning adult identity. Along the way to his rise to acclaim in the world of British House, Peyton ran a catering business (2SH; i.e., 2 Skinny Homos), waited tables, taught salsa and was even cast as the food and drink expert in the British spin-off of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. From those unusual beginnings, his musical career began ascending, and the rest can be heard in speakers and iPods across the globe. To date, Peyton has worked with headliners like Wayne G, Eric Kupper, the Freemasons, Chris Cox, ATFC, Moto Blanco, DJ Meme, Soul Avengerz and Bassmonkeys. As the artist behind such clubbers’ favorites like “A Higher Place,” “Love Is the Answer,” and a cover of “Ride Like the Wind,” Peyton has a musical resumé of gems that reads like a “Best Of” tracklisting. The only thing missing (in this country anyway) is the listeners’ familiarity with the artist credit that accompanies those hits. Look for a forthcoming retrospective release from Peyton compiling in one place all his myriad tracks and collaborations. Just be ready for me to be the first in line for it. You can find out more about Peyton at the following links: http://www.peytonmusic.com http://www.youtube.com/peytonlive http://www.facebook.com/PeytonMusic http://www.myspace.com/theofficialpeytonmusic http://www.twitter.com/peytonsmusic   2012-07-31T23:06:56+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/noize_at_18_barely_legal http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/noize_at_18_barely_legal Remember 1994? The Internet was still for nerds — before nerds became billionaires and cool. We had to learn more than we ever wanted to know about the president’s penchant for cigar-inspired blow jobs. Ads for porn had mailing addresses. The only place to cruise for sex online were the AOL chat rooms. Lady Gaga was still Stefani Joanne Angelina and had yet to become a student at a convent school. And September 11 was only another day on the calendar. That year also saw the birth of the first national magazine dedicated to chronicling the burgeoning gay scene that was becoming collectively known as the Circuit. Before his untimely passing, Steve Kammon, the founder of noiZe (then called Circuit NoiZe) led us through the expansion of dance parties from regional AIDS benefits to huge weekend-long affairs that would attract people from around the world. The magazine that became known as “the bible of Circuit culture” brought readers information about how to have lots and lots of sex without fear in a column entitled “Safe Slut,” while “The Ears Have It” repeated catty remarks picked up off the dance floor. But Kammon had a larger purpose in mind. Spread throughout the magazine was his personal fervently held belief that Circuit parties also brought out the best in us. At the time, Kammon’s emphasis on the spiritual aspect of communal dancing was a flashpoint of controversy. That worldview ran counter to then-major voices in our community, such as Michaelangelo Signorile (in his book Life Outside) and Gabriel Rotello (in Sexual Ecology) dismissed as a shirtless, shallow, hedonistic “Circuit queens.” After a long night of partying, it was easy to forget the point of it all, but Circuit Noize was always there as you exited the club to remind you. In 2006, after absorbing the painful loss of a dear friend, the remaining editorial staff met — including New York-based editors Jefferey and D. Michael Taylor (no relation!) — in Los Angeles to update Kammon’s vision for a rising generation of Circuit boyz, and noiZe was born. Trying to distill the larger purpose of our continuing adventure together, they came up with the tagline “Celebrate, Explore, Live” to encapsulate the larger purpose of partying. A more inclusive attitude allowed us to cover the emerging festivals, cruises, and globetrotting lifestyle of the men we grew up with and the boyz who were just learning to love the Circuit lifestyle. Then came what many believed was a death blow: a much remarked-upon 2007 in Out magazine about the purported “death of the Circuit.” We knew rumors of our death were greatly exaggerated, so we asked the author of the piece, Steve Weinstein, a grizzled veteran of the New York editorial scene, to recommend someone to help us resurrect the negative image of the Circuit. The modest freelance writer and editor recommended … himself. After writing what was supposed to have been our obituary, he has been instrumental in broadening the magazine’s content. His deep ties to the gay party community and his undying love for this magazine have been crucial to the rebirth of noiZe and the Circuit itself as a continued force in gay culture, as have the efforts of our publishing partners in life and work, Stephen Ceplenski and Gary Steinberg. Whether it’s White, Black, or Purple, we still love covering the mammoth parties, the outsized personalities, the talented DJs, the inventive promoters, and the friendly host cities that help make it all happen — not to mention you, the readers. Now that we’re finally 18, we can do it all legally! Remember the time? 1994 — Circuit Noize launches, providing the first reliable calendar of Circuit events for the community; NYC celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots 1995 — The AIDS “cocktail” changes the course of the disease from a death sentence to a managed illness 1996 — Atlantis Events cruises to Sydney Mardi Gras; Madonna cuts ties with Junior Vasquez after he releases “If Madonna Calls”; a Roxy residency & gigs on Fire Island establish Victor Calderone as the first non-gay Circuit DJ star; Gay Days explodes from a red-shirted tourists to 10,000 1997 — Well-known voguer Kevin Aviance graces the Fall cover as NYC’s infamous Arena comes to an end 1998 — Fire Island’s Morning Party ends in a blizzard of bad publicity; Pines Party emerges from the ashes; Madonna’s Ray of Light, inspired by her study of mystic Judaism, revolutionizes dance music; Cher’s “Believe” dominates the dance floor & music charts; DanceSafe brings common sense to drug use in raves 1999 — New Year’s Eve takes on added significance as people anticipate the Y2K bug 2000 — Ric Sena produces the Millennium March’s giant afterparty at the Post Office Pavilion in Washington and the first Alegria in New York at Sound Factory; RKM, Miami’s “Future Boys” grace the cover of Circuit Noize for the first time; 18,000 attend Black & Blue at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium; Vermont becomes the first state to recognize gay unions 2001 — When Boys Fly the first documentary film about the Circuit, chronicles young guys attending the Miami White Party; Circuit, the first dramatic film that takes a look at the Circuit, includes footage of the Palm Springs White Party; the Purple Foundation brings the Circuit to Dallas; the Netherlands becomes the first nation to legalize same-sex marriage; Manhunt launches in Boston 2002 — Apple introduces the iMac G4, beginning the company’s emergence to become the world’s biggest company 2003 — War begins in Iraq; the U.S. Supreme Court, in Lawrence v. Texas, finally strikes down “sodomy” laws, making homosex legal; Massachusetts becomes the first state to legalize same-sex marriage 2004 — The New York Times Style section headlines with an article on the Miami White Party; New Jersey’s Jim McGreevey comes out and (briefly) the first openly gay governor; a New York Times article describes the effects of crystal meth on gay life & nightlife 2005 — Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans, but spares gayborhoods the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny; Abba members reunite for the premier of musical Mamma Mia in Stockholm; “Drug Meal” cover makes some Circuit Noize advertisers nervous 2006 — Buck Angel (“the man with a pussy”) performs at the Black Party; Pussycat Dolls, En Vogue and Joan Jett headline Palm Spring’s Dinah Shore Weekend, the major lesbian Circuit party; amFar partners Vienna’s Life Ball, Europe’s largest AIDS fund-raiser 2007 — Out Magazine publishes “Save The Last Dance”; noiZe relaunches with a bold new look; Stephen Pougnet becomes the out-gay mayor of Palm Springs; San Francisco’s Folsom Street’s “Last Supper” poster is criticized as “anti-religious” 2008 — Barack Obama becomes president; California’s Proposition 8, retracting same-sex marriage, shocks gay activists; disco queen meets reigning queen when Elizabeth II makes Kylie Minogue an Officer of the British Empire; Donna Summer releases critically acclaimed album Crayons; Chris DeCarlo begins his long-running cartoon series “Party Chasers,” in noiZe 2009 — Michael Jackson’s death shocks the world; Lady Gaga performs at the White Party Palm Springs; Iceland’s Johanna Sigurdardottir becomes the first out-gay head of a nation’s government; Matthew Mitcham, the first out-gay Olympian gold medalist & all-around dreamboat is grand marshal of the revitalized Sydney Mardi Gras 2010 — The Miami White Party celebrates its last party at sprawling Renaissance-inspired Vizcaya; AOL (finally) shuts down its chat rooms; Houston Mayor Annise Parker becomes first out-gay mayor of a major U.S. city; women tear while gay men cheer when Ricky Martin comes out 2011 — Fire Island Pines harbor burns down, including the Pavilion, recent owners vow to rebuild 2012 — noiZe turns 18, starts looking for a fake ID People We’ve Profiled Dave Aude Mark Baker Alyson Calagna Jeffrey Sanker Francesco Pagano Randy Bettis Chris Harris The Perry Twins Tom Whitman Moto Blanco Alexander Catala Twisted Dee and Phil B DJ Chus Brett Henrichsen Freemasons Hilton Wolman Ana Paula Mark Anthony Rich Campbell Quentin Harris Boris Patrick Guay Micky Friedmann Joe Gauthreaux Cary Stringfellow Hector Fonseca Dan De Leon Tracy Young Paul Goodyear Cities We’ve Spotlighted/h2> Tel Aviv Salt Lake City Utah Austin Toronto Fire Island Las Vegas Minneapolis Brighton Madrid Sao Paulo Miami Barcelona San Francisco Palm Springs Boston New Orleans Los Angeles New York 2012-05-01T19:10:21+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/dancing_on_a_budget http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/dancing_on_a_budget Plan Ahead - Stop playing games with yourself. The most important thing to keep in mind is to plan well in advance. The definition of insanity (or just garden-variety neurosis) is doing something over and over again until you get it right. The people who end up spending the most money are the ones who keep saying to themselves (and anyone else who will listen), “Oh, I can’t afford it. I’m not going to do it this year. I’m cutting back.” Yeah, yeah. Your friends have all heard it before. Then, at the last minute, you have a sudden flash of everyone on the dance floor and you at home, with the cats and the computer to keep you company. Big mistake. If there’s a party you want to go in August, the time to start thinking about it is in May, especially for the more out-of-the-way destinations like Pensacola, Palm Springs, Saugatuck, Fire Island or Provincetown. - Buy tickets as soon as they go on sale. Nearly all parties offer an “early bird special.” Often, tickets purchased months in advance are priced at a deep discount. With each passing month — or, closer to the event, week, even day — the ticket prices go up. The worst possible time to buy a ticket is at the door. Promoters do this for several reasons. They go on the adage that “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”; early ticket sales help to reassure them that the party will be a success. Also, many of them run tight operations, and having money ahead of time for down payments on the space, light and sound, and other expenses is worth the discounted ticket prices. - Don’t worry about the “what ifs.” The main reason why people wait until the last minute to buy tickets is because they’re worried that something might happen — an accident, death in the family, illness, job layoff, sudden workload, work deadlines — that will prevent them from attending. Keep in mind that if you bought your ticket at a deep discount, there’s always going to be someone who has made the mistake that you used to make of waiting until the last minute. You’ll find a buyer through word of mouth. If not, put it out there on Facebook or Craigslist, or notes at the local gym or coffee shop. Trust me: If you’re offering a substantial amount off the price, someone will find you. If the price differential is great enough, chances are you’ll even make a little money: If you paid, say, $150 for a “gold” weekend pass, and the same pass is selling for $250 closer to the date (not unusual), you can sell it for $175 or even $200. You’ll still be saving that person money. - Make your own outfit. If it’s a theme party, make an outfit instead of going to a costume store or website. And that way, you’re sure of wearing something totally original! - Check out hidden airline fees. Several airlines are now charging for checked bags, or, in some few cases, even for carry-ons that won’t fit under your seat. Check out the fine print and how much it would cost to ship ahead via a freight service like UPS. It may be cheaper in the long run, and most hotels will accept a package from a guest with a reservation; always notify the desk that a package is arriving and send so it is scheduled to arrive a day or two before you do. Save at the Party - Get the VIP ticket. Check out the advantages of a VIP ticket. Often, the extra cost is less than the cost of individual parties or buying each drink separately, as opposed to an open bar — in which case, be sure to bring plenty of dollar bills to tip the bartender. - Team up with others. Find others from your city through Facebook or word of mouth who are traveling to the same party so that you can share a rental car, parking, taxicabs and perhaps a hotel room. In an ideal situation, see if you can crash at a friend’s place in the host city. - Drink water. Should you have a drink or two? Of course — you’re here to have fun. But over the long term, drink plenty of water to replenish fluids lost while sweating on the dance floor. Find out if the local tap water is potable; you might be surprised. New York City, for example, gets its tap water directly from reservoirs in the Catskill Mountains and can boast some of the cleanest tap water of any major city. - Don’t check a coat. If you can drive near the venue, or if it’s merely cool, as opposed to freezing, come as you are. This also saves time when leaving. - Plan your meals. One of the biggest expenses incurred at an out-of-town party is meals. If you’re on a budget, try to plan nutritious meals out of your hotel room. Buy a loaf of bread and buy the fillings at a nearby grocery store or deli. Check out the deli’s salad bar. If you do eat out, seek the less expensive mom-and-pop restaurants or trek to a less expensive part of town — you’ll have more fun than at a crummy chain restaurant, and the food will be better. - Buy what you need before you arrive. Another big out-of-pocket expense: having to buy sundries or other supplies once you’re in the host city. Bring what you’re going to use with you. If you’re only bringing a carry-on bag, bring just enough toothpaste or other limited items as you’re going to need. If you’ll need a lot of, say, sunscreen, team up with others and find a local dollar store. The ‘Grateful Dead’ Weekend On Fire Island, there’s a tradition of what has become known as the “Grateful Dead” weekend, after the hippie followers of that seminal jam band. This means a backpack and crashing where you can. While this is certainly not recommended for a big city, if you’re the type who doesn’t mind roughing it, this is the cheapest way to travel. 2012-05-01T19:06:39+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/were_all_hot_enough_to_dance http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/were_all_hot_enough_to_dance Many people believe that you have to be a certain age, have a certain look — and definitely a certain body type — to go to Circuit parties, when, in fact, these parties have become models of diversity. Partygoers report that, these days, almost all Circuit parties have become a mixed bag of different age groups, body types, and ethnicities. While men will continue to lust after the gym-built, gymnast-type Adonis (they always were and probably always will), in most instances, the Circuit belongs to everyone. Nobody celebrates this more than the bears. Woof! These big boys have capital “P” Pride and love to show it at Circuit parties from coast to coast. From the flabby bear to the giant-gutted bear to the fit and hairy bear, you may likely notice a bear, cub, or, more likely, a whole den dancing next to you. “Stand back, the fur is gonna fly,” warn the creators behind The Complete Bear, a website that celebrates “the Bear Life with Style” (http://www.thecompletebear.com). At Circuit parties it is not uncommon to see “big beefy bears ripping off their shirts and getting down to the deepest house,” according to Complete Bear officials, who promote parties like Bearracuda in San Francisco and Cockpit in Cologne, Germany where “furr is the motto.” Crowd Surfing ‘Like a Wet Seal’ Not big and hairy? That’s cool – you’re still welcome at the Circuit. “I’m the skinny guy who refuses to take his shirt off,” Adam, a partier with a good number of Circuit parties under his belt, told noiZe. “But you learn to use sweaty torsos to your advantage, slipping and sliding through the crowd like a wet seal. “I just remember nights when I would start out trying to avoid getting copious amounts of other people’s sweat all over my shirt,” he continued. “But after about an hour, I just had to give up and start using the slippery bodies to my advantage. No one likes to move out of your way at a party, especially the bigger gorillas. So I just had to take a big breath and dive into the crowd. Eventually, I would pop out the other side drenched.” Gersy Bustamante, a self-described “cute little and skinny Latin boy born and raised in Lima, Peru,” told noiZe that, ever since he first discovered the Circuit in 2009, he sees it not as Attitude Central, as so many believe, but “as a big family that celebrates the diversity among us. You can look out on the dance floor, and it is plain to see that everyone is hot enough to dance, no matter where you are from.” Gersy raves about how he’s made the “most amazing friends at Circuit parties, which is why I’m always looking forward to the next party!” It’s on the periphery of the dance floor — rather than on it — where Gersy sees the most diverse groupings: “I see bears hanging out with bears, muscle boys with other muscle boys, and Latinos with other Latinos.” Rather than disparaging like being attracted to like, he sees that as the way of humanity in general: “That’s natural. It’s probably because they relate to each other and have more things in common to talk about.” As soon as they take to the dance floor, however, all that changes, he added: “Everyone is happy and smiling and super friendly. The Circuit vibe and energy is contagious, and unites us all as we celebrate life and dance like there is no tomorrow.” On the Dance Floor, It’s All Smiles Stephen Sayo, a 23-year-old dancer who has managed to attend an average of one Circuit party nearly every month since 2010, agreed that “when I step out to the dance floor at any party, I am at first completely aware of the division amongst the partiers. The bears dance in one corner, the muscle boys set themselves in the middle, while the twinks gather on the outskirts of the dance floor. Each party is slightly different, depending on the price, DJs and production, but generally each party starts divided.” But as the night goes on, “the music gets deeper, and the dance floor thins, I see these groups mesh and group members are no longer pressed together, but instead everyone is engaging in conversation or dancing with members of another group.” Stephen’s own group of friends in the Circuit scene includes “twinks, Latinos, blacks, whites, Asians, and everything in between. We all love to dance, and we love to party,” he said. “We don’t read into appearance of others too much when we’re making friends. I don’t think we’re indicative of every Circuit group, but I don’t think we’re a rarity either.” Different age groups are also represented on the contemporary dance scene. Gary, a Circuit party veteran, has experienced the scene from the point of view from young newbie to older and more experienced. “I used to be one of the guys that stood out in the crowd,” Gary noted. “Guys would push others aside to get to me. Now that I’m older, I’m usually one of the guys getting pushed aside. It’s easy to feel invisible at parties,” he added. “I just laugh to myself and think, ‘Those guys who don’t see me will be invisible one day themselves.’ I hope they find the humor in it like I do.”  Jacob Rodvelt-Gamlieli, 27, a professional dancer, sees people as approachable at Circuit parties, regardless of one’s looks or ethnicity. In fact, he noted, “The one thing I find extremely different about Circuit parties, which is different from your local bar or club, is that people are friendly. Talking to someone new is greeting with a smile and a hug. To penetrate a clique at my local bar, I feel like I am auditioning for a sequel to the movie Mean Girls. The reason I keep going back to Circuit parties is because I keep making so many more friends, and I want to see them again.” It’s All About Dancing (Not the Posing) Maybe the reason people are so friendly at the big parties is because they have a common thread: They’re all there, like Hairspray’s Tracy Turnblad, not to talk; they came to dance. Super-promoter Jeffrey Sanker, of White Party Palm Springs fame, told noiZe, “Dancing is such a vital element in gay men’s culture. It’s what we do when we all come together. It’s how we celebrate together and create solidarity. We feel empowered when we bond with the DJ, the music, the lights and lasers and each other out on the dance floor. This is why the music and dance floors will always be mainstays at all of my events.” But just as important, he says events such as White Party Palm Springs must always be evolving to appeal across the board in order to last. “You’ve got to be constantly changing with new trends in music and new technology for visuals,” he continued. “This also means changing and adapting along with your patrons if you want them to keep coming back year after year while still continuing to attracting new ones.” White Party Palm Springs has become an annual tradition for so many men from around the globe who’ve been coming since the early days. “Each year we have entirely new groups of younger guys experiencing White Party for the first time,” said Sanker. “As a result, we are witnessing a much wider spectrum of attendees now, all coming together, making new friends and enjoying White Party weekend — a trend we definitely hope continues.” Mark Baker, who produces Wonderworld, the international dance music weekend in Orlando in early June, agreed that it’s all about the dancing: “Parties are more about the music to me. I don’t care what you look like if you’re there to dance. The only time your looks matter is if you’re trying to pick someone up: In that case you better be hot, confident — and be able to take a hint. Naggy, horny guys on the dance floor are such a buzzkill.” As gay men who grew up on the dance floor age, there are parties that have sprung up to appeal to them. Christina Visca, who was instrumental in the original legendary nightclub Sound Factory in New York City, now produces “Classic Tea” at the new club XL as well as “Trippin’ on the Moon” parties that attract many older gay men. Overall, she sees more diversity on dance floors. Visca prides herself “on bringing everyone together to dance under one roof. Now that’s a real party!”   2012-05-01T18:55:32+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/you_can_ask_they_can_tell http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/you_can_ask_they_can_tell “Do you have a discount for members of the military?” was not a question that you would have expected to hear at a gay nightclub or Circuit party. Until now. These days, promoters and producers of some the nation’s biggest parties are courting Uncle Sam’s gay dollar — and they aren’t losing the house either. Our gay boys in uniform are starting to show up in force and at ease. Hard bodied Marines. Crew cut soldiers. Lean Airman. Drunken sailors. Let’s be honest, they fit right in at Circuit events. They look good standing at the end of the bar. They dance shirtless for hours — and we love them for it. Only difference is, now they can do it in the open. Promoters are responding to the Pentagon’s full-on embrace of the repeal of the hated “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which mandated that gay military personnel could be gay — as long as they didn’t act on it and no one found out about it. Today, the United States has joined the rest of the developed world, and gay service people are serving out and proud next to their straight counterparts (who, for the record, couldn’t care less and apparently never did). Jackhammer, a popular Chicago bar, recently asked patrons — active duty and civilian — to “throw on your war paint, don your military gear and get into the trenches for the biggest dance party on the North Side.” Steam Bathhouse in Portland, Oregon, offers a military discount to our boys in uniform wanting to get out of their uniforms and into a steam room. Even LGBT advocacy organizations like Service members United are getting in on the action. Last July, they threw a Gay Military Weekend at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where gay servicemen got a discount to party at Aqua Bar & Grill and take advantage of the beaches. Attention! Listen to one service member gush about that attention: “They love us!” said Jeremy Whitlow, 22. “I have a blast whenever I go out and, especially when on vacation, if guys find out you are in the military, they really want to talk about what service life is like. It’s almost like we are ambassadors or something.” Whitlow recently joined the Navy. He enlisted last May when DADT was still in effect. But he never really felt any of the pressure associated with the law. “When DADT was still around, I was in boot camp and then I went to school to learn my job,” he explained. “By the time I got to my first command, it was well past September and we were already allowed to serve openly.” He is currently stationed aboard a ship on the East Coast. “It’s funny because a lot of my friends that aren’t gay have gone to gay bars with me,” Whitlow said. “The drink prices are cheaper, and a few of them even told me the music is better.” (Note to Jeremy and his friends: The music is better.) Out and Proud — At Last Although not all gay servicemen and women are ready to be completely open at their command, they are happy to be out and proud in the club. “Being able to party and to be catered to is a great release,” said Alma (not her real name), a Tech Sergeant in the Air Force. “There is a lot of stigma that goes along with being a female in the military. I’ve had to deal with sexual harassment, and, let’s just be honest, if you are a woman in uniform, a lot of people assume you are a lesbian.” Alma, who identifies as a bisexual, said, “I might not be out to my command—but I am definitely out to my gay bar.” For veterans who served under DADT and lived through years of having to look over their shoulder whenever they entered or left a bar or club, the newfound freedom is a welcome addition to what life in uniform means for gays and lesbians.  “I never used to show my military I.D. to get into clubs,” said William Klein, 32, a former marine of 10 years. “That was just a big no-no.” Instead, Klein, who re-entered civilian life in 2010, used to use his driver’s license and leave his government-issued card in the car. As a Marine serving during “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” Klein says life was different for gay service members who wanted to party “out in town”; i.e., away from the prying eyes of fellow Marines.  “The gay bars were always pretty cool about everything,” says Klein, who served at a Naval base in San Diego for four years. “But you never really knew if military police were on a witch hunt and had someone in the bar trying to out active duty or reserve guys. It may sound paranoid but hey, that did happen to a few guys during DADT. I took my career seriously, as most service-members do. I wasn’t about to lose my benefits because I got spotted with my military I.D. in a gay bar.” Klein successfully served out his career without incident. But he readily and eagerly acknowledges that things have changed for the better. “New Year’s Eve was great,” said the former Marine now living in Seattle. “There were guys out in uniform and getting to pass up the line and let in for free. They deserve it. They are heroes. I’m proud of them, and I still have a lot of friends serving who are gay. They tell me how amazing it is to have the community’s respect and support. Now,” he adds with a smile, “they flash their military I.D. and maybe even get a free drink because of it.” That Get-Up at the Military Party Might Be Real It’s not just the bars and clubs that are noticing a visible rise in out and open gay military clientele. The Circuit scene is abuzz with the troops. “Throughout the years, we’ve always had a steady contingent of servicemen attending White Party,” said Jeffrey Sanker, gay party promoter extraordinaire and founder of L.A.-based White Party Entertainment, Inc. Sanker acknowledges that the White Party’s growing number of gay service members is “most likely because Palm Springs is located so close to several military bases, including Twentynine Palms, Camp Pendleton and San Diego.” “In the past,” he continued, “we always made sure to respect their privacy and let them enjoy the opportunity to just ‘be themselves’ out on a spring break getaway.” Gay party promoters have always played to uniform and military fetish. At last year’s White Party Palm Springs, Sanker and crew held a Boxers or Briefs Boot Camp Party. “Attention White Party Recruits! Your orders for Friday night are to report directly …” You can imagine how the rest went. This year will be different, said Sanker. Promoters no longer have to flirt with the line of promotion directed at service members and their admirers. Now, they can just call it what it is: hot! “Obviously this year will be a bit different, and we all are looking forward to openly welcoming attendees from the Armed Forces,” he said, adding, “especially those who have returned from tours of duty in the Mideast and elsewhere overseas.” Of course, there’s that little matter of money. Rich Campbell, who runs Atlantis Events, says there have always been service people on his cruises, albeit out of uniform and quiet about it. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we see a lot more coming in the next few years,” he said. “I have friends who have said they wanted to go on my cruises. I said, ‘Now you can.’ They reply, ‘Yeah, if only I could afford it on a government salary!’” 2012-02-09T02:36:39+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/where_are_all_the_gay_men_in_offices_these_days http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/where_are_all_the_gay_men_in_offices_these_days You know, gay co-workers who are clearly gay? Flamboyant. Fun. Flirty. Fashionable. Fabulous! Now that we are all part of the conversation, do we miss the secret updates, contorted facial gestures, and rosy-red cheeks of embarrassment when there was a line that could be crossed? Does being fully out to our co-workers mean that we can now regale them with stories about our fabulous private lives? Or should we tone it down? Just recently, the Center for Work-Life Policy published a landmark study in the respected Harvard Business Review that is the first such academically rigorous analysis of gays in the workforce. The good news? Based on nearly 3,000 respondents, the researchers found that we’re ambitious (just ask our personal trainer), committed to our jobs (too committed, if you ask the boyfriend), “willing to go the extra mile for employers” (willing to go down for some employers who look like Ben Cohen), and better educated (duh!). More good news: 52 percent of us are out at work. Now the bad news: 48 percent aren’t. And in way too many states and local jurisdictions, we don’t have any protections against discrimination. That’s a sobering thought. But I’m old enough to remember when even the ones you could spot with a pince-nez halfway down your nose — you know, the flamboyant gay-as-a-goose, the Just-Jack screamer, the Liberace flamer, the sulky James Dean bad boy, the sexy nerd — never publicly revealed their sexuality and certainly didn’t discuss it during office hours, except for maybe a shared cigarette with another Friend of Dorothy well outside corporate headquarters. (I can make that assumption because, in those days, everyone smoked. Another big difference from then and now.) The recent end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” not only means that gay men and lesbians can serve openly in our armed forces: It’s the most potent symbol possible in a democracy that we have arrived as citizens equal in every way to our heterosexual counterparts. All this gooey goodness, however, comes with a few caveats. First of all, let’s look back on the bad old days when we were at least nominally closeted. We would have to suffer the forced bonhomie of the dreaded water cooler. Gay men had to express an interest in team sports (when the only baskets most of us cared about were the ones inside the uniforms). Lesbians had to profess interest in recipes, child rearing, schools and sex-reluctant spouses. Well now, we love team sports. We’re having kids. And lesbians can finally dish with their straight girlfriends about sex-reluctant spouses. Does this mean that we have graduated to the point where we are given the same God-given rights to pull out endless snapshots of Little Prince and Madonna taking their first steps? That the gals can share their recipe for no-cook vegan faux meatloaf? That we’re given carte blanche to complain about how crowded the ferry to Fire Island was, how horrible the music at Tea and how ghastly the housemate’s attempt at a clam frittata? Let us keep in mind that full equality does not have to include the right to be boring. On the other hand, there’s the question of Too Much Information. Where straight, married, parenting co-workers live lives somewhere between Leave It to Beaver and Desperate Housewives, some of us have more sex partners in one weekend than these people will have had in their entire lives. If you think I’m exaggerating, try this experiment: Imagine it’s the Tuesday (‘cuz you took Monday off) after the Saint-at-Large Black Party and Alegria XXXtreme. Now imagine that a co-worker innocently asks you what you did last weekend. It’s probably easier to imagine what you didn’t do. Now describe to Mabel in Accounts Payable the sexual mosh pit of the dance floor, the omnipresent “back room,” the outfit that told everyone you were Jewish at 20 paces. The key word here is “discretion.” That doesn’t mean you have to be an Uncle Tom (OK, Auntie Tomasina). You can talk about your life, because much of your life really is every bit as quotidian as theirs. It’s just that you’re so busy thinking about the next party, the next sex date or the next Atlantis cruise to step back and realize that, yes, you too did the laundry. You took the dog for a walk. You saw Mom in the ‘burbs. You defrosted the refrigerator. See, our lives are just like theirs — only with added spice. Oh, and don’t get suckered in by the conspiratorial employee who puts her (traditionally a “her,” but the advent of the metrosexual and stag hag has changed that) arm around you and gets you to confide in her. You feel you really have a friend at last — someone to explain that you’re wearing sunglasses not because you ran into a subway door but because your pupils are still dilated; that that “date” was really a hand-job in the club restroom; that you don’t mention the last name of your latest “boyfriend” because your fuck buddy never gave it to you. Girlfriend, you won’t even have to open her Twitter account or Facebook page. Before you get back to your desk, everyone in the office will know that that “fungal infection” you were treated for last spring was the clap, and that you don’t really have an aunt named Gina whom you visit periodically. This is a brave new world — on both sides. Don’t make it any harder for well-meaning straight co-workers by pushing your world on them. Flaunt the shirt, recent Botox treatment and photos from your trip to Belize. But if they ask how the Atlantis Cruise or the early spring trip to Palm Springs went, just smile sweetly and tell them you accidentally deleted all your photos. 2011-10-28T18:26:50+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_incredible_shrinking_circuit_body http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_incredible_shrinking_circuit_body Circuit party boys could be likened to almost anything; from “crystal queens” to “roid users” to just-plain “average Joes,” the accuracy of who does what and when is left up to interpretation. Still, Circuit parties — whether in Miami, Dallas or San Francisco — have always had one constant: the guys with the incredible Adonis physiques. He’s the man on the poster, muscles bulging, package stuffed. A real-life demigod — like the mythical Adonis, loved by Venus. We would watch him dance, lusted after him, idolized him, and maybe were inspired to work out and diet even harder by him. The Adonis look was at the top of the food chain. It meant you were masculine. Using their bodies like currency, these beautifully sculpted men danced in our dreams, went to the head of the velvet-rope line, and made us somehow feel prettier just by dancing next to them. “The Adonis ideal epitomizes everything masculine,” Roberto Olivardia, a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School, told noiZe. “Big biceps, strong chest, chiseled pecs, powerful legs. What is really being idealized is not the body, per se, but the expression of masculinity. To achieve an attractive, fit body is to be the envy of other men, and the object of desire at the same time.” A fit, muscular body is also subtle communication of one’s sexual prowess. “However,” Olivardia added, “these days there is less emphasis on the ‘roided’ look, but that doesn’t mean that looking fit has faded away.” Even the emo guy with the skinny jeans is still supposed to look lean and fit. There is a more androgynous look acceptable these days.” Others have also noticed the incredible shrinking gay men — in terms of muscle, but maybe not so much in girth. But are the number of twinks and cubs really increasing on the dance floor? Collin Kwan, 31, a graphic designer and self-professed Circuit boy living in San Francisco, says that he believes the perceptions of the Circuit body changed along with the aging of the generation that objectified them. “Ten years ago I attended my first Circuit party and the definition of what was ‘ideal’ has changed dramatically,” he said. “Back then everyone wanted a tall, young, white muscular guy. Now it seems that the standard of beauty has changed, because the same people are still going to these events and they have gotten older. As we’ve aged, so have our tastes for what we used to like.” More of All Kinds of Bodies & Ethnicities Kwan, who is Chinese-American, says that there are now many more nationalities attending the big events and that lusting after the white male Adonis has begun to fade along with the homogeneity of the dance floor. Like Kwan, Skyver Sagun, 28, is a Circuit veteran of recent vintage (seven years) who has also noticed a change in what and who is considered hot: “We used to follow around the big muscle jocks; but now it seems like young twinks are more prevalent on the Circuit, and they are the hot commodity.” Robert J. Vezina, founding president and executive director of the BBCM Foundation, which produces Montreal’s mammoth Black & Blue Festival, said he has witnessed what he calls a “nice evolution of the clientele attending our festival over the years. Of course, there are many buff and muscular guys from all over the world who attend and enjoy not only our main event, but also our popular specialized activities such as the Jock Ball, the Leather Ball and the Military Ball.” These other partygoers include younger people who may be less into bodybuilding; beautiful bisexual French-Canadian men who have a European look; and gay-friendly straight men (who are often more into big muscles than we are). He welcomes the diversity. “It makes for a very interesting, hip and exciting crowd,” he said. “We believe that this special mix has ensured the major continued success of the event over the years.” Add to that the increasing number of dance events that cater to bears, such as Blowoff in New York and Washington, D.C., and the many bear parties in San Francisco. At these parties, being lean and buff may not exactly be a detriment, but it certainly isn’t the accepted norm, either. Waning of the Buff Obsession? New Yorker Shawn Flanningan, 42, who has been attending events like Black Party for more than 20 years, noted that “being on the scene for so long, you expect many things to change, such as which is the hottest party drug of the moment.” But there was one change he says he never expected to change — the worship of the Adonis types. “Obsessing about body image, whether you want to shrink or bulk up, can get unhealthy quickly,” Olivardia said. “Eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, steroid use, cosmetic surgeries all start with an obsession about body image.” Obsessing about your physicality is often not a good thing because it means “that you are too preoccupied with your body image, to the exclusion of other important things in your life.” Olivardia believes that literally millions of men are adversely affected by problems of body image. For a while, Flanningan says he “was one of those guys. But in the past five years, I’ve noticed that the waif-twink had made its return to the top of the pedestal. Don’t get me wrong, the buff guy will always be admired for his rippling muscles. But there are just more and more skinny young dudes at these events.” He believes the younger generation’s dream guy doesn’t look like what he remembers wanting when he was their age. The shift in attitude may very well be the outcome of the barrage of marketing thrown at gay teens of images of super-skinny boys in tight jeans. If you look at current trends of style, big is out while tiny is in. All in all, the openness to different body types and even idealizing them is probably a healthy sign that the Circuit is entering a more inclusive phase. In the 1990s, the biggest guys dominated the dance floor. Not a bad thing necessarily, but some of them (or many, depending on your point of view) gave off attitude toward those who didn’t meet their standards. Today, regardless of body image — whether you’re an Adonis, a twink or a Goldilocks (not too big, not too small) — you’ll find the dance floor open and fun loving. An overall feeling of inclusion and acceptance for all body types, ethnicities and ages is good for all of us. Even the Adonises.   2011-10-28T18:24:48+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/exposing_yourself http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/exposing_yourself Twitter, Facebook and Grindr give new definition to “Where’s the beef?” Have you noticed that too many of life’s moments are now permanently captured in cyberspace?  Digital cameras and iPhones have taken our most treasured, private moments, and digitized them for the entire world to see.  This works fine for birthdays and bar mitzvahs, car crashes and passed-out-drunk evenings, but when did genitalia and titillating body parts come into the equation? I know we have Xtube, and collegetube, and blondetube (instead of just boob-tube), as well as Grindr, Facebook, Twitter and MeetMeInTheJohn.com – but when did taking a quick shot of yourself in the bathroom or office become part of the workday — not just for the gays, but for, well, members of Congress?  Hey, Chris Lee and Anthony Weiner, welcome to the party!  I guess taking internet photos of any body part that is normally covered by clothing is the new pick-up line.  Instead of “Hello, you’re cute,” or “Hi, I like your shirt,” we can now say absolutely nothing and send off a photo of our limp dick or shaved pussy.  I’m sorry, our soft penis and groomed vagina.  Why bother saying something interesting or forming a whole sentence? Isn’t a picture worth a thousand words? So what 3,000+ words did Anthony Weiner say with his photos? “Look at the small bulge in my crotch and the cheesy light blue underwear I have on. Don’t I look like a high school sophomore wishing someone could get me hard?” “Isn’t my chest chiseled? I’m a stud. I work out. I am hot. I am tan. I am a stud.  Do you want my lean, ripped body to come over?” “See, it gets hard.  Want it?” Let’s face it. Using any of these lines in person would definitely work, even for the unimaginative that you might hit on. Of course, Weiner just sent parts, whereas Lee had his head attached. That is one way to be sure the torso goes with the head, and the blame as well. But headless torsos are the Adonises of this decade. Why ruin a perfectly good come-on torso shot by attaching your head? Talk about scaring the good ones away quick! Why can’t the straights learn from the gays when it comes to ruining your (political) career, or your future in general? If you are going to take a photo of your private parts, know that you have made a permanent donation to the Internet’s vast store of images. Someone has it, somewhere in the world. Probably someone is using it, pretending it is a photo of them. In general, stick to the most graphic, detailed, stomach churning photos you can produce, just like the gays. That means a closeup of your raging hard-on; a magnifying-glass photo of your anus, up so close that the rings can be counted and your last meal identified; a shot of just your nipple, either one; cum shots (of which there are a thousand variations, including dribble, spurt, soaked keyboard, drenched stomach, and drippy hand). You see, if you are going to produce even one public photo (including over your cell phone), you might as well make the best you can. An underwear shot, Mr. Weiner, was something an eighth grader would do when trying to flirt with Becky Beaverstone after school. Next time, stand in your bathroom mirror flexing both biceps while completely naked. Now that will get you re-elected! Flirting has become the “shirt lift hello.” Now that the entire world knows what really goes on in photo text messages, email, and online messaging services, we can only expect that there will be an increase in this type of behavior.  And as a result, some common actions will emerge. The first is already the revised hello. Basically, you remove the hello, lift your shirt up to just below your nipple so that your flat stomach is exposed, and send that as your introductory message. That is the qualifying opening line. Without it, everything else is premature and can be dismissed once you either don’t provide this photo, or prove your fat percentage to be over 10% through some other unflattering photo. You can find the “shirt lift hello” on every gay site, cell phone, email inbox and Grindr profile photo on all seven continents on planet Earth. Well, except for certain South Sea islands. Unfortunately, in New York, tattoos and bellybutton piercings tend to make you much less anonymous. Because the next time someone goes down on you and notices, they will realize they have a few photos of you on their phone and computer that match up…and you won’t be running for office anytime soon. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/lady_gaga http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/lady_gaga It wasn’t that long after a shy former New York University student named Stefani Germanotta had reinvented herself as Lady GaGa that she became noticed on the gay club scene. Her first big breakthrough came at the Sunday Pool Party at the annual mega-Circuit party, the Palm Springs White Party, where, on April 20, 2008, she performed “Just Dance” for the first time before a live audience. Shortly after that, she performed at the Size Sundays@Here Lounge party in West Hollywood. “The first time she performed at Size, she was a complete unknown,” recalls Promoter-Producer Tom Whitman. “But I thought she was so talented, as both a performer and as a songwriter, I asked her to perform at Wonderland,” the mammoth party that caps L.A.’s Gay Pride celebrations. She had 14 dancers on a huge stage. People were talking about her distinctive musical abilities and showbiz know-how — not all positively: “A couple of people would say to me, ‘Tom, what’s the deal? Why are you trying to make Lady GaGa happen?’ Well, I had the last laugh. By the time she performed at Cherry Pop [Aug. 23, 2008], she had blown up. Everyone knew her first single and she was on her way to becoming a megastar.” Another major L.A. figure on the gay scene, Jeffrey Sanker, meanwhile, was impressed enough with her performance at his White Party that he booked her for White Party Las Vegas. By the time she performed there, on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008, she had had chart-topping hits off her landmark album The Fame. Although she had become an international sensation, GaGa didn’t forget Sanker’s initial faith in her, and she performed again for him, at the White Party’s 20th year anniversary on Saturday, April 11, 2009. According to Sanker’s spokesperson, “One week before the event, Jeffrey was informed she might cancel because Saturday Night Live wanted her to host on April 11th; 24 hours later she turned down SNL, saying ‘They will ask me to host SNL again’ — then followed up with her entire 75-minute ‘The Fame Ball Tour’ performance at the Saturday White Party.” The last time she would play for Sanker would be later that year, when she made a special appearance at his Sundays at Voyeur party. This was the very first “official” release party of her follow-up album, The Fame Monster. She arrived with her mother and Paris Hilton, and sang “Speechless” a capella. Perhaps the most “Gagaesque” of her early performances occurred — where else? — on Fire Island, when she performed at Daniel Nardicio’s notorious Underwear Party at the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove. It was Nardicio’s birthday, August 8, 2008, and it may be the only gig where Lady GaGa was overdressed compared to her audience. 2011-08-01T15:00:57+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/noise_overdose http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/noise_overdose In 2004, a Canadian independent film was released about a DJ who lost his livelihood because he went completely deaf. It’s All Gone Pete Tong was a fictional tale, but a bevy of club world heavyweights, including the legendary Pete Tong himself, decided to join the project as talking heads in the mockumentary. Unfortunately, the movie’s depiction of rampant deafness among DJs was hardly fiction. Any DJ, sound technician, promoter or avid party person should recognize that hearing loss is a very real threat on the dancefloor. Superstar DJ Danny Tenaglia has been talking about dealing with tinnitus via white noise therapy on his Facebook page. Guy Smith, the Circuit’s premier lighting wizard, told noiZe, “There are a lot of DJs that we work with — I won’t name names — but you can call their name right behind them and they can’t hear you.” Smith himself suffers from tinnitus, which he describes as “a constant shrieking in my ears.” DJ Quentin Harris suffers from hearing loss, and told noiZe that if he leaves both monitors on all night he leaves the club with a headache. This problem isn’t exclusive to our community, of course. The list of people suffering from some form of hearing loss or tinnitus reads like a Kennedy Center Honors list: Barbra Streisand, Bill Clinton, Bono, Cher, Pete Townshend, William Shatner, Steve Martin. The U.S. National Institute on Deafness approximates that 28 million Americans are affected by noise-induced hearing loss, a number expected to climb to 78 million by 2030. Dr. Kent Collins, an audiologist, claims that the average age of patients who require hearing aids has gone down, from 64 to 48, in only 10 years. What exactly causes this damage? Our ears have an outer, a middle, and an inner section. “In the inner ear there are hair cells,” explained Maris Appelbaum, director of Hearing Aid Services at Montclair State University. “The conversion of sound into neural activity is believed to happen by the tips of the hair cells.” The inner ear houses the delicate hairs that allow us to process everyday sounds. When those hairs are exposed to frequencies and pressure, whether it’s a sudden explosion of sound or a prolonged exposure to very loud music, they become damaged. That damage can be temporary or permanent, and range from annoying to debilitating. “It’s never too late to wear ear protection,” Appelbaum added. OSHA, the federal agency that regulates workplace safety, has permissible noise levels for industrial noise. “There are no levels for music,” says Appelbaum, “because the levels vary greatly, and it is difficult to estimate a person’s true exposure over time.” OSHA caps industrial noise levels at 85 dB (decibels). Rock concerts and dance events clock in at 110 to 120 dB, just above a diesel train and right below a gunshot or a jet taking off. Guy Smith has been clocking sound pressure on the dance floor since the disco era, and says that his readings indicate a fourfold increase since then. Aural Fixation DJs are the centerpiece of the music we listen to, and love loud music just as much as we do, but the ones who have been around the longest know the score and realize that more sound doesn’t necessarily equal better sound. Is Michael Fierman a rare exception to the rule about DJs who suffer from hearing loss because he pioneered “Morning Music” sets and the peppy Fire Island sound? “I have perfect hearing after playing records for over 30 years,” he boasts. His secret is deceptively simple: “Turn the volume of your monitors down, and then you can turn down the level of your headphone.” David Knapp sees the link between headphones and monitors as crucial. “Based on my experience, the most common reason DJs have their monitors too high is that they have their headphones blasting really high in their ear. A secret I learned from a mentor DJ is to start out keeping the headphone level as low as possible,” he advises, “just enough to hear what you are mixing in.” If not, a DJ can begin to suffer “aural fatigue,” the term for continually turning up the volume to compensate for weaker and weaker hearing. As the DJ gets deafer, so does the crowd. Quentin Harris gives the age-old advice to read your crowd. “Watch your levels and watch your dancers,” he says. “They will let you know if you are playing too loud.” Chances are if you see people shouting at each other or holding their hands to their ears, they’re not really enjoying your set anyway. But does it have to be that loud? The Saint At Large hired sound engineer and DJ Alex Funk to fine-tune the sound for Black Party this year. Just renting an expensive system isn’t enough, warns Funk: “I’ve heard of people bringing in half-million-dollar sound systems that when they were set up, sounded like absolute dog shit.” He likens it to tuning an expensive and very fast car: If you don’t do it just right, you end up with smoke coming out of the hood. In this case, “the smoke isn’t coming from under the hood, it’s coming out of your ears.” Less Can Be More Guy Smith and Funk teamed up with the new owners of Fire Island’s Pavilion last year to improve sound quality. The key? Less is more. “One of the changes that we made was that we actually removed equipment, because there was so much equipment it was defeating itself.” They repositioned speakers and installed technology that allows them to modulate the sound for optimal performance. So how do you protect your ears? Earplugs, of course. It’s gotten to the point that event promoters should consider approaching earplug makers to sponsor their parties. And how do you know if it’s too loud? “If you have any urge to put your hand over your ears, that’s your body telling you that it doesn’t like it,” Funk says. As a musician who suffered from hearing-related problems, Kathy Peck formed Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers (H.E.A.R.) 23 years ago in San Francisco as a response to a lack of advocacy in the concert world for hearing-related issues. The Who’s Pete Townshend was an early financial backer of the group — one of many veteran rockers now suffering deafness. H.E.A.R. produces public service announcements and helped pass a local ordinance that requires music venues to distribute free earplugs. Peck recommends custom musician’s earplugs, Mack’s Hear Plugs, ER20 Earplugs — or foam earplugs in a pinch. Fierman, for one, believes that if a significant number of people on the dance floor are wearing earplugs, the DJ and sound engineer are doing something wrong. “The reality is that if someone is dropping 100,000 watts of sound system into a building or out on a beach, they have a huge responsibility for people’s health,” Funk says. Europe caps the sound level in clubs at 95 dB, but currently we have no such regulation. That may change as an entire generation becomes hard of hearing.   2011-08-01T15:00:01+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/crossover_appeal http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/crossover_appeal Today, music and DJs appeal alike to gay and straight listeners. As young Americans come to accept gay men as part of the scene, more and more of us feel comfortable at raves. Is it the “death” of Circuit parties — or have they assimilated into the mainstream? Peace, love, unity, and respect: together they form PLUR, an acronym that became the defining motto of the rave scene in the ‘90s. Sure, a lot has changed in the party world since the days when NYC club kids were rolling (often literally) out from under the shadows of the dance community and onto daytime talk shows. Even the word “rave” is used less often, as parties become bigger, more visible, and less underground. Call them whatever you want: huge dance festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) are clearly the next evolutionary step in rave culture. So it makes sense that the same progressive, PLUR-style philosophy has turned them into non-gay-specific events that are beginning to attract more and more gay partiers among the colorful crowd. “Real ravers are all about the peace and love thing. They’re like neon-colored hippies,” says David Bond, a gay Los Angeles college student and music writer for Soundbleed.com. The inclusive sense of community is a big part of why he’s partied at events like EDC and HARD, another huge, mixed electronic music fest where he remembers snapping photos of kissing gay couples (among other partiers) for the site. “It’s all about enjoying ourselves and being around people who love the same music. I wouldn’t say rave culture is outright embracing gays specifically, just everyone in general. It’s a lot different than going out to clubs in West Hollywood where it’s strictly gay men and women around. At a rave you deal with people of all walks, but it’s by no means uncomfortable to be out and proud.” Parties like these have become so large they’re bound to represent different diversities. Take EDC, which launched in 1997 and has grown exponentially. The 2010 installment drew 185,000 attendees to Los Angeles, making it the largest electronic music festival outside Europe. Major DJs like Deadmau5, Armand Van Helden and Sasha took to the stage over two days and five different stages. The sheer number of huge, mixed events is growing, too. Another hot ticket is Electric Zoo, a Labor Day weekend party that launched in 2009 and feels like an East Coast answer to EDC. This NYC massive is growing fast: it had around 26,000 attendees over the course of its inaugural weekend, but last year numbered nearly the same per day. In 2011, it will expand to three days. Rave Promoters Now Court Gay Partiers So expect that the gay crowd will continue to grow, too – and not just as some proportional accident. Refreshingly, many promoters of these events are actively inviting the gay community. “The dance music scene is first and foremost about people coming together to hear music that they love, and to dance to it. Acceptance and being yourself has been the cornerstone of dance music since its origin,” says Laura de Palma, cofounder of Made Event, which produces Zoo. She saw an organic growth in gay attendees between the first two years of the event, but with 2011, “We want to clearly get the word out in the gay community that Electric Zoo is the place to be on Labor Day Weekend!” Why are these huge mixed events becoming more popular with gay partiers? The obvious answer is that the gay community has become more embraced by the larger culture in general over the years. We’re no longer in a position where we need to feel relegated only to No Straights Allowed-style Circuit parties. Now, if the music’s good and loud, we’ll go. But look in the crowd at events like, say, EDC — where plenty of sweaty, half-naked torsos are covered in costumes, candy jewelry and glitter — and it’s obvious that the style of an old-school rave still shines through. So too, naturally, does that PLUR mentality that has always seemed to welcome gays to the proverbial party. “For me, being at a rave was almost as comfortable as being at a gay club in terms of dancing or kissing another guy on the dance floor,” says Terry Estok. The gay Bostonian has been going to raves and parties like Electric Zoo, Ultra in Miami and Love Parade in San Francisco since his teens. He’s in his early 30s now, and finds that, “for the most part the PLUR manifesto still stands true today. People went to raves to get out of the norm, be different and be yourself. For me, being gay in the rave scene was never an issue, and I know plenty of other queer men and women that feel the same way.” The scene looks just as mixed from the stage. DJs and performers we spoke to agree that massive, rave-style events are definitely drawing an increasing mix of gay and straight crowds. And again, they point to a mutual attraction to the music as the unifying force: “Maybe five or seven years ago, it was more separate. But as electronic music keeps slowly creeping into the mainstream, it brings more and more people together,” says JES (a/k/a Jes Brieden), a singer/songwriter who frequently collaborates with DJs like Tiësto and BT and regularly performs at huge global parties. But she’s also a popular Pride performer, and recently launched her “Awaken Campaign” to bring attention to the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, among other organizations. JES believes that there’s an inherent universality to the music that helps make these shows melting pots. “It’s a different kind of audience,” she says. “The crowds are all about peace, love, happiness and beats forever.” They seem even more mixed internationally than in the states, she adds. Gay DJ/producer Hector Fonseca agrees. And he thinks that seeing the gay and straight crowds embrace enhances the overall experience and leads to more “sophisticated” parties. “The crowd is educated more than ever, I think, because they go to both straight and gay events and are able to mix with different scenes,” he says. He’s been seeing more diverse crowds at Winter Party and Matinee events, for example. “I could tell it was a mixed crowd united there for an overall, well-produced event,” he says. “There is definitely a new appreciation and excitement.” Partying Responsibly — Or Not That’s not to say it’s a total utopia. As huge, rave-style festivals grow in number, so do the requisite douchebags. (“As the events get bigger, there’s always the obnoxious few who drop the F-bomb,” observes Bond.) And though some ravers have added a second “R” to PLURR over the years (for “responsibility”), other ravers, like Estok, wonder if drugs aren’t becoming even more prevalent. In fact, a controversy erupted last year when a teenage girl died after overdosing on ecstasy at EDC. It led to a temporary ban on raves at the event’s longtime L.A. venue, and seems to have contributed to the EDC’s migration to Las Vegas. (The bad publicity seems to have made EDC press shy as well: No one responded to repeated attempts by noiZe for an interview.) Fonseca hopes that these big festivals will start to incorporate more gay DJs, artists — and social issues — to the mix. Still, the crosscutting appeal of rave culture makes it an increasingly appealing choice for gay partiers. “These festivals have a huge potential to unite people from all backgrounds around the world,” says Fonseca. To unite, that is, in peace, love and respect. And, of course, the beat. Electric DAISY 2011 Orlando May 27-28 Denver June 11 Dallas June 18 Las Vegas June 24-26 Puerto Rico August 27 Electric Zoo 2011 New York September 2-4 2011-04-29T06:02:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/1st_the_march_then_the_dance http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/1st_the_march_then_the_dance In the ‘70s, the years after the Stonewall Riots, Pride celebrations were small-scale, highly politicized events of local interest only. In 1994, millions of people swarmed into New York for the 25th anniversary of Stonewall — and so did party promoters, who took over every venue in town, even the Intrepid, a retired U.S. Navy battleship. Today, Gay Pride in major cities has become an extended weekend of nonstop Circuit parties. Some observers are wondering if the tail (the parties) isn’t wagging the dog (Pride marches). In New York, the birthplace of the modern gay-rights movement and home to the first Pride march, the original “Christopher Street Liberation Day” was full of raw emotions and fresh memories of the clash between bar patrons and police. Today’s march is more of a parade and includes plenty of corporate sponsors and floats filled with go-go boys among the organizations representing religions, AIDS providers and every gay group imaginable. Far from being treated as a pariah, the march now attracts nearly every major local politician. The police turned their backs on the original marchers. Now the crowd greets gay officers and firemen with loud cheers. As managing director of New York’s Heritage of Pride, Chris Frederick oversees the largest party of the weekend, the Pier Dance. At least 7,000 people pack a Hudson River pier to dance and incidentally raise money for the organization that puts on the march. Rather than competing with the march, he sees the dance as an integral part of Pride celebrations. “This event was started as a way for LGBT people to come together and show that they can dance with one another out in the public view,” he says about the Pier Dance.  “I think this event, more than any other event, embodies what Pride is all about. The Dance on the Pier is one of the very few spaces left where that many LGBT people can dance together. All of the megaclubs in New York no longer exist, and you will find it hard to find another event that brings that many people in one space.”  One New Yorker, however, sees it differently. Jonathan lives with his husband on the Upper West Side and is a devotee of Ric Sena’s hugely popular Alegria Pride party, but attended the march only one year. “The concept of pride to me is not something I particularly understand all that well,” he says. “I’m not proud of who I am, I’m proud of what I do. Pride has become like my Christmas; it’s really a time to celebrate. No one really remembers what it’s about anymore.” Alegria, Wonderland, DISCO: Also Celebrating Pride Sena’s original Alegria Pride in 2000 became the template for his very successful brand of regularly scheduled Alegria parties. Alegria Pride, held Sunday night after the Pier Dance, remains the most popular Alegria of the year — it regularly sells out, although tickets are often available at various times of the evening at the door. Sena believes its success is at least partly attributable to all of the out-of-towners swarming into the city — many of whom, he adds, don’t typically go to a late-night dance party. Not only does Sena not believe that his party’s appeal eclipses the march, he sees a need for a variety of options to celebrate Pride. “Alegria Pride is also a celebration that brings the community together,” he says. “Friends fly in to see each other and to have a great time. People celebrate in different ways. It can be a free event, a march or a paid event. We’re just offering something else to do.”  On the other coast, the most anticipated event of Los Angeles’ Pride weekend is Tom Whitman’s giant Wonderland party. Whitman began throwing Wonderland in 2005 because he felt that “L.A. Pride should really have a huge event that is up to par with what Pride in the entertainment capital of the world should be.” Though it has all of the glamorous, sexy elements worthy of its Hollywood setting on a Paramount Studio lot, fête, Whitman sees his partnering with AIDS Project Los Angeles as making it part of the whole purpose of Pride. “It’s important for me personally that I tie into community organizations as much as possible,” says Whitman. Nor does he believe that the success of epic parties like Wonderland distracts people from the original reason for why these Pride weekends occur. “There are a lot of ways to celebrate Pride,” he insists. “Learning about our history is important. Continuing to fight for our rights is vital. Building up less fortunate segments of our community makes us better citizens. Supporting the youngest members of our community as they come out is crucial, as is taking care of the oldest members of our community, as is remembering that the fight against HIV/AIDS isn’t over. All of these things are important and are part of being proud. But so is the celebration element of Pride. And for myself, dancing with friends and celebrating that I found my place in the world is definitely an important part of my Pride.”   Up the coast, San Francisco’s Kyle Pickett and Billy Worthen have thrown “The DISCO” for the past four years. “Pride at The DISCO is a celebration of diversity and of gay pride,” Pickett says. “I have images from last year’s event with people holding up large signs in the midst of a crowd that includes ‘Got Pride?’ and ‘Celebrate Diversity.’ The DISCO is a celebration of who we are individually and collectively.” Perhaps emblematic of the way these big parties are being incorporated into the non-profits that put on the marches, The DISCO has been an “official” San Francisco Pride event since its inception. The promoters use hosts that help raise money for San Francisco charities and, according to Pickett, “help ensure that our vision includes giving back to our community by creating a safe and fun place for our attendees to enjoy Pride.” But whether or not these large parties continue to grow in size, in collaboration with their host cities’ official Pride celebrations or not, it appears the organizers behind them don’t want to see traditional Pride festivals or parades become extinct. It’s true that even the Pier Dance’s 7,000 attendees represent only a tiny fraction of the nearly 1.5 million people who participate in and watch the big march. “In the end, each subset will do what they do to celebrate,” observes New Yorker Jonathan. “Parades don’t go away — there’s still a Columbus Day Parade. I’ve always said New York never turns down an excuse for a parade; anything to stop traffic.”  The DISCO When: Saturday, June 25 How Many Years: 4 Originally inspired by: the 1970s NYC gay nightclub Crisco Disco, The Saint in NYC, Black Party, and DJ Cary Stringfellow Attendees: 500 to 1,000 depending on venue Tickets: $50 & the event hosts listed on http://www.friscodisco.net starting April 15 Dance on the Pier When: Sunday, June 26 How Many Years: 25 Location: Pier 54 off the West Side Highway Attendees: 7,000-8,000 Flaggers: 30 Bars: 8 Minutes of Fireworks: 20 People setting up the event: 250 Security: 200 Some Past Performers: Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Hudson, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Cyndi Lauper Tickets: May $55; June 1-26 $75; Door $100, VIP $200, at http://www.nycpride.org Wonderland When: Saturday, June 11 How Many: 6 Location: Paramount Studios, Gower & Melrose Attendees: 3,000+ Aerialists: 10 Ferris Wheel: 1 Bars: 12 People working there: 100 Some Past Performers: Lady Gaga, Kim English, Kelis Tickets: $70-$80; Door $90; VIP $150 at http://www.tomwhitmanpresents.com Alegria Pride When: Sunday, June 26 How Many Years: 11 Location: Best Buy Theater (Times Square) Attendees: 3,000+ Seriously Stunning Visuals: Roller coaster; elephant; carousel; Gold Rush frontier town; spaceship; swimming pool Some Past Performers: Deborah Cox, Frenchie Davis, Ultra Naté, Jeanie Tracy, Suzanne Palmer Tickets: $80-$90. Check http://www.alegriaevents.com and join mailing list for pre-sales. 2011-04-29T05:27:04+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/atlantis_events_turns_20 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/atlantis_events_turns_20 Not too many 20-year-olds can say they have cruised on six of the seven continents, or that they have explored a range of destinations like the sun-kissed beaches of Mexico, the historic ruins in Egypt, the astonishing imperial architecture of St. Petersburg,  the endless party that is Rio’s Carnival and the most exotic ports of Asia. And all that with a couple thousand of one’s closest friends. But that is exactly what Atlantis Events has been doing for the past two decades. It all started with an idea to host a gay week at a Club Med. It sold out and the guest feedback was so positive they decided to do it again. For the next seven years that was the focus of the company. But Atlantis CEO Rich Campbell and his team have been and always will be open to new experiences. So after seven years of being on land they chartered a small cruise ship. Things, as they say, just took off from there. Today they charter some of the best ships available on the high seas to take revelers to a variety of outstanding and unusual destinations. One of the primary reasons Atlantis has been able to wow its guests over the years is that they consider themselves more of an event production company than just a cruise ship line. This focus shows in more ways than one. On any given cruise, their guests are treated to such a wide variety of activities many never bother to visit any of the the ports of call! Whether it is poolside “Project Runway,” Drag Queen Bingo, cabaret performances, comedy shows, theater productions, or headliners that have included Jennifer Hudson, Patti LuPone, Margaret Cho, and Joan Rivers, the Atlantis guest always has multiple entertainment options at any given moment. For many travelers, however, their favorite part of an Atlantis experience — as essential as salt water and seagulls — is the over-the-top, themed dance parties. The Atlantis team always brings some of the hottest DJs on the scene, including Manny Lehman, Abel, Wayne G, Brett Henrichsen, Warren Gluck and more. The production is better than most Circuit parties with mind-blowing lights and lasers run by the best in the business. Most of the events, especially the tea dances, are held outdoors on the pool deck creating a unique experience that has led one promoter to comment, “Well they took away some of my business, but I have to hand it to them, they earned it!” 5,500: The Allure of a Floating Mega-Party In honor of its 20th anniversary, Atlantis is now tackling their biggest challenge yet, chartering Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. The Allure is the largest cruise ship in the business, holding 5,500 passengers. In what is a true testament to the fact that this is one Atlantis Event not to be missed, every last room was snatched up in less than a month.  The 1,000-person wait list was filled soon after. Rich Campbell and his team are working very hard to pull out all the stops and still match the right type of entertainment and parties to fit the logistics of a ship this size. The trip will be a truly unique experience even for the most jaded Atlantis guest. They have already reserved the ship for 2012. Check their website soon after the 2011 cruise. But don’t hesitate: It, too, will most likely sell out in a short period of time. Is Rich Campbell daunted by the challenge of entertaining 5,500 people? Nah! “We will be using all three of the ship’s venues with one or two shows each night,” he says. “You may not see the same show as all your friends, but there will always be an event that will appeal to you.” There will also be multiple dance parties each night, with different themes and musical styles to handle the crowds. Despite once again taking the gay vacation experience to a higher level, Atlantis has not forgotten their roots. After a hiatus from land-based excursions they started doing the Club Med events again a few years ago. This year they are bringing the Atlantis touch back to Cancun where it all began. A Sense of Community An Atlantis experience is more than the sum of its parts, however. Sure the parties need to be fabulous, the entertainers top notch and offer something for everyone, but there is also a connection and sense of community seldom found anywhere else. Despite the hot models on the website, the passenger list is as diverse as our gay culture. (Not that there aren’t plenty of model-handsome guys.) For some, this is one of the few times a year they get to commune with so many of their gay brothers and sisters. Even those coming from the most jaded gay ghettos find themselves spending time with a wider variety of people than they would in the local clubs, bars and community groups — and loving the interaction. This creates something we rarely see, an experience completely free of attitude where everyone gets to “do their thing” free of judgment.  Guys in their 70s rediscover the joy of dancing. Younger guys get to hear something other than Lady Gaga — even jazz standards. Most importantly, people connect. Countless lifelong friendships (and loves!) have found their start at an Atlantis event. Beyond the Allure of the Seas cruise and the Cancun and Puerto Vallarta events, there are three other cruises this year. In March they head to the Southern Caribbean. In August they cruise the blue waters of the Mediterranean. In October they will put on the last party of the summer on their Mexican Riviera Cruise. Atlantis promises to make all of these events stand out in honor of their 20th anniversary. They will sell out well in advance so sign up early so you don’t miss out on that fabulous Atlantis experience. 2011-02-15T12:49:08+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/i_want_to_get_to_know_you_first_not http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/i_want_to_get_to_know_you_first_not Too much free time can be a liability. Single guys tend to spend a lot of time mooning about how nice it would be to be in a relationship. They envy the married couples around them. They complain about how hard the dating scene is. They pine over not having his-and-his towels, a nice set of dishes, and cuddling up to watch a movie. Shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond depresses them. Yes, in their quest for true love, most of the dates go wrong or end up being unfulfilling. But what happens with these romantic hopefuls when the date goes really well? Say you’re one of these guys. Now, consider this scenario: Conversation flows well. You laugh, blush, and the flirting goes on all through dinner. You talk breezily about family, friends, work, politics (not religion), and hint at sex. And then he makes a move during dessert — asking you to come back to his place and seal the deal. You really like this guy. You make out. He (not unnaturally) wants to take it to its natural conclusion in the bedroom. So he makes a move, and that’s when you say, “I really like you. But I don’t believe in sleeping with a guy on the first date. Let’s wait until the second or third date when it will be really right.” Wrong! If this is you, you know from bitter experience what comes next. He hasn’t called you back. You email him. No response. You finally text him saying that you had a great time and would like to see him again. He responds with a . You never hear from him again. Now, Cattie knows that many people think that you shouldn’t put out on the first date. Only sluts do that. You are not a prude by wanting to wait, especially if you like the guy and want something more substantial than a one-night stand. It has to be true, because your mother told you that, right? Sorry, Mom, in the real world it doesn’t work that way. Maybe for single girls. Or, more precisely, maybe it worked that way for single girls in 1962. He was interested, and you turned him down. Who said there was going to be a second date? Who said you were going to cuddle up with your new china? Who said you should put pressure on someone to fulfill your fantasy and not give him more time to get to know you? You see, there is nothing to lose by having sex on the first date, and a lot to gain. First off, you will find out real quick if you are sexually compatible. Why have four dates, two movies, and invest time and energy into someone that you end up having bad sex with? True, a relationship is not all about sex. But it is part of a solid foundation — a crucial part. Second, having sex would give you time to talk afterwards. No conversation is as relaxing as post-coital pillow talk. If all went well, you’ll end up discussing that second date. And perhaps a third and fourth. And maybe even shopping for that china. But by saying no, everything is prematurely ended. All the Single Ladies: Learn From Your Married Friends Don’t believe me? Take a survey of your longtime married friends. Trust me, you’ll find that they met randomly. They had quickie sex. They discovered after that that they liked each other, that they had a lot in common. So they moved in together. They ended up in a relationship. And they kept having great sex. When I survey my perennially single friends, I find that they have gone on endless numbers of dates that lead nowhere. As a matter of fact, most of my best friends are people I had sex with first. I often say, most of my friends are former tricks. And I have so many friends. These are the ones who didn’t end up being boyfriends but girlfriends, usually because the sex didn’t work out, but the friendship did. Don’t we all want good sex and a good relationship? As for those who insist that if you have sex too early, you may find out that you are sexually incompatible … well, that argument confuses me. While the traditional definition of a gay relationship is one on top and one bottom, that recipe isn’t written in stone. I know plenty of top-top and bottom-bottom relationships that have lasted for over 10 years. I know plenty of top-top relationships that are really bottom-bottom, and even more where it is more like flip and flop. The point is, having sex on the first date doesn’t have to include every sexual position or action. Sometimes making out and getting blown after dinner or good old-fashioned frottage (bumping skin without penetration) is enough to get to a second date. Then there’s the other guy to consider. If he says he wants to get to know you first, forget it: He finds you physically repugnant. How do I know this? Because all men are horndogs. If you go out with a guy and he finds you hot, he is going to want to jump your bones. He’ll probably have his tongue halfway down your throat before you’re out of the restaurant and his hand down your pants before you hit the sidewalk. 2011-02-15T09:49:10+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/white_wedding_party http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/white_wedding_party A recent study by the Center for Research on Gender and Sexuality at San Francisco State University confirmed what many suspected, although it was never before officially quantified: Many gay men in committed relationships not only like to play around but also approve of their partners doing the same. Researcher Colleen Hoff, in comments that were widely circulated and commented on in the media, concluded this was not only widespread but even healthy: We tend to negotiate ground rules and open relationships as a way to build trust and longevity. Such thinking extends to same-sex marriage, now legal in several nations, throughout New England and in Iowa (as well as being recognized as legally binding in a few other jurisdictions, such as New York State). At bottom, marriage, whether same- or other-sexed, is two people who have committed their lives together in a mutually supportive relationship. But that doesn’t necessarily always mean mutually exclusive. Such an open attitude extends to at least some of the committed couples that have chosen to continue to attend Circuit parties. Just as partnered men have been going dancing for years, recently legally married couples are also traveling to cities to carouse. Yes, they’ve got that “piece of paper from the City Hall keeping us tied and true,” in Joni Mitchell’s memorable phrasing. But it doesn’t mean that they are doomed to spending their nights knitting in front of Golden Girls reruns. If anything, the same promises of a great Circuit weekend are at least as attractive to committed couples. They can enjoy a break from reality, surrounded by hot men. With all that in mind, I sought out couples officially married — or at least partnered in a long-term relationship — to pose the question: “What effect (if any) has the Circuit had on your relationship?” Look But Don’t Touch (Or Do!) Marco and Mike from Houston know another couple that doesn’t go to Circuit parties because “they think it’s all about extramarital sex and drugs. They question why we go to those parties,” Marco told me. He and Mike have spent some time hashing out these issues and agree that they can go to parties without feeling the need to pick up anyone. They have come to believe that bringing a third party into the wedding bed would cheapen the union of two people committed to each other. “Besides,” Marco added, “sex with a long-time partner can offer dimensions of exploration not advisable with anyone else. Mike and I agree the physical intimate bonding between two people, gay or straight, who love each other, should remain intimate and special between the two for it to have meaning and lasting depth.” That doesn’t mean there haven’t been some lively discussions of the issue, but “at the end of it all, we agree: my body is his, and his is mine,” Marco said. “I can honestly say after 10 years of fun, notwithstanding all those pretty boys I like to admire now and then, there is no man I’d rather share my body with than him.” Peter and Robert from Montreal recently celebrated their 12th anniversary. But their attitude is 180 degrees from Marco and Mike. “One day we’ll be six feet under, and we want to make damn sure we’ve tried everything at the buffet before our time is up,” Peter said. “I look forward to the treats appearing tomorrow. And if what I ate makes me puking sick, it doesn’t mean I will never have an appetite again and won’t be back at the buffet.” Parties provide an array of treats from which to choose. David and his partner Steve, from Palm Springs, also fall more closely into the couples typified by the San Francisco study. “As gay men in American society, we have had to re-arrange what straights consider normal and moral,” David said. “To be gay is to accept that you are different in ways many people find objectionable. I decided marriage did not have to be monogamous, nor could I find a reason for monogamy. Stephen held more traditional views but over time has learned to expand beyond what he was taught or originally believed. Our relationship has evolved over the years to include solo play, threesomes and foursomes.” Another study, privately funded by two men from Oakland, Calif., buttressed the notion that gay couples are navigating their own unique form of marriage. Blake Spears’ and Lanz Lowens’ study (http://www.thecouplesstudy.com) included 86 couples. The age skewed older than the San Francisco study, so there weren’t many Circuit boys, but some couples still liked to go clubbing. Although calling monogamy “a viable option” for gay couples, they concluded that “when partners find enough common ground in their inclinations and perspectives toward non-monogamy, sanctioned outside sex is a sustainable and satisfying possibility.” Sex outside marriage allows men to “follow their nature,” they said, “meet differing needs, and seek variety without jeopardizing their relationship.” The couples did not equate marriage with monogamy. The Circuit — Good for Marriage, Except When It’s Not As for the Circuit, Phillip from Dallas jokes that “gay marriage may actually increase participation! It’s practically a honeymoon getaway already.” The Circuit, he said, is merely an extension of the kind of life they have at home. “If the couple uses the Circuit as a vacation experience, then I don’t think marriage would affect it one way or another.” Several couples do just that and remain active on the Circuit as their own Club Med. Since Xavier and Jeff live in San Francisco, they cannot get married (as of this writing), but they consider themselves very much in a committed relationship — and still love to go to parties. Nearly seven years ago, Steve Weinstein, the editor of noiZe, interviewed a New York couple that had gotten married in Toronto. They spent their honeymoon at Montreal’s Black & Blue, where they picked up a third as a mutual wedding gift. The couple has stayed happily married — and just as happily attending parties and meeting other men for mutual play. “If a couple chooses to step out in their normal day-to-day lives, then their extracurricular entertainment may or may not be affected by a so-called ‘legal’ marriage,” Phillip notes. “It’s not unlike straight married couples who enjoy swinging, right?” The Circuit is what each couple makes of it. For some, it means bonding with friends; for others, it’s a sexual adventure. “If they step out when they go to local clubs, then they’ll do it at a Circuit party,” Phillip noted. On the negative side, it should be noted that some relationships couldn’t stand the strain of being open, bringing in a third or participating in group sex. Larry and Mark had partnered in Phoenix for several years, but they broke up because there was too much outside activity. Similarly, Mark and Marcus from Toronto were no longer a couple after seven years together. Others cite reasons similar to the ones single men might give for cutting back on Circuit events or giving them up altogether: aging, issues with drug use, expenses, work obligations, health or other lifestyle changes. Ultimately, married couples are approaching the Circuit the same way they are negotiating all of the other facets of their lives. Some will play; others will look; and still others will not even go that far. As gay marriage becomes more and more accepted and a part of the social landscape, the Circuit will be seeing more men with rings on their fingers. But that doesn’t mean their eyes might not be wandering. 2010-11-03T09:49:14+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/matinee_takes_manhattan http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/matinee_takes_manhattan Late in June 2010, an Iberian breeze blew across New York Harbor. The sounds and feeling of Spain’s fabled party island of Ibiza enveloped the beach at Governors Island, a pristine enclave off the coast of Lower Manhattan that formerly housed the U.S. Coast Guard and is now parkland. New Yorkers somehow managed to grab hold of that Spanish wind and claim it as their own. This refreshing tropical zephyr felt by thousands of partygoers was the work of Matinée Group, a collective based on the Iberian peninsula. Sweeping into New York during New York City’s massive Gay Pride weekend, the group’s Saturday evening début was a direct hit of gale force. More than 4,000 partygoers, straight and gay, caught the grooves of DJ-percussionist Theresa and DJ Taito Tikaro at a phenomenal event that was hailed for its professionalism and theatricality. Two months later, Matinée New York caught the tailwinds of Hurricane Earl and once again landed on the shores of Governors Island for a second spectacle. This time the party was called La Leche Festival. Coinciding with the start of New York Fashion Week, Matinée La Leche attracted thousands of people attired in white for a fashion and theatrical extravaganza that featured the sounds of DJ Theresa and DJ J. Louis. Along with the DJs, there was a cavalcade of talent — more than thirty live performers, including chanteuse Shawnee Taylor, who sang her No. 1 hit, “Live Your Life” with its insistent (and totally appropriate) refrain, “You know you can have it all.” “Matinée is all about good energy and a fun, sexy crowd,” says Tommy Marinelli, the founder of New York Crobar. Marinelli, working with local promoters Jake Resnicow and Rob Fernandez, is committed to “bringing something fresh” to the New York club scene via Matinée New York. Since 1997, Matinée Group has been producing parties in Ibiza and Sitges, while also helming some of Europe’s largest events, including Circuit Festival in Barcelona (the biggest gay and lesbian event in Europe) and the Matinée Summer and Winter Festivals. Attended by thousands of people (a healthy dose of whom seem to have stepped out of the pages of European fashion magazines), Matinée Group’s parties have a reputation for chic Iberian glamour and excessive theatricality. “We’re trying to go back to the roots of what made New York nightlife so great: new parties, new music, new venues, a new, fresh energy,” says Resnicow, the 26-year-old founder of Management 360. Broadway-Level Production Governors Island is the ice-cream-cone-shaped island just across the harbor from the base of Manhattan. Leaving from the historic Beaux-Arts Battery Maritime Building, the Governors Island ferry affords passengers one of Manhattan’s more striking vistas: the sun descending behind the Statue of Liberty as a kaleidoscope of lights from the offices of the Financial District flicker on, making the ferry ride the equivalent to a Broadway show overture. Postcard views of Downtown Manhattan and a purpose-built stage complete with soaring proscenium has made the Beach at Governors Island the perfect locale for events like the Saint-at-Large’s introduction of the Freemasons to America’s gay Circuit and Victor Calderone’s tribal danceathons. The setting is also just right for a party determined to marry New York’s theater scene with its throbbing nightlife. And there’s no question that Matinée New York’s first two events have been marked by stellar production values. Matinée Pride featured three-story scrims by corporate sponsor A/X, which flanked aerial performers, ballerinas, go-go boys, and an explosion of fireworks. Matinée La Leche showcased fashion, with the thirty-plus performers vogueing and strutting in outrageously outsized outfits, marked by mountains of white tulle and clouds of satin and chiffon. “I always hear stories about how NYC nightlife used to be,” says Matinée New York’s Assistant Artistic Director Patrick Crough. “I’m ready to be a part of something — something for our generation.” For years, Body & Soul defined Sundays in New York, just as Danny Tenaglia’s Be Yourself event was the Friday night New York party (produced by Rob Fernandez, the third industry heavy behind Matinée New York). Both of those legendary parties became highly regarded for their signature sound. The three DJs behind Body & Soul produced numerous CDs, spawning a musical category known simply as “Body and Soul,” a melding of deep House with R&B and a heavy dollop of old-style Motown soul. Ibiza Sound: Made for Dancing Similarly, the music of Matinée has its own signature: a cool, sexy, vibrant vibe that’s fresh and vocal, thanks in large part to DJ J. Louis, the all-star deejay most often associated with Matinée. One of Ibiza’s more prolific deejays, DJ J. Louis is the producer behind more than 100 chart-topping hits, including “Shine on Me,” “Real Things,” “Pray,” and “Today Is My Day.” As for Matinée’s New York resident, DJ Theresa, she’s the sinuous siren who plays the bongos as a complement to her insanely buoyant and booty-shaking sets. With her infectious energy behind the decks (as well as onstage), it’s often Theresa who kick-starts the party even before the first ferry has docked. “Matinée is far from your typical American ‘Circuit music,’” argues Resnicow. “The music is fresh. It’s vocal. Matinée tracks just make you want to dance.” The Matinée crowd is certainly a crowd that loves to move. Earlier in the summer, at the huge Ascension oceanfront party on Fire Island, a corps of Matinée Leche go-go boys and girls made a splashy entrance and kept the energy peaking wherever they landed on Ascension’s massive dance floor. Of course, “la leche” means “milk” in Spanish — a name that has become synonymous with Matinée’s famous White Party in Barcelona and Ibiza. Matinée La Leche at Governors Island followed in the tradition, with inflatable Holstein dairy cows that bobbed over the crowd while go-go boys in dairy cow briefs worked black-and-white Spanish fans. The resultant scene was a psychedelic amalgam of the Dairy Association’s annual convention and the White Party at Vizcaya. “Everyone – gay or straight – is at Matinée to have a ‘sick’ time,” says Marinelli. For his part, Resnicow contends that Matinée “isn’t about the DJ so much as it’s about the experience. We are bringing back the experience. New York used to be like that.” Based on the popularity of Matinée New York’s first two events, it would appear that New Yorkers have voted with their feet. The response to Matinée New York has been so positive that Matinée will be back for three more events in the city that never sleeps, before its triumphant return to Governors Island again next summer. 2010-11-03T09:44:22+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_circuit_hits_the_slopes http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_circuit_hits_the_slopes In 1993, the Circuit intersected with current politics. Over half of the voters in the state of Colorado had cast their vote in favor of Amendment 2. Sponsored by Colorado for Family Values, this forced the state to overturn an earlier law that banned anti-gay discrimination. Actually, it went even further, to forbid any new laws protecting the GLTB community against any type of threat, including hate crime violence. With the shock of the event still setting in, 3,000 gay partygoers from across the country and around the globe descended upon the town of Aspen for the 16th Annual Gay Ski Week. Would gay vacationers still be welcome, even in one of Colorado’s more liberal enclaves? Where could Gay Ski Week move if we became persona non grata in Colorado, of all places? Would we still be allowed to play The Pet Shop Boys? Wait, if all of us were chased out of the Centennial State, who would be left to plan weddings? In the end, no one had to worry. The villagers of Aspen didn’t greet visitors with pitchforks. (But if they did, they would have come from Gracious Home, of course.) Gay Ski Week turned out to be a resounding success. Over the years, the concept of gay men leaving the Speedos and donning L.L. Bean has branched out to include a number of celebrations throughout the country — and now, with the addition of Switzerland’s Arosa — the world. Not only does Aspen host such an event, but Vail, Colorado; Whistler, British Columbia; and Telluride and Park City, Utah — just to name a few — all sponsor a Gay Ski Week. These events run anywhere from mid-January to late February. They are all guaranteed to be a great experience for hardcore ski and snowboarding enthusiasts. However, if you are a skier or snowboarder, mark March 16 to 20, 2011, on your calendar as dates that must be cleared immediately. Because this is the weekend when over 2,000 of your brothers (and sisters) will descend upon Mammoth Mountain in Northeastern California for the Ninth Annual Elevation Mammoth Gay Ski Weekend. The weekend will be packed with après ski socials, great dining and entertainment, and of course plenty of opportunities to hit the slopes. The main event, which promises to be “the biggest dance party they’ve ever seen,” is aptly called Cliffhanger. That poor mountain may never be the same again. And since Mammoth is the closest range that offers good skiing to Los Angeles, expect lots of SoCal hotties. For the snowbunnies who feel more at home on packed powder than they do on warm sand, Elevation is a dream come true. Pure adrenalin-pumping snowboarding and skiing, mixed with high-powered hot tub hook-ups and a dance floor bound to cause an avalanche or two make Elevation 2011 the event against which all others will be judged. When you are 80 years old and rocking in your wheelchair to “Poker Face” at Stonewall Retirement Home, you’ll be able to reminisce about that weekend when you zoomed down the mountainside. Unfortunately, the stories about what happened once you got to the bottom probably won’t be appropriate for your grandnephews or nieces. If the idea of careening down the slopes on two french fries does not sound like the best thing for your physical or mental health, there are many relaxing and invigorating leisure options to keep you more than busy while your friends are dodging trees. There are a number of day spas, shopping opportunities, bars and alternative winter sports to occupy even the shortest attention span. In fact, a number of the attendees come for the nighttime activities only. One New Yorker who attended Elevation 2010 summed it up by saying, “Ski? Me? Hell no! I’m kind of addicted to breathing.  You don’t have to ski. I slept until 3 every day and got up for the après ski events and acted like I had been on the slopes all day. I didn’t want people think I was a bum. It is what you make of it — kind of like Fire Island.” Trust me: There are plenty of people who just like to soak in a hot tub surrounded by snow and plenty of ski-buffed bodies (ever felt a ski bum’s thighs?) to keep them warm. Tom Whitman’s Snowy World Anyone who knows anything about these seemingly unholy unions between tranquil, peaceful ski resorts and the animal roar of the Circuit recognizes the name Tom Whitman. He’s the one most responsible for such a diabolically delicious marriage of snow, dance-floor swirling and après ski hot tubbing. Known up and down the Pacific Rim as one of the most active and successful gay event producers and philanthropists on the Left Coast, Whitman began in a very different career path, as a producer/director/writer in television. After nine years, he had worn just about every hat in the entertainment industry (or, as they call it in L.A., “the Industry”). He took all that showbiz pizzazz and created Tom Whitman Presents. Since then, his eponymous production company’s name has become attached to some of the best and most popular nightclubs and social events in the Los Angeles area, including Cherry Pop, Smack and Wonderland, L.A. Gay Pride’s main dance event. He has since gone on to form the Gang of 100, a group of individuals who gather to identify needy organizations and execute fund-raisers for their benefit. The individuals in the group fund the entire event, so 100 percent of all proceeds go to the charities. Whitman is as well established in mountains that tower above the tree line as he is along the beaches of Southern California. How did a guy based in a land covered with palm trees come up with the idea of getting hot men to trek up to evergreens? How did they get from bathing suits into snowsuits? “We created Elevation to bring people together in a spirit of celebration and diversity and fun,” Whitman says. “It is also about sharing that celebration with the town of Mammoth, which has always welcomed us wholeheartedly.” And Now, Switzerland Gay ski events are certainly not confined to the United States. Arosa lies in the southeast of Switzerland, not far from St. Moritz. High in the Alps at 6,000 feet, it has plenty of snow. It also has Arosa Gay Ski Week. Since 2005, this has become one of the biggest events in Arosa. Guests from over 30 countries arrive from the international airport in Zurich, two-and-a-half hours away. The 2011 week includes cultural events such as classical pianist Michel Dalberto in the village church; and singer LaDiva Live. The organizers provide Champagne tastings and other get-togethers to give participants an easygoing atmosphere apart from the slopes and the dance floor. There’s also a Fondue Party right on the mountain, nighttime sledging and a horse-drawn sleigh ride to a nearby town for a drag queen race. This year, for the first time, a local bed-and-breakfast is offering women-only accommodations. The Seventh Annual Gay Ski Week in Arosa takes place Jan. 8 to 15, 2011, with more than 400 people expected. Prices range from a five-star hotel to mom-and-pop (or pop-and-pop) B&Bs. Groups of up to four can rent a chalet. For more information contact Hitsch Leu at hitsch@arosa-gayskiweek.com. And what do attendees say about all of these leg-intensive excursions? Lawrence, an Angelino and a Circuit party regular, has been to Whistler, Elevation and a now-defunct event near Salt Lake City. “My experience is that it is fun, but the skiing/boarding itself will basically be with your own group,” he said. “You really won’t see many others on the slopes, although one day at a planned lunch stop there was a small group who had fun having lunch together.” He enjoyed the après-ski events — and apparently so did others. “There were guys I met at the parties who said: ‘What skiing? We just came up for the party!’” For a complete list of all of this winter’s ski events, check out the Winter Calendar in the back of this issue or online at http://www.noizemag.com If yo.u are interested in taking other ski trips, consider joining Ski Bums, an organization of gay and lesbian ski bums that has organized trips in the Eastern and Western United States, as well as Europe and South America. Go to http://www.ski-bums.org for more information. 2010-11-02T09:19:28+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/looking_for_love_in_all_the_wrong_places http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/looking_for_love_in_all_the_wrong_places Talk about an inappropriate location. Online?!?  I’m not talking about bars and clubs, no, I’m talking about the World Wide Web. Yes, the place people seem to gravitate to after they’ve been out at the bars and clubs. I’m not talking about the ones who are looking for Mr. Right Now. That’s perfectly understandable, and they’ve come to the right place. No, I mean the ones who are desperately seeking Mr. Right. Or at least, the ones who claim they are. False advertising at its best. Take your pick of Grindr, Daddyhunt, Manhunt, Adam4Adam, SilverDaddies, Craigslist … Why do guys shop at the wrong store for permanent merchandise? Why are they at the takeout counter when they claim they want a table for two for a sit-down meal? Marketing and sales skills are required in plenty of places outside of the boardroom. One of them is in the world of romance. It’s truly amazing how many accomplished gay men, who can navigate their way around the cutthroat worlds of business, the lively and plastic arts, media, and fashion and style are so completely clueless when it comes to looking for love. I mean, how can you be online, with a photo of your perfectly fuzzy butt staring me in the face, and then have a subtitle that says “just here for friends, no hookups,” or that old stalwart “only looking for LTR.” Oh, really? You’re looking only for friends, but your introduction is your hunky hump? What’s worse is your implication that all of those other trickable wannabes giving the guys their money shots of manscaped chest, steeped abs and the inevitable happy trail leading to your happy ending — you know, the ones who are openly (if not always proudly) looking for a hook-up — are sex-crazed tina queens. What are you doing on these sites — which couldn’t be more open about their purpose — than taking up valuable real estate where someone serious could have been? You know something? You’re being downright rude — kind of like going to McDonald’s and yelling at the cashier for Kung Pao Chicken. “Hey, I’m in the mood for Chinese food, let’s go to McDonald’s and order some?” What would the fast-food addicts around you think? A crazy man! It’s no different online. Take Grindr, the highly popular iPhone app gives you instant notice and location of nearby guys who are ready to get down and dirty. Yet, even on this most upfront of hook-up sites, you can find “Taken,” “Not into hooking up” and “No quickies” headlines — all the while having a photo of something other than their faces. If you want friends, post your face photo (yes, your face — not your backside or your torso) on genuine family-friendly social-networking sites like Facebook, Freindster, Findfred or Gay.com. These provide the appropriate venues for the shameless self-promotion of your virtuosity and pursuit of Platonic relationships. Dude, your headless, naked, rock-hard photo on Adam4Adam — the one that leads with “Just moved here, only looking for friends and workout buddies” — is making my head hurt. Both of them. Maybe it’s an age thing. Although I can’t seem to get a definitive range, this dark-night-of-the-soul hypocrisy seems to be particularly endemic in the 20-to-31 crowd. Blame it on the inexperience of youth, but really: What did your parents teach you? If you are looking for friends to “hang” and “be cool” with, why do I need to know whether or not you shave your balls but not your last name or occupation? Take “btm4topnow” for example. Facelesss, hairless, plump and obviously hungry. His profile is a simple one, simply put: “Not into hookups. Stop asking. Just good people and friends.” Hmmm, I’d stop asking if you’d stop winking. And remember that I haven’t even seen your face yet. And then there is “Seriouslyperfect,” who states, “I am aiming for perfection in everything I do, and I expect the same.” A photo of his ripped, lean, cut-up torso testifies to that. And should you wonder, “What are your hobbies, interests, friends like?” Well, it’s hard to tell, because the second line dictates: “No old, uglies, fatties or gross wierdo’s [sic]. Not here for sex, just perfection.” What a lovely online resumé. I might just come right over and make you a perfect meal, a perfect drink, and have you as my perfect pet for all of eternity. Why, I couldn’t imagine living without you, except, that you are on a sex site. Since you don’t seem to know the difference between black and white, I’ll take your perfect little attitude and put it where it belongs — in my “blocked” file. Topping it all off is my personal favorite, the eponymous “Goldenboy,” who is wading through SilverDaddies, of all places, looking for love. That normally wouldn’t raise an eyebrow, since clearly there is high demand to match wealthy older gentlemen with needy twinks.  But in this case, his “crack shot” in three layers of underwear suggests something else. “No one over 27, I will block you” is his leading line. Maybe this chicken should Google “Where to find fast food that’s healthy” and see if Grindr comes up. Meanwhile, he and the rest will continue to stand in line at McDonald’s waiting patiently for that Kung Pao Chicken. 2010-07-29T15:50:34+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/how_abel_helped_engineer_a_neighborhoods_transformation http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/how_abel_helped_engineer_a_neighborhoods_transformation It’s the late fall of 1980. The streets are empty in South Beach. The quiet beachside community of retired residents closely resembles a gigantic old folks’ home — hardly the bustling world capital of music, modeling and muscle that it would morph into in just a few years. At the moment, however, there’s no nightlife and not much to see beyond the decaying Art Deco architecture. The Mariel boatlift, a recent mass exodus from Cuba, has flooded the area with newly arrived refugees. The few people who happen to visit South Beach can only find entertainment by crossing the bay and partying in Downtown Miami, Coconut Grove or Coral Gables. But like most diamonds in the rough, South Beach just needed a little polish. There was one person who was present at the creation and helped lay the groundwork for what would become one of the hottest dance destinations in the world. Abel Aguilera had just arrived from Brooklyn, but the world would soon know him by the name DJ Abel. “South Beach was a suburb,” Abel explains. “That’s the best way to describe it. Miami Beach was a retirement community. There was no young activity there whatsoever. It was a very limited scene at the time, but I could tell it was the beginning of something big.” That is exactly what happened when Phil Smith, the owner of New York’s legendary Twilo, decided to bring his gigantic club concept to the sandy shores of South Beach. He named it 1235, after the club’s address on then still-dicey Washington Avenue. As more and more New Yorkers moved to South Beach, the club industry began to blossom, and 1235 was definitely at the center of it all. Previously known as Club Z and currently as Mansion, 1235 was one of the first major developments that changed South Beach. “It was the biggest ‘Wow!’,” recalls Abel. “It was Miami’s Palladium of nightlife,” he says, referring to the New York megaclub of the ‘80s and ‘90s. “Imagine stars like Tina Turner performing for three to four thousand people.” While Smith was putting his final touches on 1235, Abel was working as a radio DJ on Q FM 107, where he was honing his spinning in a variety of different formats, ranging from disco to pop — including, of course, House. He became somewhat of a local celebrity when Phil hired him to be the official resident DJ of 1235. Throughout the week, DJ Abel would spin for a different crowd every night. “At that time, I was doing radio and gigs at 1235. I stayed at 1235 even after Phil Smith left,” says DJ Abel. “The owners of the building kept the name for years and ran it themselves. We had radio stations piped in, so every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday there were about 3,000 people. During the summer I would spin for the teens. Sundays we would do gay tea dances, and on Saturdays it would be more of a straight crowd. It was similar to what Space [in Downtown Miami] is today. The crowd was more educated when it came to music, and that really made a big difference in the club scene.” More Clubs: Nu, Warsaw, Salvation It wasn’t long before more clubs started to pop up in South Beach, and one in particular was changing the way people partied on the island. It was called Club Nu, and it was the place to see and be seen. Gianni Versace was a regular, along with his pal Madonna and their entourage of fabulosas. “Eventually Club Nu opened up,” Abel recounts. “It was located in the building where Miami Beach’s new public library is now located. It was one of the most chic clubs in Miami Beach. It was all about fashion and all about the music. It was the place to be seen. For a while, it was a battle between those two clubs.” As the nightlife began to grow, so did the number of trendy residents, who began crowding out the elderly Jews and Cuban immigrants. More and more New Yorkers flocked to South Beach to experience the “new thing,” and, like DJ Abel, made the decision never to leave. Many of them opened chic restaurants or restored the old Art Deco hotels to their original splendor. In this case of the “chicken and the egg” however, it was definitely the dance music that came before the people, and 1235 had a lot to do with that. “I first noticed the shift from South Beach being a retirement community to South Beach being the epicenter of nightlife in 1991,” explains DJ Abel. “There was a big rush of people coming in from New York, and they were buying properties, opening stores, and fixing up the neighborhoods. That really helped create the vibe that makes South Beach so great today. “I remember in ‘92 when Paragon held its opening night party at the 1235 space. There was something like 4,000 people crammed inside the space, listening to Frankie Knuckles. I just didn’t know where all those people came from, and there were probably another 2,000 people standing outside trying to get in. I knew at that moment that something big was happening.” SoBe Finds Salvation How right he was, as one of South Beach’s most legendary clubs opened its doors. The club — located almost around the corner from Paragon) — was the Warsaw Ballroom. It had taken over a cafeteria built in 1939 by Henry Hohauser, one of the architects who helped make the area the nation’s greatest repository of Art Deco buildings. Every Saturday night, it was packed with club kids, ravers, drag queens, trendoids, and everyone and everything in between. At the time, South Beach wasn’t just about glamour; it was about being over the top, accessorizing, and, of course, music. As South Beach became more and more famous, so did DJ Abel. “Paragon took me to a whole new level, because I was fresh and new to that crowd,” DJ Abel recalls. “In ‘92, there was the beach and there was the mainland. The beach crowd was a more musically educated crowd of people, who loved music and knew all the DJs. That was what brought me up to that A-list level that was more national.” As for Paragon, it would reach the heights of fabulousness when a certain one-named musician purchased the property in 1994. (At the time, he wasn’t going by the name “Prince,” but a weird symbol.) The songwriter-performer’s entry into the SoBe nightlife scene added to the celebrity of the island. Madonna (and her local gal pal Ingrid Casares), Sylvester Stallone and, of course, Italian designer Gianni Versace became some of the many bold-faced denizens of the neighborhood. The high point of SoBe’s era of the megaclub came in 1996 with the opening of Salvation, on the fringe of South Beach on West Avenue at 17th Street. “When Salvation opened, it only made things even better for me,” Abel says, “because it put me on a national level even more, which just gave me more power and edge in my hometown.” The End of the Megaclub Era With Salvation, Warsaw, and Paragon running at full speed, the South Beach club scene was definitely popping. But the seeds of change had been planted, and, once sprouted, they took root and altered the existing ecosystem. In the case of South Beach, it was a slow easing of the scene. The factors were typical of a once-marginal area that had become hip. The very people who had been attracted by its cachet didn’t want to put up with the late-night noise (which, ironically, gave the area the cachet that brought there in the first place). As the area became more and more expensive, rising real estate prices made it hard for a large club to prove itself more valuable than a retail or residential building. One by one, the megaclubs closed their doors. By the millennium, most of the large clubs had been replaced with smaller, more intimate dance venues. Bars that had some dancing, like Score on Lincoln Road and Twist on Washington Avenue, became the new gay hangouts. There, revelers could interact with the DJ, which marked a sea change. Today, more and more partiers don’t want to just see the DJ spinning records; they want to party with him.  According to DJ Abel, South Beach is going through another transition. But even as it has become an upscale enclave of the moneyed class, he believes that the beautiful Art Deco neighborhood is still one of the hottest places in the country to party. “There are still a lot of great places and lot of great clubs in South Beach,” says Abel. “All the clubs in South Beach are five-star clubs to me. There are just so many really great places, and there’s always going to be another new place opening up just around the corner.”       2010-07-29T15:44:41+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/burning_man http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/burning_man The collective dance experience takes on an entirely new meaning at Burning Man. The annual tribal event takes place in Northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert 100 miles north of Reno in the days surrounding Labor Day. Despite the difficulty getting to, and staying in, the campsite, nearly 50,000 people participate. The easy way to typify Burning Man is as a vestige of the hippie era, a place for remnant Deadheads to get their groove on. That would be simplistic — and incorrect. It is indeed radical, and its roots hark back to the ‘60s. But it is as up to date as a Lady Gaga stadium concert. What makes Burning Man so unique is its circumstances, its guiding ethos, and the way the organizers have been able to keep true to the original vision. Anyone with a ticket is welcome. Instead of cash, participants “gift” each other to meet their needs, which can be great. Despite the emphasis on dancing, this is not a typical Circuit party weekend, nor for those who need their creature comforts — like running water, functional toilets or electricity. The environment is extremely harsh, the location about as remote as possible in the Lower 48. Clothes are optional and usually filthy anyway. Despite these obstacles, I’ve spoken to gay men from around the country who return every year. For them, this is the collective dance experience that transcends categories like gay-straight or young-old. The ritual burning of the giant wooden effigy on Saturday night symbolizes the transcendence of earthly things. This is the essence of Burning Man: an ecstatic embrace of the tribal roots of participatory dancing. Andy Pischalnikoff is a professional photographer who has been shooting Burning Man for five years, this year as a member of the official documentation team. Visit http://www.idesignpix.com for more of his work. 2010-07-29T15:24:29+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/two_decades_of_black_blues http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/two_decades_of_black_blues “People in Montreal are very open minded. People love being together — and they love meeting people from around the world.” So says Caroline Rousse, spokesperson for the BBCM Foundation. Certainly Montreal’s benevolent spirit has gone a long way toward the ongoing success of the Black & Blue Festival, now celebrating its 20th year of philanthropic revelry. The recipient of numerous international awards and prizes for its exemplary production values, technical innovation, and artistic direction, Black & Blue has been the benchmark against which other cultural festivals and dance events around the planet are measured. Black & Blue began as the brainchild of a group of altruistic and well-connected Québécoises who sought to create an event that would celebrate life even as it addressed the burgeoning global AIDS epidemic. Twenty years on, Black & Blue is the world’s largest event of its kind, a seven-day cultural festival attracting thousands of people from dozens of countries as well as the gargantuan central dance party. The first Black & Blue in 1991 was “a private event, by invitation only, in a beautiful former Bank of Montreal building never used for an event before, and the first ever all-night gay dance event approved by the authorities in Montreal,” according to Robert J. Vezina, who heads Festival Black & Blue and the parent BBCM Foundation. With the all-night template established, Black & Blue went “public” in 1992. In collaboration with New York’s Saint-at-Large, BBCM’s second event was held at Club Metropolis in Montreal’s central gayborhood, Le Village. “Over 3,500 showed up,” recalls Vezina. “The police closed the street in front of the club because too many people were trying to get in.” So successful was Black & Blue that for the first three years the event tripled its attendance. By 1994, it reached 20,000 people. But attendance at various events just kept growing until, by the year 2000, more than 75,000 people were participating in the Black & Blue Festival. By then, not only was BBCM a highly regarded, non-profit foundation, BBCM was also big news: Black & Blue was being reported on local newscasts. Some of Rousse’s students would tell her, “I just saw you on TV” or on the BBCM website. She would invariably ask them to work with her at the main event. “The best experience of their lives,” she says. “They got to be professional and to see the real world.” Not only that, but they were working for a good cause. During the course of its 20-year history, BBCM has donated more than $1.4 million to Montreal’s HIV and AIDS service organizations and LGBT community groups, all while generating more than $300 million in tourism revenues. “As a gay-based organization, BBCM has been a leader in generating funds to fight AIDS in Canada,” says Vezina. Perhaps equally important to the revenues raised, “We have raised the awareness on AIDS prevention and partying safely with our innovative programs. But the focus remains solidly on raising funds for direct care for people living with HIV/AIDS.” The entire city of Montreal has rallied around Black & Blue. Every year, Vezina says, “There’s always a really cute ‘straight’ guy who volunteers for the first time, and it’s really refreshing to see how people become excited about being a part of it.” One of the many hallmarks of Black & Blue’s main event has been the diversity of party people — in terms of age and sexual identity. “It’s funny to think that some people weren’t even born when the first Black and Blue happened,” says Rousse, “and other people I know have been coming since the very first Black & Blue. All these 18-year-olds—partying with all these people in their 40s, all at the same party. I know some people that come with their moms. And we have youngsters coming to Black & Blue with their parents.” The party is also unique as being a Circuit event that attracts a healthy number of straight partygoers. In recent years, the percentage has hovered near half — which still means many, many thousands of gay men. And the straight men who attend are at least as good looking as their gay counterparts. The Big-Big-Room Main Event The setting for the main event is perhaps the most spectacular for any Circuit party in the world. Built in 1976 for the Summer Olympics, the Stade Olympique (Olympic Stadium) had been a beloved setting for 10 Black & Blue main event. Unfortunately, the Stade, home of Quebec’s largest main room, has been undergoing reconstructive surgery, off and on, for the past decade. So BBCM decided to return to Palais des congrès, the city’s convention center — which had already hosted five main events — for its 20th anniversary celebration. “The main event would have been great at the Stade,” says Rousse. “But first, it is so expensive. Secondly, they changed the rules and regulations this year, so that everything needed to be paid in advance. Also the Stade wanted to make us sign a paper that says if the renovations occur during Black and Blue week, we have to cancel the event and take it elsewhere. And the question was, What if they pull the plug on us two weeks before Main Event? So we could not take the risk.” For now, there are only two events happening at le Stade: motocross and monster trucks. Few parties are as celebrated for their daring and innovative artistic conceptions as the main event of Black & Blue Festival—and each year has seen the complete realization of themes as varied as Humanité, Louis XIV, Nu, X-treme, Power Trip, and Supersonic. Who can forget the immense chocolate-flowing fountains at Louis XIV’s Palais des congrès? Or the massive Buddha floating overhead for Humanité? Or the full-scale jet airliner for Supersonic? The gargantuan mirror ball? The Michelangelo décor? The angels rising from Centre Field all the way to the roof of the Stade? The powder-wigged courtesans from Versailles? The acrobat on a pole parallel to the ground? The 9/11 memorial? Girlina landing into the crowd in a spaceship? The giant skateboard ramp? Performances by Human League and Seal? The red ribbon of AIDS formed by 25,000 candles glowing on the Stade’s center floor? All these theatrical effects and events, as well as so many others, have become indelibly stamped on the memory of participants, thereby insuring that Black & Blue lingers long after the party has ended. In celebration of the 20th anniversary this year, with the support of the Quebec Tourism Ministry, BCCM is planning special features, including a live concert during the main event. BBCM’s press office has confirmed the appearances of Australian singer Emma Hewitt, and Omar El Gamal of Montreal, as well as a blockbuster segment. For the past couple years, there’s been a renewed focus on the collaboration between artistic direction and lighting design. “We found that what people remembered was the lights,” says Rousse. “So now we start first with the lights.” Translation: lighting design expert François Roupinian of Lightemotion, one of the foremost innovators in lighting technology. Also returning are Sylvain Tessier in the role of technical director, and sound expert Éric Tourangeau, the man who has orchestrated nearly every Black & Blue for 20 years. Proof of how well a sound system can work at the Palais is evidenced by the fact that Bal en Blanc is also held at the Palais. As in years past, in order to better serve an increasingly diverse and international clientele of music aficionados, there will be two rooms at the Palais. “All the young people listen to trance,” Vezina says. “The main room will be House.” Having two rooms also means opening some of the toilets that were previously unavailable — a welcome change for partygoers who had to trudge a long, long distance through the massive Palais des congrès to get to the bathrooms. Apart from BBCM’s celebrated stage shows, special effects, and décor, there will be, according to Vezina, “a wide range of renowned deejays,” including, in the trance room, Aly & Fila from Egypt; and in the House room, much-beloved local superstar Mark Anthony. If there’s one name most associated with the music behind Black & Blue, that would have to be Anthony, the world-renowned DJ/producer and founder of the celebrated after-hours party Red Lite. Anthony has played 14 of the 19 Black & Blue main events, often as the party’s closer. This year’s edition marks Anthony’s fifteenth time manning the soundboards. Whoever is spinning, the focus of the party and the entire festival is on “the love of life and its diversity,” as Vezina puts it. Invariably, that spirit finds its way to the dance floor. From Oct. 6 through Oct. 12, come and experience for yourself the magnitude of Montreal’s generous heart as well as its beat. 2010-07-29T15:11:41+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/alegria_at_ten http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/alegria_at_ten It was the last weekend of April 2000. In Washington, nearly a million LGBT people converged on the Capitol for the Millennium March. For many people, the highlight of that historic weekend in D.C. was the afterparty at the Post Office Pavilion. Produced by a visionary Brazilian with a background in theatrical production, the party was a major success and immediately became the template for what would become one of the most popular parties around the world. The man behind the magic that night was Ric Sena. “I was not thinking long-term,” he recalls. “But that first party in D.C. went really well.” Later that year, in June 2000, Susan Morabito’s legendary New York Sunday night party after the Pier Dance and the Pride March had been cancelled. “She was so disappointed,” Sena says. “I said, ‘Susan, if I find a venue in New York, would you spin for me?’” Sena got on a plane and talked to Beto Sutter and John Blair, who were still producing the fabulously successful Saturday nights at the Roxy. They talked him up to Richard Grant, the owner of Sound Factory (now Pacha). Sena knocked on the door of Sound Factory, talked to Grant, and signed a check to secure the space. The party sold out. Alegria was born — and gay nightlife has never been the same. That Alegria Pride also marked the inauguration of the Sound Factory as Alegria’s first New York home. It quickly established Alegria as the benchmark for marathon parties marked by superlative production values, the hottest go-go dancing musclemen, and sheer hedonistic joy. Starting in January 2001, Sena began holding Alegria Sunrises, morning parties that grew to 1,500 attendees in three months. With more than 12 years producing theater in Brazil, Sena had a background perfectly suited to creating an event that combined the spectacle of Cirque du Soleil, the energy of the Roxy, and the erotic frisson of a porn shoot. “The party had a look,” says Sena. “My boyfriend Mike and I would go out everywhere with flyers in our pockets. We invited everyone — the most interesting, the most fun, hot boys. People would always ask, ‘How do you get so many good-looking boys?’ We had a lot of friends. Those 400 couldn’t have been more fierce — and they would tell their friends. And that way, we met the right people who were really fun.” As soon as Sound Factory owner Richard Grant realized what Sena had accomplished with the sold-out Alegria Pride 2000, he gave Sena carte blanche: “Richard got all excited. He liked what I was able to create there. He loved Alegria. He was so proud. He offered me the club if I wanted to keep doing it.”  The Advent of Abel Those who know their New York nightclub history know that Sound Factory — the incarnation on 46th Street, not the one in the space that later held Twilo — had opened in 1997. Sena’s was the only gay event at the new Sound Factory, “so that made it even more special,” he adds. “If you wanted to go to a gay party at Sound Factory, you came to Alegria.” It was on Presidents’ Day Weekend in February 2001 that a DJ little known to the denizens of New York nightlife made his debut at Alegria at Sound Factory. After that night, it only took a New York minute before everyone was talking about Abel Aguilera, who has become the DJ most closely associated with Alegria. With the addition of Abel’s infectious cha-cha beat, all the elements were in place for a party to rival the legendary clubs of New York’s nocturnal history.  As Sena recalls, “The Sound Factory would almost explode. There was so much energy. It was the right crowd, and a lot of things came together. Ten different things all at once: the hot boys; the bartenders; the music; the club; the crowd; the décor. People were talking about it everywhere — all over the States and in Europe.” With a schedule averaging seven to nine parties a year, most of them on the Sundays of three-day weekends, Alegria turned into a major Circuit destination. Boys (and, yes, girls, and good-looking, hip straight couples, too) from around the globe flew into New York. When a brand-new mega-club opened in West Chelsea on West 28th Street, Alegria moved to its second home, the gorgeously appointed Crobar, in January 2004. “The timing was amazing,” Sena says. “Crobar was finally ready and they called me. So then I left Sound Factory. It was not a good ending.” (The Sound Factory has since been taken over by Pacha, but that’s another story. ) A purpose-built club with a capacity of 3,000-plus, Crobar was the first club since the demolition of the Palladium to rival the spacious grandeur and awe-inspiring technology that marked New York nightclubs such as Studio 54, Paradise Garage, and the Saint. According to Sena, “Sound Factory was about the energy — the energy on the dance floor, the heat and all that. But when Alegria went to Crobar, visually, it was something so different, something nobody had ever experienced in New York. Crobar was amazing. And I had the only gay event there, so if you were gay and you wanted to party at Crobar, you came to Alegria.” During the next four years, Alegria secured its global reputation for stellar events filled with some of the hottest boys and men on the planet, all dancing to music that became known as the “Alegria Sound.” There was the release of three double CDs from resident Abel, Alegria, Alegria Musica, and Alegria Universo. Then there were the songs written specifically for Alegria. “Waiting for Alegria,” “Universo Alegria” and “Café con Alegria” became dance-floor standards. The party became synonymous with a sound that fused tribal, House, and cha-cha into a distinctive and propulsive rhythmic backbeat, over which the resident DJs layered vocals, melodies, percussion and drums. Jaw-Dropping Décor, Dance Divas, DJs Apart from the distinctive sound, there was also the décor. “At Crobar, with its high ceilings, what made the difference were the decorations, and there were some really amazing sets,” says Sena. Among the more memorable: the spaceship; the swimming pool; Batman; and the prison party. The latter, which took place at the 2004 Alegria Xtreme, was particularly intense. The phenomenal set designs were all created in Brazil and shipped to New York, including such jaw-dropping sets as a helicopter flying overhead (evoking the Broadway hit Miss Saigon); a roller-coaster for Alegria Xtreme 2006; an elephant beneath a circus carousel; and an entire Gold Rush frontier town, complete with general store and sheriff’s office; as well as the aforementioned mothership, which landed inside the club, disembarking an entire crew of extraterrestrial Circuit boys. For a New York-themed party, pieces of yellow cabs were hanging from the ceiling; the bartenders were Yankees; the center column was wrapped to look like the Empire State Building, complete with lights. The performers included dance divas, porn stars, and Circuit personalities like Deborah Cox, Frenchie Davis, Ultra Naté, Jeanie Tracy and Suzanne Palmer, just for starters. The stable of DJs expanded beyond residents Abel and Tony Moran to include at various times Eddie Elias, Ralphi Rosario, Alyson Calagna, Dudu Marquez and Micky Friedmann. “I have to like the music,” says Sena. “There are some DJs that I feel really comfortable with, and certain DJs I started listening to and brought to Alegria. There’s a time to open people’s ears to new music — something different, but the right ‘different.’ Alegria is celebrating ten years of bringing the best music to New York City.” The annals of New York nightlife are littered with nightclubs and parties that have come and gone. It takes vision and creativity to outlast clubs such as the Saint (1980-1988) and Paradise Garage (1977-1987) and even Studio 54 (1977-1986). That longevity in such a fickle town makes the upcoming tenth anniversary of Alegria on Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010, all the more noteworthy. “Alegria would not be what it is if it was not in New York,” says Sena, who works out of an office in Miami Beach. “This tenth anniversary party is going to be about New York, a thank you to the Alegria family and New York City, so I hope I can get the crowd that really enjoyed the early years of Alegria. I hope they show up on Labor Day because that’s what the celebration is going to be.” For ten years, Alegria, under the aegis of Sena, has repeatedly packed the dance floor with some of the most extraordinary specimens of male beauty, all dancing in joyful abandon from Sunday night right well into Monday afternoon. Plan on Alegria 10, being held Labor Day Weekend, to be one of those parties people still remember at the dawn of another decade. 2010-04-27T05:50:38+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/hop_to_it http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/hop_to_it Kangoos will improve posture, while they give you a full cardio workout. You only have to worry when you’re not moving. Mario Jone’t Green’s classes show you how to use these fabulous, unique fitness shoes. In the year 2010, anyone can read a paper, access the Internet, communicate with a healthcare specialist or look at the party photos in noiZe, know the importance of regular exercise. Yet for some of us, the thought of stepping foot in a gym fills us with the type of fear and loathing usually reserved for the dentist’s chair. This feeling of dread is often misinterpreted or misunderstood as laziness. True, some of us would rather sit on our sofas with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey watching Valley of the Dolls for the 89th time. If this sounds familiar, understand that you have lost your right to complain when summer arrives and you can’t wear that bathing suit you bought in November. Sloth, however, only accounts for a small percentage of the inactive majority. Those of us afflicted with short-attention spans are subject to mind-numbing boredom when facing a regimented and stale workout. There are those with serious injuries or weakness of joints who must be cautious of any activity above low impact. This is a serious issue, and neglecting this concern could result in sacrificing mobility permanently. If any of these problems stand between you and the fitness and health you desire, look no further. That chiseled Circuit boy body really is attainable. Start your road to physical salvation with a visit to http://www.mariothetrainer.com . Fitness expert Mario Jone’t Green is currently based in New York, but he has worked extensively and is especially well known in Chicago. For over seven years, he has taught at Crunch gyms. Mario is certified in Mat Pilates, Body Web TRX, BOSU/Kickboxing, and Cardio Dance. A fitness nut since age 18, he wants to motivate and inspire others to attain the highest level of physical fitness they can achieve. From the testimonials of those who have taken his classes, you quickly discover that he is a strongly charismatic leader with a big heart and a tower of strength to those he touches with his message and support. He drives his students and clients to obtain their goals, and his success rate is staggering. His charisma and strong personality is based in his extensive theater and dance education and background. His dance resume includes work with famous performers like Madonn, Rihanna, Backstreet Boys, Kevin Aviance, and Kristine W. Childhood obesity and losing his mother at an early age made him realize that he could be destined to the same fate if he did not make significant changes in his exercise and eating habits. The fact that he has been there himself motivates him to help others make the choices that will lead them to living longer, richer lives. ‘Safe, Low-Impact Rebound Sports Shoes’ It was not until three years ago at a fitness expo that Mario was introduced to the product that would define his career. The Kangoo Jump boot had just arrived on these shores, having already caught fire in Europe. He approached this newfangled exercise apparatus with the same skeptical eye that most have at first sight of the boot. He has since become a true believer: “Kangoo Jumps are safe, low-impact rebound sport shoes, providing many great health benefits for everyone, any age,” he says. “They are so much fun you’ll forget you’re exercising to get into better shape. Because you are rebounding against gravity, you are burning up to 50 percent more calories than in normal shoes. They promote rapid weight loss, induce endorphins and euphoria, and increase energy. Never has a sport been so enjoyable, safe, and easy to learn. I’m big because I lift heavy weights, and I’m chiseled because I use Kangoo Jumps.” The boots are of molded plastic like ski boots, but much more flexible. They have to be because you run in them. At the bottom is attached an ellipse with tension bands (like a Soloflex machine) that flattens and pulls out as you move. The effect is not unlike a micro-trampoline, with the same feeling of defying gravity. The boot not only puts a spring in your step, but it also turns any low-impact aerobic activity into a major calorie-burning event. The theory is that your muscles work twice as hard to stay in motion because of the give in your step. There is very little stress put on your joints so the boot is safe and even beneficial for those with injuries or joint problems.  The result is a lean, toned lower body, while the upper body benefits from the act of balancing. You use muscles to remain balanced while moving—muscles that you wouldn’t use wearing an athletic shoe. The consistent tension works to tone the upper body and create a chiseled torso with improved posture. The only time you have to worry about falling, ironically, is when you are standing perfectly still. You move, you’re fine. You stand still, you fall. Great motivation! Not Only Safe But Healing Set to the music of Lady GaGa, Mario works the class into what can best be described as a “life-affirming frenzy.” Watching the footage of a class on YouTube makes you want to immediately throw down the $200 for the boots, strap on your iPod, and go for a marsupial jaunt through the park. Mario is quick to emphasize the versatility of the boot, which can be worn for running, dancing, cross training, toning, and weight loss, but is often used for its original purpose, injury rehabilitation. In fact, the boot is known to improve posture, balance and coordination and can be used on any surface except sand and ice. In only three years, Mario has introduced the Kangoo Jump to every corner of the country. He has taught classes in San Francisco, St Louis and Miami. The Chicago Tribune called his class at Crunch the “Best Workout in Chicago.” Mario has appeared on news shows in New York, St. Louis, Chicago, and on The Today Show. His next appearance is set for May 14, when he will make a “Kangoo convert” of Tyra Banks on her popular talk show. In the coming year, Mario plans to reach everyone in America with his message that fitness is fun when you are wearing Kangoo Jumps. His dream, he says, “is to have Times Square filled with people of all ages dancing in Kangoo Jumps. If his current success continues, we could definitely see a mass of marsupials in the middle of Manhattan. 2010-04-27T05:46:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/in_praise_of_three-ways http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/in_praise_of_three-ways Question: What do you call a lover after five years? Answer: roommate. Second question: What’s the gay male equivalent of “lesbian bed death”? Answer: porn. Forget all the lovey-dovey stuff. I always say that you know when the honeymoon is over for good when you casually walk into the bathroom to shave while the love of your life is relieving himself on the can. Once you’ve seen (among other senses) Poopsie on the pooper, it’s hard to go back to the idealized man you bed and wed. That’s OK! A real-life relationship isn’t all moonlight and magnolias, nor should it be. It’s paying bills and cleaning up after he’s upchucked too many sliders and removing his back hair. As I wrote recently in Next Magazine, straight men have been dealing with this for centuries. Some psychologists call it the Madonna/Whore Complex. It’s hard to see the Madonna, the pure Mary-like mother of his children, as a hottie, let alone a ‘ho. Not to mention the weight gain from those pregnancies (and yes, I know this is a two-way street; middle-age spread affects both sexes). Speaking of ‘hos, a lot of straight men, frustrated with the “not tonight, I’m too tired” line, seek their pleasure elsewhere, in the company of real-life sex toys. The only reason why we snicker at Tiger Woods, Bill Clinton, every politician from South Carolina, every New York governor and every NBA star is because everyone knows about their straying. What it comes down to is that there are two types of men in this world: the sluts and the liars. The Third Way Does this sound vaguely familiar? You’re not alone, despite the media portrayal of gay men as 24/7 horndogs — an image aided and abetted by ourselves. If gay men don’t have an equivalent term for lesbian bed death, it’s only because our egos won’t allow us to acknowledge it. In January, a study conducted by researchers at San Francisco State University caused a ruckus when it revealed that—gasp!—gay men’s relationships are far more open than straight ones. Yeah, I hear you: Tell me something I don’t know. “With straight people, it’s called affairs or cheating,” Colleen Hoff told the New York Times. “But with gay people, it does not have such negative connotations.” As long as both sides know the rules, I don’t see anything wrong in stepping out once in a while. But for some people, it’s still cheating. Or they feel guilty — especially if it’s more fun than spooning with the spouse. But there’s a third way: the three-way. It’s like cheating, only you’re both doing it. The concept of adding a third is nothing new in gay life. In that proto-gay urban male dramedy The Boys in the Band, Hank and Larry are a couple working out Hank’s need to fuck around with Larry’s serial monogamy (he left a wife and kids). They argue about whether a ménage à trois — “Two’s company, three’s a ménage,” as bitchy Michael puts it — might solve the problem. After two decades of gin-soaked truth sessions on Fire Island, I should be able to qualify as a relationship expert — not to mention my own (ahem!) empirical experience into the subject. I can confidently report that if Hank and Larry didn’t come to that conclusion, Hank’s compulsive promiscuity and Larry’s jealousy would have ended the relationship. The joy of the three-way is that it turns that sober Suzy who trudges to work every day and the gym every night back into the sexy pig you originally fell for. Anyone who has been in a relationship three-way has told me the same thing: In the middle of the action, one partner will relax and watch his significant making love to a beautiful stranger. If you ask him what’s wrong, he’ll tell you he’s getting off watching you having sex with someone else. It’s like making a sex tape, only it won’t end up on the Internet (and in your boss’ email). Pleasure and Pitfalls The best moment, however, comes after the third leaves and the two of you explore each other as if you’d just met. A third also allows you to try out those fun positions you’ve been watching on the porn DVDs. There’s the double-fuck (two pegs, one hole), the daisy chain (top-top-bottom) and the triangle (69’ing all around). Picking up a third, ironically, is much easier on the Internet than hooking up solo. It’s like walking into a ready-made mini-orgy. Make sure the potential trick knows what you both look like, however; as well as having your (honest) vital stats, kinks and fetishes. Most important: Both of you should be attracted to him — and he into both of you. When a trick walks in and says that most ego deflating of phrases, “This isn’t going to work” after seeing the second guy, expect the relationship to enter full-tilt crisis mode. Now, if you are someone who likes three-ways (and who doesn’t?), a word of advice: At a club or online or at the gym, if you think a couple is coming onto you, make a play for the guy you perceive to be the less attractive one. Once he’s persuaded you’re into him, you’re set with both. Trust me, it works every time. Are there any potential pitfalls to two committed people indulging in threeways? Glad you asked that. If a couple becomes dependent on threesomes, that’s a sign of real trouble in the relationship. Or it could mean that one partner is jaded. Or he’s not turned on by his partner. If that’s true, the two of you can’t use three-ways forever to mask the very problems that may ultimately undermine your partnership. Better to get it out into the open and work it out than depend on steady sex with a third. You can also become one of those dreary couples always on the make. We’ve all seen them on the dance floor: eyes darting everywhere but on each other, turning guys into cream filling for their human Oreo. Not only does it inhibit the sheer fun of dancing, but it gives off a distinctly icky — even desperate — vibe. Much hotter: Being into each other and letting the other guy discover you. Make a subtle invitation with your eyes but let it be known you think the guy you’re with is hot as hell. Then there’s the dilemma of the guy who thinks a trick is the real deal. Forgetting Harvey Fierstein’s dictum that a thing of beauty is a joy until sunrise, some people actually believe that recreational sex means something. Big mistake. Just ask John Edwards. The publishers of this august journal tell the cautionary tale of a couple they knew. They broke up — after 10 years! — when one of them was convinced a threeway partner was the real deal. Well, a fine romance that was — less than six months, and now there are three more unhappy people cruising the bars along the Santa Monica Boulevard strip. You might want to set up some rules beforehand: no repeats — within a certain period of time, or ever (up to you); no contacting the third privately or when the spouse is out of town; no social events — dinners, cocktails, movies — with the third. Don’t let the pitfalls scare you, however. If you’re not feeling the love, consider inviting a third in to make those bedsprings do their work again. And remember: the couple that strays together, stays together.   2010-04-27T05:10:25+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_straights_are_coming http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_straights_are_coming The 1962 film Advise and Consent broke the Hollywood Production Code when it showed a scene in a Manhattan gay bar. What was shocking then may be only of historical interest today, but the iconic scene perfectly captured a moment in time: unmarked from the street, several steps underground, the patrons uniformly men—all impeccably turned out in Mad Men suits. Flash forward several decades to G, the ultra-popular Chelsea lounge. A huge window takes up nearly the entire street front of the bar’s brick facade. It fairly screams, “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re drinking.” The clientele, too, differs greatly from its pre-Stonewall counterpart. It’s no coincidence that G invented an icy twist on the preferred drink of the four Sex and the City über-fag hags. While the vast majority of the patrons are good-looking gay men, there is a healthy smattering of women, and even the occasional straight men. I remember taking a straight male friend to G a few years back. Not a particularly attractive guy (OK, he’s homely), he had a great time, thanks to a pair of beautiful women flirting with him. Apparently, they figured that if he could hang with his gay homie, he had to be cool. We’ve gone from pariah status to status symbol. The situation is similar in other bars in other cities. It is a phenomenon everyone has noticed. They’re socializing with us, true. But more and more often, they’re there by themselves. And sometimes they’re even—gasp!—kissing. Some see this as a healthy outgrowth of society’s growing acceptance of homosexuality. With gay men becoming more open about our sexuality, and the rest of the world more accepting, heterosexual friends and colleagues feel comfortable mixing with gay friends. We, on our part, welcome them into our formerly exclusive spaces. Others, however, believe we have lost something intangible: safe spaces where we could be ourselves without prying or judging eyes; our sense of specialness. You can scoff that the status of gay bars is hardly a touchstone issue. But for years, these were our town center, our meeting place, our safe space. Even now, in smaller cities and suburbs that don’t have a gay center, bars serve as a place where young people can come out and older people can socialize without fear. One who has noticed and doesn’t like what he sees is a blogger who calls himself “Jewish Author Tough Gay Activist Bear,” or J.A.T.G.A.B. The very few straights who went into bars even ten years ago “were generally accompanying gay friends, were very gay-friendly and supportive, and knew how to behave in a gay bar,” he writes. Today, straight folks are attracted to our scene because of depictions on Will & Grace or Queer as Folk and go into gay bars like a petting zoo with better accessories. “Straights today often go into gay bars for the wrong reasons and with the wrong attitude,” he continues. They’re there for titillation, to be hip and a bit naughty. Not long ago, I walked into Vlada, a Midtown Manhattan bar that has become popular with groups of single women, and seeing a straight couple making out at the front table. No one seemed to mind or even notice, I might add. J.A.T.G.A.B., however, is especially upset seeing such displays of affection, “as if arrogantly assuming that every gay person is just dying to watch ‘normal’ people show them how it’s done.” Why can’t they stick to their own, far more numerous, bars? Why do they have to come to ours? In the case of G or Vlada, the answer might be simply that these are great spaces—as nice or nicer than comparable straight bars. But Addam Stobbs asked recently in the Australian Q Magazine whether the increased presence of straight folks is a result or a cause of decreased gay bar cruising. The many straights he saw on a recent bar outing “seemed to blend in quite seamlessly,” he wrote. “None of them looked uncomfortable, none of them looked as though they were there to see the ‘freak show’; in fact they seemed to be having a good time with their gay friends. There were a number of straight girls there as well, all getting on really well. There was no sexual tension. None.” Is it, as some allege, the predominance of Internet hook-up sites that has made bars a place where we might have a drink or two with friends but would never consider as a place to look for sex? Or is it, as Stobbs believes, a generational difference? “The group who seems to be the least interested in casual sex are the younger gay guys,” he noted. “There are a lot of randy old buggers at most sex-on-premises venues, very few younger.” It’s certainly true that younger gay men are much more comfortable with straight counterparts. Does that contribute to, or is it a cause of, their not hooking up in bars? Consider the Other Side Now consider the situation from the other side. Straights believe they are often made to feel unwelcome. One male commenter on Boston’s Yelp site related an unpleasant incident when he accompanied a gay colleague and some women into a bar. After overhearing guys complaining about “that fishy smell” and making other misogynistic comments, he told them, “You wouldn’t like it if you walked into a straight bar and were treated the same way, would you?” More recently, Brian Moylan, a gay writer on Gawker, initiated a heated discussion when he criticized straight women for wanting a gay friend, as though we were the latest chic toy breed or must-have accessory. “Do not come to our clubs,” he warned fag hag wannabes. “A gay bar with too many women—especially the kind of club where frisky things are going on—makes everyone uncomfortable. Also, any gay in a bar with a girl is almost guaranteed not to get laid. When it’s a night out at the gay bar, please stay at home.” I recently wrote a story on stag hags, the newly minted male equivalent. Several of these BFFs to gay boys told me they didn’t so much mind getting hit on in bars (an occupational hazard, they realized). But they did object to nasty comments about their presence. Sue Sena, the founder of SWISH, told that the group initially brought together straight women and gay men—hence the name, an acronym for “straight women in support of gay men.” But now, there are enough straight men to render that inaccurate. Basketball star Dennis Rodman wrote in his 1996 autobiography about how he preferred gay bars and felt more at ease with gay men. When he played with the San Antonio Spurs, Rodman befriended another player because he wasn’t freaked from a visit to a gay bar. Stag hags often cite our well-developed sense of humor, aesthetics and bromance abilities. But they also remark on how they feel much less competitive and at ease in our bars. The Abbey is one of the best-known bars in West Hollywood. Voted the “best gay bar in the world” last year in an online poll by Logo viewers, ironically, it has become less exclusively gay, to the point where one activist was considering a demonstration to take back “our” bar. Owner David Cooley pooh-poohs such naysayers as practicing “reverse discrimination.” The Abbey remains solidly gay, he insists. If anything, it’s become “a shining example of the progress we have made as a community. No more back alley entrances to bars catering to an underground, closeted gay community.” To those who complain that “they” are invading “our” space, Cooley just smiles and shrugs: “I love when customers say, ‘This is the first place where I was comfortable when I was coming out,’ but also, ‘I can bring my friends here.’ Isn’t that what we were fighting for?” 2010-02-13T18:22:24+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_wasted_war http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_wasted_war Quick, name the unwinnable war that America is still engaged in that costs taxpayers a staggering $600 per second, kills nearly 15,000 Americans per year, and incarcerates over one million people annually, making us the country with the highest percentage of its population kept in captivity. A public relations war against a nebulous concept that has only flourished while we continue to pour money and manpower into its gaping maw. It’s the Drug War, and if war in general is good for absolutely nothing, this one is dramatically more so. The War on Drugs has never been a war that was meant to be won. The Law of Unintended Consequences runs rampant through its history, as a sprawling global black market syndicate emerged to fill the void where a legal, regulated market should be. By grouping all illegal substances under the generic rubric of “drugs” and refusing to make any meaningful distinctions between them, absurdities abound. Take our shameful record of imprisoning a huge portion of our young African-American population merely for having weed on them. Over 10% of all black men aged 18-29 are in jail on drug-related charges. Compare that to the 1.5% of young white men in jail on similar charges. Once mandatory sentencing went into effect in 1986, the average federal drug sentence for African-Americans went from being 11% higher than white people to 49% higher four years later. With a black president in office, it would seem to be high time (pun intended) to stop this disturbing practice. With a demented factory-like efficiency, we are churning low-level weed dealers in and out of our bloated prison system—and making them into hardened criminals along the way. What drugs we’re ingesting in undiminished amounts will remain questionable, since there is zero oversight or quality control in their production. Recently released documents from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency showed that almost a third of all the cocaine being imported into the U.S. had levamisole in it as a cutting agent. Levamisole is a dangerous livestock deworming medicine that has already taken three lives and put dozens more in the hospital. Most party people are familiar with “bad pills” that came from god-knows-where and contain pollutants like speed, caffeine, heroin, or dangerous obscure chemicals meant to simulate a high instead of giving you a real one. A recent piece in The Washington Post revealed that homegrown high-end quasi-legal marijuana crops from inside our borders are giving the Mexican cartels a run for their money and slowing their sales. How many billions have we wasted attempting to do the same thing with militia units and black helicopters? Increasing the quality of our weed supply with American-grown crops while crippling the Mexican murder/kidnapping industry would certainly be more effective at reducing the casualties of this war than decades of paramilitary waste and corruption. Absurdities Abound The absurdities of their Drug War, however, have reached their nadir in Afghanistan, where 90% of the world’s heroin is grown and cultivated in the poppy fields that have traditionally provided the only stable source of income for many Afghani tribes. A government analyst specializing in the region and studying the narcotics industry there spoke to noiZe on condition of anonymity. He told us that addressing opium production from a practical economic and political perspective instead of our knee-jerk law enforcement would save “billions of dollars and thousands of lives” in Afghanistan alone. He thinks we are in a unique position right now to steer the country in a better direction. “What we’re seeing now is total market saturation,” he said. “By some accounts, there is enough opium stockpiled in Afghanistan to supply the entire planet for two to five years. So, because the price of opium has crashed, and at the same time the global food crisis has spiked the price of crops like wheat and barley, farmers are finding they can make an equivalent income by growing legal crops.” But not if we continue to raze their poppy fields and treat them all like drug kingpins. He also notes that “opiates are artificially restricted in the U.S. Drug companies can only produce, market, and sell so much here, so flooding the global market with opium won’t lower their cost or increase their availability.” In other words, if we stopped meddling with their poppy fields right now, it would have zero effect on the price, the supply or the demand for opiates. All of our ham-handed attempts to regulate that market only serve to piss off the people we claim to want to help. We spend billions of dollars and countless lives for nothing over there, and while stymieing any real progress for the Afghan people. Why Are Some Drugs Illegal? What are “drugs” exactly? How did a concept and activity as old as mankind become manipulated, along with our emotions and fears, into something much more sinister than reality dictates? How are children supposed to make informed choices about their extracurricular activities when all they are told is “Just say no”? Once they puff on that first joint and don’t see anything bad happening to them, they’re likely to assume that all drugs have gotten a bad rap, which may lead them to experiment with things that could actually prove dangerous. At the same time, legal substances such as the massive amounts of amphetamines that we pump into our children when they can’t focus at school are given a stamp of approval, mixing the message even further. How do Adderall and Vicodin get a pass while ecstasy and marijuana are demonized? Children aren’t stupid; they figure this kind of hypocritical bullshit out very quickly. How dangerous are drugs, when you really look at the numbers? All illicit drugs combined killed less people in 2006 than the following causes of death did individually: tobacco, poor diet, car crashes, and suicide. Not just by a little bit, but by whopping margins. Also, both alcohol and prescription drugs killed more people than illicit drugs that year, four times more and two times more, respectively. This is most certainly not due to a lack of supply or demand: Nearly 10% of Americans use illegal substances. This leaves some pretty big questions unanswered. Why have we wasted almost $40 billion this year alone, in the middle of a crippling recession, on this senseless war? Three out of four people who use illegal drugs use marijuana, which accounts for zero deaths in any given year. Why are we throwing them all in jail? Why do we divert precious law enforcement resources to bust up harmless parties in major cities where most people seem to be having a good time safely? Why do we attempt to brainwash people with ineffective advertising funded by taxpayer dollars that has been proven time and time again to actually increase drug use instead of curb it? There are signs of hope. Recent reports have shown that California’s marijuana trade could benefit the faltering state to the tune of $1.4 billion in revenue if they went ahead and started officially regulating the drug. It could also have environmental benefits, as it would curb and organize some of the reckless illegal farming that occurs now. Much like the reality of gay marriage in some states dispels the myths about the dangers it supposedly represented to the institution, the quasi-legal medical marijuana industry that has sprung up in states like California and New Mexico hasn’t led to wild orgies, the classic anti-weed propaganda film Reefer Madness notwithstanding. Perhaps the drug warriors were right about one thing, though, marijuana probably is the gateway drug. The gateway out of the Drug War. More and more, Americans seem to be giving up on the idea that drugs, as a concept, are some sort of existential evil that must be eradicated. With adults back in the White House, the Obama Justice Department. announced earlier this year that it would not prosecute medical marijuana distributors who comply with state laws. They also announced that the term “The War on Drugs” would not be used any longer, which is an important symbolic first step to ending the madness of this wasted war. 2009-11-01T03:40:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/circuit_spirituality http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/circuit_spirituality From time to time, we at noiZe feature a classic article from Circuit Noize. This one, adapted from 1996, is by Christian Hart, who has studied the sociology of AIDS. I always tell people if you want to feel God, or the presence of God, you have to go to the most packed Circuit event, or a packed gay bar. Grab your partner and head out until you’ve worked your way to the very center of the dance floor, underneath that big ball. Erase from your mind the decadence around you and feel the vibration in the music coming at you from every direction. Straight people may go to church for their spirituality, but Circuit events are my form of church and the DJs are my priests. So someone said in an interview back in 1996 in now-defunct Genre magazine. Circuit parties as church? An outrageous statement—which I happen to understand completely. I am beginning to find in conversations with friends and strangers that many other gay men do as well. In discussions where I uneasily mention my sense of spirituality at Circuit events, I have been surprised and relieved to find others who feel exactly the same way, but who thought they were alone in that experience. How can a Circuit party be spiritual? Something deeply important is wrought collectively and unconsciously by your community. You may have to let go of the idea of spirituality as defined by traditional Judeo-Christian ethics to go where I’d like to take you. Some of us have the sense that the Circuit has a meaning for gay men that involves a community-wide creation of a new—or maybe ancient—form of ritual involving music, dance, sexuality and at times, even drug use. The Circuit can be seen as both a reaction to and progression from the era of AIDS. To see this, one needs to view the Circuit from a historical perspective. The early party scene centered on the major dance clubs of the ‘70s and early ‘80s: The Saint, Trocadero, Probe and others were places where we created communal bonds. That early party scene focused heavily on affirming our community’s burgeoning sexuality. We rebelled against the lie that our love was wrong or even that sex outside of a relationship was wrong. Then came our Dark Ages. How AIDS Affected the Scene The party scene gave way to the massive loss and grief experienced by so many of us. Entire social networks—families of gay men—died out. The mind-numbing number of deaths impacted all of us. Many feared becoming infected or infecting others. Some dreaded any physical contact, let alone sexual. Yet humans require touch by others. Perhaps nowhere is this greater than among gay men, who have been taught that touch between men is taboo. HIV cast a great fear about sex among us but couldn’t lessen our need for contact. That fear, however, expanded to intimacy: How will I cope if I get close to this man and he dies? Is his T-cell count lower than mine? How will I reveal my own serostatus? What if he’s not positive (or negative) like me? The disease put a major damper on our ability to connect with each other, physically and emotionally. But it also forced us to grow in other ways. We realized the importance of taking care of our own. We expressed courage in the face of death. We achieved success in creating a positive sense of identity for those living with HIV. We created new organizations, movements, and political armies. We explored forms of enlightenment that spoke to our yearnings in ways that traditional religion did not. Our spirituality emerged—in contrast to its general absence previously. Eventually we began to rediscover the joy of music, dance, and, yes, sex. But this renaissance wasn’t simply a recapitulation of the early party scene. The old joys became enhanced by our growth during those Dark Ages. We were tempered by death and our subsequent search for meaning. I appreciate the importance each moment so much more now. As a community, we have learned how precious life and love really are. In his book Reviving the Tribe, the late Eric Rofes wrote movingly of his personal renaissance: “It was when Patrick Hernandez’s deep voice boomed over the speakers singing ‘Born to Be Alive’ that I lit up—fully alive for the first time in a dozen years. I could tell myself finally that awful things had happened, the men the music sparked me to remember were now dead, and the dreams I once had had been mutilated beyond recognition. But I was alive, and it was Spring reentering my body and my life, as if returning after being beamed up to a UFO and psychically possessed for a dozen years. It was then that spirit once again filled me, and the legacy available to all survivors of disasters—the return of the possibility of again living and thriving—came to me like a wave of salty seawater wildly washing over me, giving me a moment to catch my breath, then rolling over me again.” Rebirth Later, he writes of our community: “To see men embrace and love each other in response to neither loss nor terror revives my dreams from a life long ago. To watch masses of men dance together, celebrating raw life-giving powers of music and desire forces me to acknowledge that the human spirit is not easily subdued. When once again two men can kiss hard on the mouth as neither victims nor survivors nor captives of stealth terror, then peace and order will settle over the tribe and life will again move forward.” This rebirth from AIDS Rofes refers to is epitomized in the Circuit. It’s no coincidence that so many Circuit parties are fundraisers. They have become an escape from the plague and a way to meet the needs of those who require our care. Circuit parties: Events held around the world by large groups of shirtless, sweaty, handsome men celebrating our love, sexuality and tribal connection. Certainly, different people attend for different reasons. For many, they provide a place to regain a sense of joy about life, to experience the rapture of dancing and free expression. For some others, they’re a rite of passage, where young gay men can experience the joy of openly reveling in their sexuality. For me, such experiences include a sense of spiritual connection with the universe. I remember being at a party on Fire Island with friends. During dance breaks, we discussed our weaknesses and fears and the unwavering support we both gave and received. I remember discussing philosophy and playing silly games to the beat of the music. I remember meeting and lusting after incredibly handsome men. I remember feeling a connection binding all of us on that dance floor. And at a certain moment, I realized something as I was basking in that glow, bobbing in the ocean of men, music and sheer physicality of the dance. My realization surprised me, but at that moment, the combination of love, grief, play, intellectual challenge, dance, music and the sensuality of so many handsome men brought about the happiest moment of my life. My sense of integration with myself, my friends and the other dancers at the dance, and to whatever force binds the universe together was complete, perfect and according to plan. Immediately following that party, my companions and I held a farewell ceremony at the water’s edge for our dead friends. We found we could fully express joy for life one moment and acknowledge our utter finality the next—and do so with grace, style and humor. Confronting the Circuit’s Dark Side The idea that music, dancing, sexuality and altered states could involve spirituality is not without precedent in other cultures both past and present. Most pre-Judeo-Christian religious events included music, dance and sexuality. Circuit parties evoke comparisons to Native American powwows—ritualistic tribal gatherings with music, dance and psychotropic plants. Recent archeological work suggests that primitive rock and cave art paintings depict shamanic drug trips. Many criticize the Circuit and our community in general for drugs. It’s true that extreme measures like drug use are not necessary to experience the kind of spirituality I’ve described here. But what about the dark side of the Circuit? When do we cross the line from recreational use to abuse? When does joyfully expressing our sexuality degenerate into compulsive sexual behavior? When drugs or sex start to be used as primary coping mechanisms or lead to unsafe sex, how do we deal with it as a tribe? We’ve learned to take care of each other in sickness. It is only a short step to caring for each other in health. The Circuit is often criticized as overemphasizing superficiality. Because of the cult of body worship and beauty, some claim that inner qualities are devalued. But this is not unique to the Circuit—and the claim may involve some insecurity on the part of the person making it. A man who attends a party for the first time, especially if he is alone or with someone who also has not previously attended, might feel unwelcome in that seemingly closed circle of muscular men. As in any social situation, I feel more comfortable introducing myself to those I’ve seen before at other events. It may be precisely seeing and recognizing the same men at different events that creates a bond even with someone who would otherwise be a stranger. Our eyes meet across the dance floor in the seconds during which all intervening heads have somehow simultaneously parted, and we express our connection. We have always had to develop our own sense of who we are by questioning assumptions. Despite growing up in a largely hostile world, we have learned that being gay is wonderful. But we still have to deal with internalized homophobia. Who better, then, to question traditional notions of what religion or spirituality entails than ourselves? The Circuit is a phenomenon in our community. Are these events merely chance occurrences? Are they just men being boys? Or is there something here that bears more thoughtful consideration? We only benefit from discussing our community openly, rather than in hushed conversations, while looking over our shoulder, lest someone hear us blaspheme. 2009-11-01T03:34:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/atlantic_city_discovers_the_circuit http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/atlantic_city_discovers_the_circuit When Harrah’s, one of the major casino-hotels that dominates the skyline of this New Jersey city, hosted its “Out in Atlantic City” weekend in September, it marked a coming out of sorts for the entire city. The casino-hotels recently rediscovered the gay market—and the party boys are beginning to take notice. Once a gay destination on a par with Fire Island or Provincetown, this venerable resort can boast of the world’s largest and oldest boardwalk, the invention of salt-water taffy, the first Miss America pageants, and the street names that dot the Monopoly board. Its Steel Pier was the first big entertainment venue of its kind in this country, with thrills like a horse that dove off a high platform into a pool of water. But it also has an equally venerable gay backstory. In the days before Stonewall, New York Avenue was dotted with rooming houses and a dozen bars. Some believe that the city fathers drove away the scene after the New Jersey Legislature legalized gambling in the 1980s. Whatever the reason, there is only one bar left standing, the rakish but loved West Side Club, which Village Voice columnist Michael Musto calls a “David Lynchean hangout.” Whatever the reason, the latter part of 2009 has seen a resurgence of interest from the city and regional customers from New York and Philadelphia, which together make up the majority of Atlantic City’s visitor base. At the forefront of the effort is a newly formed group, the Greater Atlantic City GLBT Alliance. The group’s purpose is to promote gay tourism as well as provide a focal point for locals. By one estimate, the Greater Atlantic City region of 300,000 is 10% gay, which means 30,000 queers live in the city or nearby. “It is time for us to wake up and smell the pink champagne,” GACGA President Rich Helfant recently said. “We are actively courting a return of the gay clientele.” Once better known for the day trippers who traveled down in discount buses, ate at buffets and played the slots, in recent years, the city has undergone a transformation into a high-end luxury resort. Brand-name chefs like Geoffrey Zakarian, Michael Mina, Wolfgang Puck and Bobby Flay have opened outposts. Entertainers like Donna Summer, Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder and Robin Williams make it a regular stop. Even Madonna played here—the smallest city by far on her last tour. Dance clubs like Dusk, mur.mur, and Mixx rival clubs in New York or Miami for size, lights and sound. The biggest names in clubland either spin here frequently or have taken up residency—everyone from Victor Calderone and Junior Vasquez to Samantha Ronson, Tiesto and Paul Oakenfold.Gay Party Weekends The big hotels are doing their part. The Borgata began the trend with the “True Colors” tour, which had a wild after-party two years ago. Cindy Lauper performed, while the party proved a big hit. In September, “Out in Atlantic City” brought down scensters like New York City promoter Daniel Nardicio and Musto. Both are longtime fans. Nardicio brought down his demented tour bus for an outing. “The Borgata ushered in a whole new era of luxury,” says Musto, who is a frequent visitor.  He’s referring to the Borgata, the casino-hotel that opened earlier this decade. Harrah’s, the Trump Taj Mahal, Caesar’s, the Chelsea, the Water Club and the Tropicana are other hot hotels. Harrah’s weekend-long party was the first real stab at a Circuit-type event. It featured a full schedule of dancing, a pool party, a meet-and-greet with the cast of The L Word, and a “Recovery Brunch” with a drag bingo game. Gay rapper Cazwell performed on Friday night at Club Worship at the Showboat, one of the many dance clubs, with the ever-fabulous transgendered icon Amanda Lepore, who performed her latest single and dazzled the mixed crowd. The face of Heatherette, MAC. and Mego Jeans, and personal muse to photographer David LaChapelle, Lepore compares Atlantic City to “a gay Disneyland.” She’s not the only one who’s taking a closer look. The Borgata is reportedly in talks with a major New York promoter about the possibility of a party. Harrah’s definitely plans more weekend outings and is also talking to promoters. A Trump spokesperson tells noiZe that the organization is actively looking at a night at one of its clubs. It’s all part of what Jeffrey Vassar, head of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, calls a “major outreach. We’re certainly a gay-friendly destination,” he says. “But Harrah’s took it one giant leap forward. We just have to keep the momentum going.” Larry Sieg, the ACCVA’s senior director, also expects to see a lot more such events in the future. “For Harrah’s to give up its ballroom for a Saturday night party speaks volumes,” he notes. The height of “Out in A.C.” was a huge dance party at Caesar’s main ballroom. Hot go-go dancers writhed while Jai Rodriguez sang and (for a while) DJ’ed. Lance Bass was also there to meet and greet. Refreshingly, this was an equal-opportunity flesh fest: At the same time as the “Decadence” party at Caesar’s, there was “LaLaLadies Night.” The day pool party took place at The Pool, a huge year-round space that dominates the main floor of Harrah’s complex. With a climate control set at a comfy temperature, constant humidity, a sound system, bars serving tropical confections, and lots and lots of water to get lost in, this would seem to be a space tailor-made for Circuit boys. Harrah’s also priced its weekend competitively: $160 for access to all events; or $80 for the girl-only or boy-only parties. What’s In the Cards The big question is whether the big hotels will give up one of their clubs—where bottle service brings in big crowds and big bucks—for a gay evening. There’s also a question of making the city more compelling to gay visitors overall. “We’re all looking at ways to attract that market,” says a spokesperson for the Trump properties here (there are three—the Marina and Plaza in addition to the Taj). “We all agreed we have great dining, accommodations, shopping and gaming. The one thing we don’t have is targeted entertainment. Then, suddenly, Harrah’s—a conservative company—put a lot of money into this weekend, which was encouraging. We’re all just kind of trying to see where this can take off.” What will help attract the gay crowd are the amenities. Aside from the world-class entertainment and food, there is the shopping: one of the largest outlet malls on the East Coast offers a cornucopia of designers. And the spas here have become world class, on a par or even exceeding Vegas or the Florida resorts. For now, gay visitors are welcome in the clubs, although they shouldn’t plan on taking their shirts off. Aside from the West Side Club (a cab ride away from the Boardwalk or the Marina District, where the hotels are), the Ram’s Head Inn, a local restaurant, is hosting “Out at the Inn” on Monday nights. If the city takes off as a gay-friendly destination, it will probably involve more mixed evenings in the clubs than a stricter gayola policy. That’s the trend everywhere, it seems. As Sieg (who is gay), says: “It’s a chance for the gay and straight markets to come together. Who today thinks we have to have a gay or straight night, anyway?” 2009-11-01T03:27:46+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/randy_pants http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/randy_pants It’s something that happens to all of us at our first Circuit party: We see a man, and he’s the most beautiful object we’ve ever seen. We want him. Even more, we want to be him. His name was Randy Carver.  It was the summer of 1999.  The Summer of Love. I was 24, and had just come out, and he was the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on. He was 27, cool, stylish: the way he danced, the way he talked, even the car he drove. Not only was I in love with him, I wanted to be him—great body, great hair, trendy as all hell, yet so nice, so kind, so friendly—without any of the cunty, queeny, “Who-are-you- Miss-Thang?!” attitude that scares off so many fledgling gay boys. No, Randy embraced me as soon as we met, through my then-boyfriend, Brian, and he exuded charm. “It’s so great to meet you,” he exclaimed. “Welcome to Portland!”  I was immediately put at ease and always found myself smiling whenever we hung out. That summer, I really came to know what music felt like: to be able to dance all night long at these wonderful underground after-parties, and then, cuddling and laughing with a fabulous new set of friends in a park overlooking the bay, waiting for the sun to come up. I thought I knew how to dance before, but with a party favor as catalyst and Randy as my guide, I started moving and twisting and locking and twirling like I never knew I could.  Absurdly, his boyfriend cheated on him and then dumped him, and Randy was hurt, terribly hurt for months afterwards. There was a sexual tension, an almost tangible chemistry between us from the start. Although we would hold hands and give each other back rubs, after-rolling, whenever we started kissing or becoming too intimate, he would draw away and choke, “Dan, I’m sorry, it’s just too soon after Jim,”  which pissed me off to no end. I thought he was just brushing me off, because up until then I had never been hurt like that before. Just the same, he was my idol, and I emulated his style. I began combing the shops and boutiques from Portland to Boston to New York for just the right outfits—fierce club kid clothes, tight spandex t-shirts. Blinky—flashy watches, earrings, and bracelets. And phat pants with lots and lots of pockets—Randy pants—like the kind he always wore. You know the routine. I always looked good in them, felt confident, stylish, self-assured, sexy. I started going to Circuit parties. New York, Montreal, D.C. I grew in confidence and met so many people, and I would return to Portland with a thousand stories and a million phone numbers and email addresses and guest tickets to all the clubs: Twilo, the Tunnel, Rise,  Stereo, Avalon. Randy would just laugh, and say, “My god, Dan, when you first got here, you didn’t know anyone, and now you’re everywhere, and everybody knows you!” It was hilarious to me that he didn’t understand that it was in trying to impress him, I had transformed myself into this professional club kid. Then I met the man of my dreams in Boston, and I forgot about Randy and all my friends in Portland—left them all behind to be with this guy, which at first seemed to be a good idea, but then it turned bad. So very bad, so very quickly. He hurt me, broke my heart, ripped my guts out, and tramped on my soul, or so it seemed, and I was left all alone, having alienated my friends in Portland. It took a long, long time for me to heal. Fast forward three years, and by this time I had moved out to California, but I made plans to meet up with friends in Montreal for Black & Blue. There I was, flagging up on stage at Millennium while Manny Lehman was spinning behind me. This guy at the base of the stage beckoned with a finger for me to come closer. It was Randy. I leapt off the stage and into his arms. We kissed like long-lost lovers, and then we caught ourselves and broke apart, and I was all like, “Omigod, look at you, you look great!” (He did.)  He answered, “Me?  Look at you!  You look fantastic! “The next thing, simultaneously was “ Wow—do you have a boyfriend?” “No?” “Oh ... Oh !” My heart jumped, and I think I saw his jump too. We wanted to say more, but just then his friends crashed into us, and we couldn’t really talk. But we danced close, so blissfully, achingly close, and I made plans to meet up with him at his hotel after the club closed in case we got separated (which, unfortunately, we were, dammit!). So the next morning I stumbled from the Olympic Stadium to his hotel. When he let me in, there were a couple of his friends asleep in one bed, and he was slightly out of it. Not to be denied, I let it all out:  how I had fallen in love with him at first sight all those years ago.  How I hadn’t understood how badly his ex had hurt him, but now, after my own failed relationship, I got it. I told him about the huge effect he’d had on me; how I wanted to be cool like him, to be nice like him, to have a great body, great hair; all that and more. He just sat there with mouth agape, eyes wide, and a childlike expression,  “I really did that?  You really thought all that?” Then his eyes glazed over, and he dropped asleep in my arms, and I had to laugh ruefully.  He probably hadn’t even comprehended the last few minutes I’d been talking.  But that was OK. The next day, I flew back to California, knowing where I’d come from, having experienced the magic of recognizing one person’s touch on another’s life. I still look great in my Randy pants. Dan Tyler is an ethnographic researcher and essayist at the University of California, Los Angeles.  He can be reached at danieltyler@mac.com 2009-11-01T03:21:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/cinema_the_circuit http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/cinema_the_circuit As anyone lucky enough to experience it knows, a big Circuit party contains enough plots for a whole network of soap operas. Romance, intrigue, sex, substance use and abuse, hot men, sex, hot women, fierce music, dance-music divas, mind-altering psychotropic drugs, great-looking crowd ... did I mention sex? And it all takes place over several hours of a long weekend. So why, with the exception of one minor documentary and an indie, has the Circuit never been depicted on film? “Part of the reason there haven’t been more films is the distance that the idea of a Circuit party has from mainstream culture,” notes Matthew Breen, the executive editor of the Advocate. “A lot of gay men want to keep it as a secret.” In addition, there’s what Breen describes as “the difficulty depicting that environment; imagine describing it to someone who’s never experienced it—the high sexual temperature, mood-alerting drugs, a communal feel. It’s hard to describe such an alternate experience on film.” Only consider the spate of really bad films in the ‘60s that attempted to reproduce hallucinogenic states of mind, such as The Trip, starring Peter Fonda. The Circuit represents only a small slice of gay life—and one from which many gay men, in Michelangelo Signorile’s phrase, spend their life outside. “Anything that implies that this is the essence of the gay community, is something that all gay men share as an interest” would be controversial, Breen points out. As a party producer (the impresario behind the Saint at Large’s Black Party), and as a film producer (he helped bring seminal New Queer Cinema director Gregg Araki to a larger public), Stephen Pevner brings a dual perspective to the subject. “The people on the Circuit aren’t very self-critical,” he says. “They don’t want to see it in a negative light. Who wants to sit in a theater and watch a movie about people just having a good time?” With those caveats in mind, here is a critical history of the Circuit on film—such as it is. Proto-Circuit Movies Before the Circuit, there was disco. If you’ve suffered through Can’t Stop the Music or Xanadu (both 1980), you know that disco may have produced some dynamite music, but it was responsible for really horrible films (to match those clothes). The only disco-era film that stands the test of time is Saturday Night Fever (1977, whose dance scenes were filmed in a Brooklyn, N.Y., club that later became the area’s major gay disco). Into this mosh pit of bad films with good scores also goes the disco-era drama 54, a 1998 drama about the most famous disco of them all, Studio 54, in which Ryan Phillippe, at his most androgynously beautiful, plays a straight boy drawn into drugs, polymorphous sex and swoopy dance hooks. If the disco-era films were suffused with a gay consciousness, none of them featured out-gay characters. In fact, before this decade, there was no depiction in a mainstream film of gay men dancing together except for a brief scene in 1970’s The Boys in the Band, in which the “boys” do a line dance “like the one we used to do on Fire Island”—where such dancing was necessitated by laws forbidding men dancing together. In Cruising, the controversial 1980 film, Al Pacino, as a New York City policeman who goes undercover to find a serial killer of gay men, finds himself on a tiny dance floor in Greenwich Village. Cruising was excoriated at the time for the way it portrayed gay men as obsessed with hardcore S&M, but lately it’s had a second look and has begun to be appreciated as the only Hollywood artifact of the heady days between Stonewall and the advent of the AIDS crisis. Non-Gay Parties Since the advent of talkies, Hollywood has been giving us depictions of straight couples dancing, from those Fred-and-Ginger RKO confections and MGM musicals to American International surfer quickies and Strictly Ballroom. More recently, there have been attempts to capture the rave or big-room straight club scene, with various success. It’s All Gone Pete Tong, a 2004 Canadian mocumentary about a DJ who goes deaf, paints a mildly satiric portrait of nightlife in Ibiza. The island gets a darker spin in the 2002 dark British thriller Morvern Caller, in which a poor Scottish girl comes into money and goes raving in sunny Spain. Raves come out a little better in films like all three Matrix films; Groove (2000), a look at the San Francisco rave scene; and 24-Hour Party People (2002), a British film that is most notable for its exploration of Manchester’s underground raves.  Circuit Drama A very few recent films have dramatized the gay party scene, most notably Party Monster (2003). It fictionalizes real-life club kid Michael Alig, who made New York’s Limelight notorious before his incarceration for the murder of an alleged drug dealer; it also gave Seth Green and Macaulay Culkin their first grown-up roles. For better or worse, that leaves Dirk Shafer’s Circuit (2001) as the only full-fledged fictionalized portrait. John, a small-town police officer, moves in with his cousin in L.A. and finds himself in the middle of the West Hollywood scene. He befriends a hustler and an old female acquaintance while he starts taking steroids and every other drug. The film climaxes at the White Party in Palm Springs. Shafer was constrained by a low budget, but he managed to get some interesting footage of the White Party, and it helps that his two leads (both straight) are good looking enough to pass for Circuit stars. The critics were deeply divided about this film, and so was the ostensible crowd the film dramatized. Many men find this a hateful depiction that emphasizes the worst aspects of the Circuit; while others believe that it legitimately dramatizes the darker side of the party scene. Aside from Circuit, there have been a few experimental films that have tried to capture the magic of the gay dance floor. Schwarzwald is a short film that depicts the 2006 Black Party theme in fictional form. It stars the female-to-male porn performer Buck Angel as a medieval prince abandoned by his evil mother and watched over by a sorcerer. The movie ends with footage from the party itself, including sex performances, flaggers and the dance floor. Director Richard Kimmel shot it in one day outside New York City. Pevner meant it as a keepsake for partygoers, but also something that would “legitimize the Black Party for people who had never seen the inside.” It has been on the gay festival circuit, as well as being shown in clubs, which fits with Pevner’s stated goal as “the movie you can dance to” (Saint veteran DJ Michael Fierman scored the film). Documentaries The one genre where the Circuit has fared best is in the nonfiction realm. The lone full-length documentary about the Circuit experience itself, 2002’s When Boys Fly follows a group of friends as they prepare for, and experience, the Miami White Party. The most controversial aspect of the film is the depiction of drug use, especially GHB: One cast member did, in fact, suffer severe medical problems and went into rehab. Most observers believe the film is an unfair portrayal. In Maestro (2004), Roxy: The Last Dance (2008) and Where Ocean Meets Sky (2004), the scene is portrayed far more positively. All three depict aspects of New York’s gay club culture. As its name implies, Roxy celebrates the famous roller rink that hosted a longstanding gay Saturday dance party where Victor Calderone, among others, was resident, and that was the site of many notable occasions, such as appearances by Cher and Madonna. While Where Ocean Meets Sky isn’t strictly about music, this history of Fire Island Pines contains much information about the Sandpiper, where Tom Moulton invented the EP, and its successor the Pavilion. Maestro is a loving look back at the Paradise Garage, a mega-club that thrived in the early 1980s, and especially the resident DJ, Larry Levan. Although Levan is shown warts-and-all (he died in 1992 after years of drug use), it also celebrates his musical legacy, with notable acolytes such as Frankie Knuckles, Junior Vasquez and Manny Lehman paying tribute to his genius. The film ends with an expansive montage of superstar DJs from around the world. It’s a beautiful sequence that summons up how Levan’s signature beat mixing helped give birth to a whole musical style; but it also celebrates the very best aspects of that ecstatic communion we call the Circuit. 2009-07-29T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_bright_stuff_guy_smith_lights_up_the_night http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_bright_stuff_guy_smith_lights_up_the_night For many years, a delicate dance has occurred on the floors of major events all over the world. Light and sound come together to elevate your experience to a magical place, a synthesis of the senses when music and lighting become one. It’s not easily achieved, and done correctly you probably won’t even notice all the work and skill that goes into it. DJs tend to lead in this dance, since we are more conscious of their contribution to the proceedings. But without the right lights, the music can’t fully achieve that three-dimensional maelstrom of emotion and drama that we crave as discerning party people. Anyone who has attended major Circuit events in the past 20 years has probably seen the work of one of the true masters of this craft, Guy Smith. This maestro has lit blue-ribbon dance events, stadium-level concerts, and corporate shindigs. As a psych major at Brandeis University in the ‘80s, Smith became fascinated with the human brain and how it experiences the world around it. His work as a detox counselor gave him a respect for drugs and the fact that they can lead to self-destruction and even death. Nevertheless, the impulse to reach higher states of awareness and communion with one another is obviously a powerful one that can help people as well, and in that sense he has never stopped being a student of human psychology. But he also loves to tinker with things, to pull stuff apart and figure out how it works. All that contributes to his craft. It was at the gay club City in Boston (later Avalon) that he saw the light, as it were: “I had never seen moving lights in a show before. When I walked in and saw this whole lyrical experience going on I had to know how it worked.” The next morning, he marched into the club and announced, “I’d like to do lighting here.” For $6 an hour, he lit Avalon at night while working as a psychiatric counselor during the day. Finally, in 1995, he dedicated himself to lighting full time. Since then, he has planned and worked lights at the Saint at Large’s Black Party, as well as New York’s massive Pier Dance and Alegria, the Pines Party on Fire Island, and Wonderland in L.A. He’s worked concerts for heavy hitters such as Jewel, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Cyndi Lauper and Missy Elliot. Corporate events such as a Bulgari jewelry launch with Kanye West give him a chance to create more intimate settings. He even dabbles as a DJ occasionally. He is particularly proud of the work he does for non-profits such as the Komen Cancer and Michael J. Fox Foundations.The Psychology of Lighting His psychology background makes him particularly attuned to the way that lights and music can work together to create powerful experiences for the observer. “We don’t really know why, but certain colors and forms are associated by the human psychology with certain emotions,” he points out. “There’s even a psychological disorder where people ‘hear color’ or they ‘see music.’ It’s also something that happens when you’re on hallucinogens.” Smith believes in the power of the dance experience for our community. “Gay people go to Circuit parties like Baptists go to church,” he says. “You’re in a nightclub, which is a lot like being in a cathedral, which is also a lot like being in a cave around a fire. And you’re all trying to reach some form of altered state, which is something that has been going on for 10,000 years, in order to experience a certain oneness with each other.” A consummate perfectionist, Smith works with all manner of heavy-duty lighting equipment, old and new, and the boards and computers that make it all come together. He has been known to climb to the rafters on a rickety ladder if even one of the hundreds of pieces of the puzzle he created isn’t working correctly. He likes to use every brush at his disposal to paint swirling colors on bodies, walls, and smoke. “I have to give them something to physically look at,” he explains. “It can’t just be a bunch of random lights. It has to have a center of focus, some symmetry—or asymmetry, but if it’s asymmetry it’s got to be intentional.” Crisis Management So how closely does he work with the DJ? He emphasizes that he’s become very good friends with many of the big names over the years—but they don’t necessarily coordinate their nights together beforehand. “A lot of the DJs and I have worked together a lot, and we sort of play games with each other. They know how I work and I know how they work, and they try to surprise me. They’ll glance over and give me a funny look, like ‘This one’s for you.’” As with any job, things can and do go wrong. Smith vividly recalls Masterbeat’s 2006 New Year’s Eve party. Deborah Cox had just performed and it was just past midnight, so the party was settling into its groove. Suddenly at 1:30 a.m., the lights sputtered and then died completely. This is a not-uncommon disaster. He rushed out to the massive semi-trailer that housed the generator, where he found his production manager standing next to it scratching his head. Smith quickly discovered the problem: The gauge needle had been stuck; the generator was out of gas. Smith grabbed as many gas-like containers as he could find and found a service station with diesel fuel. He gave Manny Lehman the thumbs up, who cranked the music for a dramatic explosion. Reaching peak buildup, Smith threw the lights back on to thunderous applause, and the boys happily partied through the rest of the night. Later that morning, people complimented Smith on the amazing “dark period” he gave them. He just smiled and thanked them. Smith embodies the Circuit ideal of finding your own life groove and making it work for you. His professionalism and pride in his craft are matched by a respect for the community he works with and its gratitude for being able to do what he loves most. This is a man who has taken his insights about the mind and its innate desire to experience the world around it in exciting and mysterious ways and translated them into a moveable, transient art. Next time you’re lost in a whirlwind of color and sound, look up to the lighting booth and give the technician a wave of thanks and recognition. He’s been up there dancing with you for years. 2009-07-29T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_power_of_love http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/the_power_of_love Seeing Lena Love’s highly stylized photos alone can be a jarring experience, let alone one of her meticulously produced shows. Who is this creature? With her aggressive makeup and funhouse fashion, the first impulse might be to peg her as an overgrown club kid. But then there’s something about her that seems a bit too … authentic for that. Often she has her very real tits showing, so perhaps she’s one of those eerily convincing transsexuals. Then—at last—the truth. She is exactly what she looks like: a gorgeous woman with muscle and talent for days. She’s been driving Circuit boys wild for over a decade now. If you haven’t heard of her yet, you will. An alluring (if also slightly alarming) mix of Marilyn Manson and Brigitte Nielsen, you’ll probably find Lena performing with a gaggle of beautiful boys acting like a pack of dogs at her feet; when, that is, she’s not sculpting people into shape as a personal trainer in her hometown of Toronto. Whether it’s Black & Blue in Montreal, Gay Ski Weekend in Vancouver, or an appearance on Queer as Folk as a Barbie doll breaking out of its package, Lena puts everything she’s got into entertaining and surprising the most jaded party posse. Surprisingly, she says she was initially taken aback at the way the gayboiz took to her. “You would figure the last thing a plethora of gay cha chas would want to see is a half-naked woman,” she (rather reasonably) explains. “To this day I can never explain it, but I was embraced. I think it’s because it shows when I perform: I’m an open book.” This charming and introspective modesty, however, vanishes instantly the moment she’s “on”—on stage or in front of the camera. There is a power to her presence that screams confidence, talent, and the wisdom of experience. Lena’s life has always been a stage of some sort. Both of her parents were well-known bodybuilders in Toronto in the ‘80s. Lena brags about her mother getting a call from Jennifer Beals, whom she was training for the movie Flashdance. Her father worked with Lou Ferrigno (of Incredible Hulk fame), so Lena’s bodybuilding career path was set at an early age. When asked if she lets the two sides of her life merge at all, she laughs at the “image of yelling at my clients to do three more reps with horns on my head and a painted white face and fangs.” Her relationship with her father was rocky at best, so she poured herself into dance classes as a child to get some positive attention from him—to little avail: “It was something I could say I was good at it, trying to say, ’Look, Dad, can you see me now?’ I knew he didn’t, but in my mind I knew it made a little part of me happy anyhow.” Hard work and perseverance taught her to accept the things she couldn’t change about her life while opening up new worlds of creativity and freedom. “I breathed it,” says Love, calling performance “my therapy. I would rather move than speak verbally about my emotions. Dancing was a braver method of explaining feelings through a song.” But dancing was something that cost a lot, both financially and emotionally. So Lena had to make a difficult decision: stop taking classes and started escaping to the big city—in this case, Toronto–to the welcoming arms of the burgeoning rave scene. She avoided the easy temptation of drug use. “I was too distracted with the community it brought and the diversity,” she recalls. “The music was like an open book, and when people would dance, they were the words to the story.” She quickly became a fixture on the go-go boxes of Toronto, which she sees in retrospect as “more of an art form” at the time, “very interpretive. This gave me leeway to dance and express myself, and at the same time I was inspired by the music and the unique people.” Eventually, the local raves peaked, and she found herself following her gay friends to the newly developing Circuit scene, where she quickly found herself smack dab in the spotlight. The non-threatening sexual vibe she felt from her gay fans was a new kind of freedom for her. She loved the way she could use her body erotically and artistically—without a bunch of horny straight boys salivating over her. The over-the-top colors, lights and sounds of the gay scene also resonated with her outlandish nature, and she felt she had found her “new home.” SKIING & SANKER Once established locally, she was courted by the likes of Sanker and the big gay ski weeks. She had always thought of herself as a go-go dancer primarily, but quickly realized that these huge events expected a bit of a show; Ms. Love was happy to oblige. Since she is not a drag queen, “I couldn’t just put on a wig and pretend to be J-Lo.” Maybe that was an advantage. She was forced to rely on—gasp—her talent. The resulting production value of her shows blossomed. Today, she is now well known throughout Canada for her keen eye for visual pageantry and drama. She is constantly finding new ways to “tell my version of the song on stage through visual movement, costuming, and interacting with the crowd.” She now finds herself among the luminaries of the Circuit performance world. She has worked with Circuit legends such as Buck Angel and RKM, and caused a minor scandal in Toronto with Angel, an infamous female-to-male erotic performer. Being the “man with a vagina” (the phrase that appears on his business cards), he tends to give quite an eye-popping show, as those who attended the Black Party a few years back well know. He and Lena hit it off immediately, and they decided to surprise the crowd with a little fisting, with Buck as the fister and Lena as the fistee. Toronto wasn’t quite ready for that type of rawness, which upset Lena, since it was “such a small piece of what the story offered.” A flood of calls and emails expressing shock and outrage had Lena quickly yearning for more cosmopolitan stages—or at least more accepting ones. Lena’s plans for the future will no doubt be shaped by her increasing restlessness with the scene as she finds it today. What she sees as an influx of harder drugs and a sense that the party scene has become jaded and stale is having an impact on her enthusiasm—not to mention the fact that many people simply don’t go out anymore, instead preferring the relative proximity and simplicity of cruising around online for company. But she stays upbeat about a scene that she still loves and cherishes, and is using this moment to take stock of how she can continue to do what she loves and feel that she is getting the most out of her creative output. She has much to be thankful for, “discovering as an artist the best and worst of what comes along with your passion.” But she is not afraid to admit that she is at a “crossroads” and yearns to “take Lena Love to another level.” This might take the form of moving to Europe to seek out new audiences with a thirst for her brand of boundary-pushing aesthetics. She also hints that there may be a “legendary musical” in her life, and from the look of things, it would certainly be a surprise if there weren’t. Too bad the name “Taboo” is already taken. It would fit her boundary-breaking performance style perfectly. 2009-04-30T11:51:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/focus_on_the_family http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/focus_on_the_family Parzh and August. That’s how they are known to partygoers, promoters, and nightlife celebutants around the world. These two inveterate travelers are the masterminds behind GreatPartyPics.com, the massive online photo repository of the hottest men from the hottest parties and Circuit events around the country. Since 2002, the website has grown to include over 30,000 pictures, and has received millions of hits by visitors in over 109 countries and in all 50 states. Their pictures have frequently been published in noiZe (and previously Circuit Noize) as well as other publications. The whole venture began as something the pair had wanted to do so that everyone could partake in their adventures on the Circuit, explains Parzh, who lives with his partner August in South Beach: “I wanted to have a way of showing what we get to see and do.” The two busy professionals by day love to spend their off-hours enjoying the camaraderie of the many bars and clubs of South Florida—as well as the communal energy of Circuit events. For Parzh, it all started when he left his hometown in Oklahoma to visit his gay uncle in the big city: “The day I turned 21, my life changed. My uncle in New York City gave me an open invitation to stay with him whenever I wished, so I took him up on it. I would visit him once or twice a month.” On these visits, Parzh first became acquainted with Clubland. Frequenting such clubs as Palladium, Tunnel, Limelight, and Sound Factory, Parzh was hooked. “I loved the music and how everyone was having a great time,” he says. When he graduated in 1994 with an MBA, he moved to Fort Lauderdale but also bought a condo in South Beach for the weekends. He started going out to all the clubs and bars, and before long everyone knew who he was. August Cook grew up in Missouri and attended university in Kansas for seven years. “When I graduated, I said, ‘Get me out of these cornfields!‘” So he went to Chicago. In July 1991, after three years of braving the Windy City’s brutal winters, August moved to Miami. “At the time, I didn’t realize how hip it was. When I got down here, I was just flabbergasted,” says August. “It took me a year to adjust to how decadent and wild and fun it was. I didn’t know there was a lifestyle like that at all. In Chicago, when it’s wintertime, they don’t really go out and do much.” Over the next few years, August became friends with many of the club promoters in South Beach.Partners in Life In 1996, Parzh and August met during Winter Party Festival in Miami and hit it off immediately. At the time, August was living in Ormond Beach developing several high-rise timeshare buildings. “We both had so much in common,” Parzh remembers. For the next two years, they kept in contact and saw each other at Circuit events. On April 17, 1998, Parzh received a call from August saying that he had moved back to South Beach. “We went out that night, and I got to meet all of his friends,” recalls Parzh. “That night we skipped several steps, and by that morning we became partners. All of our friends were shocked, especially since I had never dated anyone.” August moved his architectural design company, August Cook Design, to South Beach and worked on several high-profile projects. One year later, they bought a house on North Bay Road, where they still live. “Parzh was funny,” says August. “When we bought our house, he said it had to be walking distance to Salvation.” At the time, Salvation was the place to be on Saturday nights. With Abel spinning what would become his signature tribal beats; Power Infiniti serving up the fiercest shows in town; and hundreds of shirtless, chiseled Miami boys on the dance floor, it’s easy to understand that “Criterion No. 1” for their new home was proximity to the legendary club. Nightlife became a major part of their lives together. The couple started to become known for hosting parties of their own at home, including birthday parties for Power, Salvation promoter Mike Mazer, and Kitty Meow; and their infamous Christmas parties. They became bold-faced fixtures of The Wire, the local bar weekly. They faithfully checked every issue to see if they had made it in, which led to collecting photo albums. One of the editors at The Wire gave Parzh a camera and told him to point and shoot at everything in sight. Partners in Photography Which they did. “My life changed forever,” Parzh says. Every week, he and August snapped hundreds of photos for The Wire. While Parzh worked behind the camera, August arranged the boys. “One little secret that the club owners and promoters learned was that the drunker I was, the more pictures I’d take,” says Parzh. No surprise that the drinks kept flowing. Finally in 2002, thousands of photos later, Parzh and August purchased the domain name GreatPartyPics.com. With limited knowledge of the tech side, they managed to cobble together a free site so people could see themselves and their friends and relive magic moments on the dance floor. “It was something I wanted to do for everyone to enjoy,” says Parzh. “I felt like I was doing this for the community.” He prides himself on the inclusive nature of their site. “Our pictures are not always just the hot guys. We’ve got everybody. Everyone wants to see his picture. It makes them feel good.” Because they both have professional careers, they would upload new pictures to the website in their spare time. Often it took a few weeks, since Parzh wanted to make sure that he didn’t inadvertently show someone doing something—ahem!—inappropriate. This attention to detail and decency led to their being among the first external photographers allowed into Montreal’s Black & Blue. They also became sponsors of Winter Party, White Party, and One Mighty Weekend. In May of this year, Parzh’s brother Pezh took over as webmaster and completely redesigned their website, GreatPartyPics.com. They’ve since received numerous compliments and awards. They are now able to post all photos within a week of an event. Though GreatPartyPics.com is still free, a $9.95 yearly subscription allows members to download high-res, full-sized, and professionally touched-up photos without the GreatPartyPics.com logo. Members also have full access to all of the photos; the free galleries only contain a subset of the pictures. Parzh and August have also begun soliciting advertisers in three categories, including party sponsorships. The site, however, remains very much a labor of love.  They’ve met people from all over the world and delight in introducing friends to each other. Two guys they put together for a picture at Winter Party three years ago ended up in a relationship. “That’s how they met!” Parzh boasts. “And they’ve been together ever since!” At this point, they have become so well known that boys approach them to have their pictures taken for the site, which Parzh calls “a living scrapbook. I have a photo album of our friends growing up,” he wistfully remarks. “Or growing big!” adds August. They both break out in laughter. Like some of their friends’ waistlines, GreatPartyPics.com continues to expand with no end in sight. 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/erotic_art_has_a_homo_history http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/erotic_art_has_a_homo_history It must be immensely satisfying to be able to bring your deepest fantasies to life via erotic illustration. Feeling lonely? Not in the mood to go out and score? Just sit at your desk and conjure up any vision of male perfection that suits your individual needs. It’s hard work, of course, but worth the effort. After all, it only takes one hand to draw something, right? But what drives these artists? What are their secret identities? The online boom for hero-worshipping artists such as Joe Phillips or noiZe contributor Iceman Blue has made this particular breed of comic artist wildly popular. Iceman Blue has been making a living off of his website since 2006, yet still thinks of his current career as “a hobby that’s paying my bills.” But don’t let his modesty fool you. His erotic illustrations—especially his particular brand of superheroes—have become an online phenomenon, and pay the bills quite nicely. He also escapes the boundaries of the everyday gay world, which is why he translates well into the fantasies of specialized Japanese male erotica, or “yaoi.” Ask any contemporary gay erotic artist where they got their start, and many, if not most, will tell you that it was the mainstream comic book world. Turns out all of those barely-concealed homo subplots in your favorite comics were no accident! Joe Phillips worked for DC Comics and “every comic and comic book company out there” for fifteen years. Iceman got his start as an intern at a comic book company called Top Cow Productions. Even Josman, an artist who focuses almost exclusively on edgy incestual relationships, wanted to work for DC or Marvel as a child and works in the familiar comic-strip style. Many of your favorite gay comic book artists may never have come out of the closet artistically, so to speak, but they were still out there: filling your young mind with visions of muscle packed into spandex and older rich gentlemen who fought crime by your side. The Comics Code Authority forbade any explicit mention of homosexuality in the comics they controlled until 1989, but that just forced our dashing homo heroes to find more creative ways to reveal themselves. Most famously, Batman epitomized the sublimated gay comic theme by introducing Robin the Boy Wonder in the ‘50s as Bruce Wayne’s young “ward.” Robin not only lived with Bruce, but slept in the same bed with him. Once that image was introduced, almost any crime-fighting words put in their mouths became loaded with sexual innuendo. So much so that the series was attacked by psychologist Fredric Wertham as having an “atmosphere of homoeroticism which pervades the adventures.” In 1954, that was more commonly seen as a bad thing for kids to obsess over. (The inherent camp in the Batman comics was brought front and center in the ‘60s TV show.) The industry seemed to learn its lesson; the tricks of the trade got more subtle for a while before actual gay characters were finally introduced in the ‘90s. Sometimes the writers and illustrators employed irony. Check out the rampant use of changeling storylines in the comic world that made gay sex more of a transsexual phenomenon—something the industry was oddly more comfortable with than outright homosexuality. Japan & Finland: Out & Hot In the (arguably) more sexually repressed society of Japan, gay sex rears its head quite prominently through several genres of man-on-man action. The most interesting is called “yaoi.” The word is an acronym that means “no climax, no point, no meaning,” which was a dig at a less explicit version of the genre. The surprise with yaoi is that it is especially popular with young Japanese women. They seem drawn to the erotic romantic tales that pair strong dominant men with beautiful male youth, although some have posited that they are more comfortable with sexual situations not involving females. Whatever, the subtleties of Japanese gender dynamics are the subject of a much longer article. Suffice it to say that the genre is wildly popular with girls and boys all over the world. An online search for yaoi yielded nearly 5 million hits. A notable exception to the “comic book” rule is Tom of Finland. His work remains the most iconic gay art ever produced. He helped transform the idea of the homosexual man for an entire generation. Seen as prancing, catty and foppish historically, gay men were not viewed as objects of overt masculinity. By the 1970s, that image had been replaced by the cruisy porn icon of the “clone” swaggering across the docks with absurdly tight jeans and a handlebar mustache. Young Touko Laaksonen was born in Kaarina, Finland, in 1920. He spent much of his youth obsessing over the sweaty laborers of his homeland. He was soon conscripted into the army to fight in the Second World War, where encounters with hardened fighters sealed the archetype deep into his psyche. After the war, he worked in the advertising industry as a graphic artist, but the stage was set for his impactful career. Working under the pseudonym “Tom” while submitting erotic work to magazines in the ‘50s, by the ‘70s he was exhibiting his work as Tom of Finland and quit his day job to focus solely on his now famous illustrations. Bold with almost absurd dimensions, his men nevertheless don’t venture far into comic strip territory. This was a new breed of anti-hero. Combining sexual fantasy with a kind of hyperrealism that stretched the limits of the possible almost to the breaking point, he resonated deeply with an emerging generation of gay men searching for a new homosexual ideal. His work suited the dark, bacchanalian mood of the era perfectly. Superhero Redux So why now, when things like the Circuit and marriage have made us a little less brooding and dangerous, has the superhero returned? It’s hard to leave a major event without a few hero-themed fliers these days. We here at noiZe have consistently championed the idea of gay men as defenders of freedom and happiness, often including musclemen illustrations in our issues. “These are the characters and fantasies gay men grew up with, so they come to me because I help them express that,” notes Iceman Blue. “Not only that, gay men, much like anyone else, love admiring perfect specimens, and I can provide them with my own style of unflawed male beauty.” Iceman thinks of himself as an artist first. He is drawn to the possibilities of illustration. He cites a personal rule his teacher suggested in college: “What can I show that a video can’t?” He lists as role models both mainstream artists like Jim Balent and Alex Ross, as well as erotic masters Patrick Fillion and Michael Manning. The limitless boundaries of fantasy brought to life in different ways keeps him very busy. Is he turned on by his own work? “That’s how I know it’s good!” he says. “It can be distracting at first.  But believe me, after looking at the same picture for hours, the spark dims.” Good thing, or his fans might never see any finished work. Clearly, erotic illustration has taken twists and turns throughout its history. But the quest for perfection and the desire to explore new worlds of fun and pleasure remain consistent. The cover of this issue was hand-drawn by Iceman Blue exclusively for noIZe.  Iceman was previously featured on the cover of Issue #53, and is responsible for the noiZe boy drawings featured in every issue.   2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/ritesxxx_the_black_party http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/ritesxxx_the_black_party Thousands of years ago at the Spring Equinox, men would go into the woods wearing animal skins to dance ecstatically to drumbeats. They would remain there all night to ensure a good planting season. That’s how Bruce Mailman, the impresario behind the original Saint, conceived the Black Party. Whether or not Druids actually took to the forest, Mailman must have tapped into something deep in the collective gay unconscious. Because after thirty years, the Black Party remains a unique experience. Ask anyone who’s had the luck to attend. This is the modern ritual of men (and women!) who annually dress in animal skins and dance through the night in a secret location. This is much more than a typical Circuit party. On the sprawling dance floor of New York City’s Roseland Ballroom, you feel part of a tribe. The Black Party is a celebration of sexuality, carnality, music and freedom. Stephen Pevner, who produces the party with his Saint-at-Large team working out of a loft space in the East Village, took over Mailman’s role in 1996. A distant cousin of Mailman’s, he had the good fortune to attend the closing of the original Saint in 1988. That party, which lasted three days, has become legendary, as was the Saint itself. Mailman took the old Fillmore East, a rock concert venue, and spent millions of dollars to transform it into the ultimate disco, with a sound system, lighting and dance floor that have never been equaled. When the Saint closed for good, the Saint-at-Large produced parties around the city before finally settling on Roseland, a former dance hall turned rock venue with the largest dance floor in New York. Every year, Pevner and his team transform what is essentially a “black box”—an empty shell of a space—into a state-of-the-art nightclub. The light shows and sound quality rival the original club—or any extant club, for that matter. “We basically have one day to do everything,” says Guy Smith, who has been the Black Party’s lightman for the past several years. “Everything has already been planned out to the minute: set decorations, talent, lighting, sound. It’s all planned on paper. It’s a one-night event, with no corporate sponsorship, and all based on ticket sales.” Walk into Roseland, and you’re transported from the big city into a fantasy world of the hottest men, poured into their form-fitting uniforms, assless chaps, jockstraps, latex bodysuits or just nothing at all. And all of them are primed for a night of fantasy. This year, for Rites XXX, Pevner promises to pull out all the stops. It will be hard to top the themes of the past few years. Last year’s “Dangerous Black Party for Boys” was a chance for every grown-up gay man to act out all those Boy Scout fantasies. “Lucha Libre” meant go-go dancers and porn stars dressed as Mexican wrestlers, and a live donkey, chickens and a Mexican musician. The next year’s “Nascar Holy War” blended the macho subculture of race cars with Americans’ obsession with brand names. The most talked about, however, had to have been 2006’s “Schwarzwald,” or “Black Forest.” Female-to-male transsexual porn star Buck Angel overlooked the dance floor in a makeshift castle, as he aroused himself and participated in group scenes with the other actors to the roars (and groans) of the crowd. Pevner sees the evening as a “story arc” made necessary, he says, by shifting tastes in spectacle—and music. It’s part of a movement from a leather-themed event to more of fetish fest. “We made a conscious decision to give it some context, because the leather scene was important in its time but doesn’t relate to a new generation,” he says. “Fetishes can be sexy. Fetishes evolve. It’s not your uncle’s Black Party.” The most (in)famous aspect of the party has to be the live acts on a second-floor stage. The acts began at the original Saint, along with legends like the live adult circumcision. There have been strange uses of boa constrictors, pool balls, firecrackers, food, various body fluids and all manner of role-playing. The emphasis increasingly is on kink rather than the merely sexual. Mike Peyton works for the Saint-at-Large and is a well-known player on New York’s fetish scene. “Fetish keeps changing,” he says. “Young kids coming up are wearing latex, gear—scuba, hockey—head to toe, right down to the cleats. A major change is away from leather.” The sex isn’t limited to the stages either. The dance floor can get quite frisky, and as for the upstairs Love Lounge—well, the name speaks for itself. Above all, however, this is a dance party, and the choice of DJs to spin this party inevitably becomes the subject of gossip among party boys weeks before the Saint-at-Large’s official announcement, after President’s Day. A lot of the effort to keep the party fresh goes into the music, and Pevner believes that the DJs must respect the party’s traditions while keeping it current. For many years, original Saint DJ Michael Fierman spun this party solo. But 18 hours is a lot for anyone, and in recent years, there have been three DJs: a warm-up, usually a newer or lesser-known talent, from the Saturday night opening until about 2 a.m.; then a headliner, who goes until about 10:30 a.m.; and a closer, who spins the Morning Music and Sleaze that’s identified as the Saint Sound. The party usually closes around 4 p.m. on Sunday. The DJ roster reads like a “Who’s Who” of the music world. But before the party, they’re all thoroughly prepped on how to spin: dark and sexy. The Black Party strives to keep the vibe, musically and in every other way, as an underground event. This is not a typical “Circuit weekend,” with a pass, tea dance or souvenir booklet. That said, other venues piggyback on the Black Party. Alegria Xtreme, which acts as an unofficial “closing party,” takes the boys well into Monday afternoon. Amidst a torrent of change in the gay scene over thirty years, the Black Party has managed to remain so popular because it blends the best of the past—both our recent gay past and a past lost in the mists of time—with the current scene. To attract younger revelers, Pevner has been charging only $40 after 4 a.m. for younger guys. For the thousands of men who fly in from all over the world, this remains the party of the year. “The scale of the party, ticket price and number of people we get allow us to give value for the money and give one hell of a sound and light show,” Pevner says. 2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/mark_nelsons_great_adventure http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/mark_nelsons_great_adventure Mark Nelson is no stranger to the party scene. Since 1987, he has been producing and promoting events. But it wasn’t until 1998, when he left his position as manager of Splash Bar in New York City, that it became his full-time job. “Why not get paid to party?” Mark thought to himself. Mark Nelson Events has been involved with such legendary parties as Saint at Large’s Black Party, Junior Vasquez’s “Earth” parties, and Heritage of Pride’s “Dance on the Pier.” He also produces a weekly newsletter, “Mark Nelson Events,” that gives the 411 on anything and everything gay in the Big City. “I used to be so cracked out when I first started rambling that thing out eight years ago from my AOL account. God…” says Nelson, who’s open about his past bad habits. “Now it’s been a weekly discipline for me to do since 2002. It’s part of my sobriety and also a sort of balancing act for me to stay focused and clear.” On Friday, September 19, Mark Nelson Events and Heritage of Pride present the 5th Annual Fairgrounds “Out @ Night,” to take place at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. The park, which usually only operates on Saturdays and Sundays after Labor Day, opens its gates at 6 p.m. for this exclusive private event for GLBT friends and family. Last year, over 8,100 people came from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and D.C., making Fairgrounds “Out @ Night” the largest private standalone GLBT event in the USA. The event raised over $100,000 for Heritage of Pride, which produces the annual New York City Pride Week. Heritage of Pride is a wholly volunteer-managed, non-partisan, tax-exempt, not-for-profit corporation that organizes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pride events in New York City to commemorate and celebrate the Stonewall Riots. noiZe: How did “Out @ Night” get started? Mark Nelson: After going to Gay Days in Orlando for a few years, I thought, why can’t we do this in NYC? I approached Anthony Dean of Heritage of Pride to see if there was interest in his organization to have another fundraiser, as I was doing the entertainment for the annual Pier Dance. Another reason that got me going to do this was that I was getting sober, and when I analyzed why I would or had done recreational drugs, it was because I was bored. I needed something to get my attention and thrill me… like a rollercoaster! Who else works with you to put this event together? I still work with Anthony Dean on this event, as well as Phil Mannino, Theary Chan, Rick Harper, Gage Kristopher of Twisted Life, and volunteers from Heritage of Pride. It’s a small-man operation that works. But as no one can do anything alone, we have opened up the promotion to New York’s finest promoters/producers, like Alan Picus, Michael ‘Formika’ Jones, Ray DeForest, Max Scott, Brad Hurtado, Jill Potter, Yamil X, Nathan H. Williams, Nathan ‘Seven’ Scott, Joe Fiore, Don Turner, Akash Abraham, GayOrbit.com, and BoiParty.com How late is the park open? This year we will stay open until midnight. Are all the rides open, or only a select few? All rides will be open!! And I might even carry a few cuties on my back, if necessary! For Gay Days at Disney World in Orlando, people wear red shirts to show their support for the GLBT community. Is there any kind of “dress code” for this event? I didn’t want the GLBT community having to wear red tops to show who they were. I thought that was sort of tired. We needed an event that was private and gave us the entire park for our enjoyment. No need to make statements to the general public.   What about carless New Yorkers? We have reserved ten big Greyhound-type buses to leave from Greenwich Village at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon. They will start to return to NYC at 11 p.m. Unfortunately, the cost looks like it’s going to be $40 R/T (last year it was $30). What makes Fairgrounds “Out @ Night” so special? This is one of the most diverse GLBT crowds you will ever see. It’s truly amazing to see everyone smiling and carrying on. People are there to enjoy their freedom of expression and get some handholding time with the one they love (or just met). The park loves this event, and the staff looks forward to it all year long. So, round up your friends and head over to Jersey on September 19th to ride the coasters, experience the thrills, and take in the ultimate outdoor dance experience at the largest Six Flags in the country. Tickets go on sale August 1. For more information about Fairgrounds ‘Out @ Night V’ or to sign up for the “Mark Nelson Events” newsletter, visit http://www.marknelson.biz 2008-08-05T09:56:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/party_review_alegria_pride http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/party_review_alegria_pride With massive air-conditioning ductwork snaking up the facade of Webster Hall from the street below, anyone on the outside could see that the scene inside the sold-out Alegria Pride 2008 would be Stygian—and it was: steamy hot, dark, and hard. With three DJs working three separate rooms and boyz from around the globe overflowing the labyrinthine dance floors, staircases, and hallways, Alegria Pride 2008 was another gargantuan affair—and a testament to producer Ric Sena’s bold vision in the face of Manhattan’s nightlife meltdowns. Alegria has found a new home. For the second time, Sena’s Alegria installations were mired in labor strikes—but fortunately, Sena had contingency décor at the ready. Recent changes inside Webster Hall made it clear that Sena knows what he is doing. Although parts of the club still resembled a construction project, there was evidence of improvement in nearly every nook and cranny of the recently designated New York City landmark. The renovation is bringing historic Webster Hall up to date as one of the city’s major dance venues. The closing of Pacha by the NYPD the night before (since reopened) was on everyone’s mind. It must have been on Rosabel’s mind when they whipped out Madonna’s “They say that a good thing never lasts, and that it has to fall/ Those are the people that did not amount to much at all.” It quickly became evident, however, that whatever drama was going on around town, Alegria just got better at Webster Hall. Or as Madge had it, “Give it to me/No one’s gonna stop me now.”  That’s pretty much how the night went: unstoppable. Perhaps it was the brand-new mirror ball, the words ALEGRIA UNIVERSO outlined in blue neon, or a dozen brand-new tufted red velvet banquettes scattered here and there. More likely, it was the new sound systems, downstairs in the newly tessellated Marlin Room and upstairs on the Main Ballroom, making every beat sound fresh and sweet. Above the floor, a constellation of celestial galaxies shined, the contingency décor illuminated by a battalion of lasers. Ross Berger on lights, assisted by Kyle Garner on lasers, completely reanimated the venerable space. With Rosabel holding down the stage and Berger on the Mezzanine, the two forces worked together to create an unparalleled fusion of light and sound. Maybe it was working with Ralphi again, but Abel seemed even more on fire than usual—and his sound became even more percussive and persuasive, as if he were shifting into a new realm where he could spread his wings and fly free around this, his latest nest. Freedom was the operative word. Freedom and Pride. Onstage, body-painted thong dancers shook their undulating butt cheeks painted to reveal eyes. Blinking, winking bootys, bumping for the boyz. And while Rihanna sang That Song, an aerialist dangled on chains above the crowd, circling and swiveling, climbing and sliding, his legs a blur of scissor-like crisscrosses. Perhaps it might be easy for some to take all this wonder and pandemonium for granted—and to them we say, find a pair of newbies and see it anew through their eyes: two boyz from Oz, for example, who had flown from the Antipodes to Gotham. To see their delight was to experience Dorothy as she approached the Emerald City. There are few things as inspirational as Pride in New York. And for the past eight years, Alegria Pride has made itself an integral part of that package. You go to Alegria Pride expecting to see everyone—and you do, from porn stars and South Beach glamazons, to artists like Quentin Elias and all those beautiful out-of-town boyz, as well as Manhattan’s finest and firmest. In looking over the packed floor—boyz kissing, boyz laughing, boyz with their arms in the air, boyz getting down, getting nasty, and doing everything that we do so much better than anyone—you can’t help but radiate. Are we proud? Damn straight. In the face of adversity, we know how to celebrate who we are. It wasn’t only happening in the Main Ballroom. Down in the Marlin Room, Eddie Elias was turning it out for a floor that would count as a major club in itself anywhere else. Up on the Mezzanine, Dudu Marquez spun a set with a Brazilian contingent working it. All over Webster Hall, as we roamed the warren of rooms and corridors, we ran into happy boyz, up and down the staircases. More than a few said, “We’re here to support Ric, because we love Alegria.” When Sena himself danced up on the stage late Sunday morning, he was acknowledging that setbacks happen for a reason. By the end of the long weekend, this party and the following night Champions, which magically relocated from Pacha to the gorgeous Capitale, seemed to be saying that good things come to those who work for them. After all the improvements at Webster Hall, if there’s one certainty that’s worth placing, it’s that Alegria Casino on Labor Day Weekend will come in as a winner.  With Tony Moran and Abel working the beats and Ross Berger on lights to implement the creative genius of Ric Sena, Alegria Casino holds four aces. 2008-08-05T09:50:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/flagger_nation http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/flagger_nation I first encountered flagging during Boston Gay Pride, summer 2000. Boston’s gay ghetto, between Back Bay and the South End, was roped off for a street festival, and a bunch of muscle-boys had taken over the stage, twirling and fanning brightly-colored silk scarves in the most fascinating patterns and waves, musically flapping in the wind—and entrancing a certain green-behind-the-ears, newly out-of-the-closet kid from Montana: me. I sidled up to the stage and shyly asked one of the guys if I could try out what he was doing with a pair of purple-sequined flags. He tried to show me how to hold the 3-by-4-foot pieces of fabric. I could feel the weights sewn into the hems along two of the edges, which he explained were designed to let the flags flare when whirled through the air. I enthusiastically emulated the other flaggers, but my flags promptly tangled themselves into a knot. He patiently showed me how to shake out the knot and urged me to try again. I crisscrossed my arms frantically and nearly took out my boyfriend’s eye with the weighted tip of one of the flags. At one time or another, all of us have been captivated by the UV-reactive glowing fabrics twirling above our heads like a cloud of benevolent nuclear radiation. Hypnotic and entrancing, for those onlookers in an “altered state,” gazing into the swirl of colors can be something akin to a holy—or at the least, highly sensory—experience that has become an integral part of what makes our party scene so special. Alternately loved or hated, flaggers have taken their place on the dance floor. Some promoters actively discourage them; conversely, special stages and platforms at New York City’s Pier Dance and Black Party are built especially to accommodate them. The history of flagging began with the first modern dancer, an American lesbian named Mary Louise Fuller, later dubbed “Loie.” Her techniques involving the manipulation of huge pieces of silk—sometimes as large as 100 yards—and bouncing kaleidoscopic imagery off it with her groundbreaking invention of the electric film projector single-handedly revolutionized theater and dance. Today the flaggers that are smacking you in the head with their weighted strips of tie-dyed silk have been around at least as long as the first Circuit-type parties, which began in the early 1970s on Fire Island and in downtown Manhattan and San Francisco. But it really came into its own at the New York gay megaclub the Saint in the 1980s. Flaggers are a secretive lot. Like Freemasons, they maintain an entire set of unwritten laws, traditions, and hierarchies. San Francisco bows to Xavier Caylor; New York City to George Jagatic; Eric Mitchell rules in Palm Springs; Rodger Belk in Long Beach; Derek Fowler in San Diego; and yours truly in Louisville. Philip Bryan caused quite an upset within the flagging community when he blew open the doors to Flagdom via his website. The secrets of making flags have long been guarded as a sacred gift handed down from flagger to flagger. Bryan’s website, http://www.flaggercentral.com detai,ls everything and anything you ever wanted to know about making flags, as well as a flagging forum. His open-book policy raised something of a ruckus within this closed community.  Some flaggers who are especially handy with a sewing machine, such as Philadelphia’s Larry Reigel, have offered their flags for sale. But generally, it’s considered bad form to sell flags; rather, they’re passed along or traded or given as gifts. Flagging Weekend in Dallas This Independence Day Weekend marked the Fifth Annual Flagger’s Conference, organized by an eleven-man committee plus dozens of volunteers. “This year’s conference brought more than 70 participants from all over the United States and Canada,” according to Bryan, who also organized and choreographed the troupe of flaggers that opened the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago. Bryan has also performed with Kristine W and led crews of flaggers at events including White Party Palm Springs and San Francisco’s Folsom Street Fair.  The Dallas flagging weekend began with opening ceremonies and a meet-and-greet dinner. Over the next three days, participants and observers got the chance to tie-dye their own flags, sew in weights, and practice at various skill levels. Aerial artist Ben Zimmerman and Kundalini yoga instructor Amy Lam demonstrated how they have worked flagging into their other pursuits. For Flagger Weekend V, Marco Roberts and his Houston Flyboys drove in to perform on Saturday and then headed to San Antonio the next day for that city’s Pride festival. Roberts, who with his troupe has been showcased at Southern Decadence, Bunnies on the Bayou, and Prides across the country, does it for love, not money: “Even though we get paid, and we performed ten times this year, we’re lucky to break even at the end of the day.” Flagging and passing along its techniques and traditions is a labor of love for devotees. “I want to give flagging to the community,” said San Franciscan Xavier Caylor, who teaches flagging classes at a local Gold’s Gym. “It’s something we’ve owned for 130 years [referring to Loie Fuller]. It’s meditative, spiritual, and mind expanding—not to mention a great aerobic workout.” For Caylor, it’s a mission to “demystify flagging,”, but, “It’s also about getting lost in the music.” Caylor moderates the Yahoo group Spintribe. He also brings flaggers together at the AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park to commemorate absent friends. Classically trained dancers like New York’s George Jagatic from New York City and L.A.’s Robin Olive are leading flagging into the 21st century by incorporating the art with their choreography. Jagatic’s company, Axis-Danz, has performed at corporate events like the opening of JPMorgan Chase’s headquarters in Manhattan and at the MTV Music Video Awards. Jagatic is no stranger to music videos, having performed in Mariah Carey’s single “Glitter.” Robin Olive and her troupe Placid Fluidity perform regularly at L.A.’s mixed nightclub Circus and the Gibson Theatre at Universal Studios CityWalk. She can also be seen twirling crimson flags in last year’s feature film, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Flagging is becoming a viable and potentially lucrative dance technique with performances in the Hollywood blockbusters Interview with the Vampire, Moulin Rouge, Vanity Fair, and Hedwig & the Angry Inch. It also has been incorporated into the choreography of modern dance troupes headed by Patrick Corbin and Hernando Cortez—both of them, not coincidentally, veterans of parties in New York City and on Fire Island. Despite its newfound popularity in the wider world outside of Circuit parties, however, flagging will always have its detractors. Many a dancer has been bopped on the head by a runaway strip of weighted silk or has endured dodging a swirling mob of fabric. “Some people at the club come up to me and ask if I’m trying to grab attention,” complains David Gosbin, a former New Yorker now living in Palm Springs. “I tell them, ‘No, just the opposite; I don’t care if anyone else is watching or not,’ to which I might add, ‘Flagging is the music made visual; it’s how the DJ plays me.’” Dan Tyler majored in ethnographic research at UCLA, has flagged for nine years, and now teaches in Louisville, Kentucky. He is also the director of a soon-to-be-released documentary titled FLAGGERS! Dan can be reached at danieltyler@mac.com 2008-08-04T12:33:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/pre_history_of_the_circuit http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/pre_history_of_the_circuit You think gay dance parties are a modern invention? Gay men's passion for dancing goes much farther back than White and Black Parties. Our love affair with music and movement is well documented through 300 years of criminal records, when such antics could get a man arrested. Folklorist Mickey Weems takes you back to the days long before there was even a Miami Beach, let alone the Winter Party. Molly houses In the early 1700s, England was the home of molly houses, secret establishments where men could congregate, drink, dance together and hook up in back rooms called "wedding chapels." Molly was the slang term popular at the time for queers-the same term for female prostitutes, incidentally. Molly houses had many of the same characteristics as gay bars and circuit parties today. Cross-dressing was common. One custom that has been lost, however, was the tradition of mock births. The scene came to a crashing halt when the Society for the Reformation of Manners began to raid the molly houses and shut them down when the parties got too popular. There were cases of men (and at least one woman) being pilloried, imprisoned, and even executed. There was also resistance; but even though the men sometimes fought back, it didn't do any good; mollies were forced to take their culture underground. Drag balls Fast-forward 200 years to America in the early 1900s. A lot of gay history involves men in dresses. In the 1920s and '30s, drag balls took place regularly in major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Louis and New Orleans. These events were usually sponsored by African-American organizations, the most famous being in Harlem. They were a favorite of both the black and white straight elite. Drag balls (also called sissy, fairy, or faggot balls) were spectacles in which a man could present himself publicly as herself. Not just men in drag attended these functions; women also dressed as men. Like the molly house parties, there was music, dancing and plenty of drinking. The popularity of drag balls for both straight and gay audiences eventually led to one being held in Madison Square Garden. But pansies on parade in the middle of Madison Square Garden made the fags way too visible. The same popularity that undermined molly houses led to the demise of the drag balls. With the approach of World War II, the government cracked down on such "subversive" activities. Once again, the scene went underground. Gay male festive culture expressed itself in rent parties (parties held in an apartment to help the host pay the month's rent) and orgiastic drugged-out get-togethers called "buffet flats" (as in "all you can eat") that would include live sex shows. The Beautiful South Few people know this, but portions of the Bible Belt are covered in rhinestones. In the 1950s and '60s, a circuit of underground parties was the rage in the Southern U.S. When it comes to decadence, it should come as no surprise that New Orleans led the way. Gay Mardi Gras societies (called krewes) began in the 1950s with the all-gay male Krewe of Yuga, and drag queen contests during the festivities became popular in the 1960s. As expected, police raided the krewes in the early days, but you can't keep a gay man on his knees for long. Eventually, the queer krewes became tolerated, if not accepted outright. Notably, like other krewes, they were racially segregated: The earliest gay krewes were all white. A bigger surprise is the Emma Jones parties in Pensacola, Florida. They began in the early '60s when a group of men created an imaginary town resident named Emma Jones so that they could set up a post office box in her name. Emma Jones received homoerotic magazines to keep the men from being arrested for ordering obscene material over the mail. The Emma Jones Society began celebrating their imaginary patroness at Fourth of July beach parties. Initially, the gatherings were small, less than a hundred people. But word quickly got out. The parties grew to 200 people, then 400, and eventually thousands of revelers would show up. In keeping with tradition going back to jolly old England, there were drag queens, music, dancing and, of course, lots of drinking. Pensacola is a military base and resort town that largely depends on tourist dollars. For that reason, locals turned a blind eye to the goings-on for years. The police required only that people clean up their trash. These parties peaked in the early '70s and then slowly died, most likely due to local pressure against such a massive gay presence invading the small resort. But the tradition survives in the annual Memorial Day Weekend events, which began in the '80s. I'll Take Manhattan After the disturbances at the Stonewall Inn in New York City in 1969, gay men's lives exploded in a celebration of their sexuality and dance clubs. Men were having sex everywhere, from abandoned trucks to the bushes in Central Park. This grand release of horniness generated its own industries: bathhouses like St. Marks and the Continental. Discos such as the Flamingo, Saint, and Paradise Garage gave birth to a new phenomenon, all-night parties in which a DJ kept the beat kept steady and strong by mixing songs together. The sound that came out of the gay clubs took over the world as Disco Music. Thus was born the Circuit as we know it today. Fondness for creative forms of intoxication that came out of the hippy movement was wedded to the beat as Disco. The flame would just as quickly die in the straight world, but it kept going in the gay clubs, even in the face of the AIDS crisis. As a community that fervently believes bigger is always better, we made sure our parties kept growing and growing up to present mega events like Gay Disney and the NYC Pride Pier Dance. 2008-05-02T04:37:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/strike_a_pose http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/explore_live/strike_a_pose You're on the dance floor and you feel the bass vibrations become part of you as they pass through you. The floor undulates from the stomping feet. You feel as though you are the music, not just dancing to its rhythms. You are acutely aware of your breath. You breathe deeper than you normally breathe. You feel connected to everyone and everything around you, as though you were all one. The Sanskrit word for "yoga" means "to join"-the joining of our individual consciousness with that of the greater whole. On the dance floor, we really are all connected. That realization lies at the core of yoga. The dance floor is an ideal place for experiencing this-until you've been dancing for so long that your body rebels. Your lower back is sore. Your legs feel like they're going to give out under you. That's when the practice of yoga can actually come to the rescue. Take a few minutes to do these simple poses, on or off the dance floor. Focus on your breath as you hold each of the poses for a minute or two and breathe to the beats of the music. Let go of all thoughts (if you haven't already). Connecting to yourself on a deeper level can bring you to a higher ground-without party favors. Om shanti! Bend Over (Forward Bend) Stand with your back against a wall, and walk your feet about 2-3 feet away from it. Place the feet about 12 inches apart and parallel to each other. Bend your knees slightly, and begin to fold forward from the waist, sliding your hands down the legs toward the ankles, coming into a forward bend with your butt against the wall. Cross your arms at the elbows, and rest the hands in the creases of the arms. Let the head and neck relax completely. Draw your navel in and up, making room for the forward bend. Take a deep inhale, directing the breath into the lower back and hips, and feel your back expand with the breath. As you exhale, sigh out through the mouth, letting go completely as you sink deeper into the pose. Take a few breaths here. To take it a little further, shift your body weight forward so that your buttocks come away from the wall. Feel an even distribution of weight in the soles of the feet. To get a deeper stretch in the hamstrings, straighten the legs and engage the quadriceps; shift your body weight forward even more so that you feel more weight toward the front of the feet. To come out of the pose, bend the knees slightly, let the arms drop down, and roll up the spine one vertebra at a time, keeping the chin to the chest and letting the arms and shoulders hang the whole way up. The shoulders will naturally fall into place, and the head and the neck are the last to come up. Open Your Heart (Supported Backbend) Stand about 2-3 feet away from and facing a wall. Place your feet about 12 inches apart and parallel to each other. Bend your arms, and place the elbows against the wall directly in front of the shoulders. Position the forearms parallel to each other with the palms touching the wall and the middle fingers pointing up toward the ceiling. Draw the shoulders back and down, creating space between the ears and the shoulders, and feel the shoulder blades drawing toward each other. Take a deep inhale, and as you exhale, allow your heart to melt toward the wall. Keep the knees straight, reaching the heels of the feet to the floor. Let the front of your hips move slowly and gently toward the wall. Shift your gaze upward, and feel your heart reaching toward the sky. Take a deep inhale, filling the chest with air, and as you exhale, feel yourself sink deeper into the pose. To continue further, slide your hands up the wall, keeping the hands shoulder-width apart, and allow your chest to move closer to the wall. Either rest your forehead on the wall or rest the chin and the chest on the wall, looking up toward the ceiling. Draw the abdominals in, and keep them firm as you breathe a few deep breaths. To come out of the pose, slide the hands down, press the elbows against the wall, and push away to return to a standing position. Get Twisted (Half Spinal Twist) Sit on the edge of a speakerbox or a chair with your knees together and the insides of the thighs connected. Turning to the right, place your right hand palm down behind the butt with the fingers pointing away from the body. Place your left hand on the outside of your right knee. As you inhale, lengthen the spine as you press your butt down into the seat, and reach the top of your head toward the sky. As you exhale, turn and twist to the right, looking over the right shoulder. Add a gentle pressure with the left hand against the outside of the right knee, and press the right hand down into the seat. Inhale deeply again as you lengthen the spine, and turn and twist as you exhale. Take a few deep breaths. On the last exhale, release and face forward. Repeat to the other side. Go Deeper (Hip Opener) Sit on the edge of a speakerbox or a chair, and cross your right ankle over your left knee. Allow the right knee to open out to the side, and flex the right foot. Place your hands on the right shin. As you inhale, lift the top of your head toward the sky, and press your butt down into the seat as you lengthen the spine. As you exhale, draw the belly in, and reach the heart forward as you extend over the right leg. Tuck your chin to your chest, and lengthen the back of the neck as you reach the top of the head forward. Focus the breath into the right hip, and as you exhale, try to release any gripping or tensing. To take it further, drape the arms in front of the right shin, and let them dangle toward the ground as you let the head hang completely. Draw the belly in a little more, and lengthen through the lower back. Take a deep inhale, and as you exhale, allow yourself to sink deeper into the pose. Take a few deep breaths. To come out of the pose, bring the hands back to the right shin, and on an inhale, sweep the torso back to an upright position. Switch legs and repeat on the other side. In addition to being the Managing Editor of noiZe, Jeffery Taylor teaches yoga in New York City. Check out his website at www.yogue.com for more information. Illustrations by Chris DeCarlo 2008-05-02T03:54:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/confessions_of_a_party_promoter http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/confessions_of_a_party_promoter There are a ton of components that go into throwing a Circuit party: lights, sound, dancers, DJs, go-go boys (and girls), performers, and the many worker bees who man the door, check your coat, get you a drink and keep the bathrooms clean. Putting all these combustible personalities together for a night makes for a wild, intoxicating (not to mention intoxicated) atmosphere. Inevitably, some unexpectedly memorable experiences will result. We asked some of the event scene’s biggest names to share their wildest adventures and most memorable mishaps in Clubland. Jeffrey Sanker The man behind Palm Springs’ annual White Party extravaganzas has had plenty of experience dealing with live performers. We snagged Sanker for a quick breakdown on some of his most memorable experiences working with talent. The Good: Fans know her as “Mother Monster,” but Lady Gaga was more darling than demonic at the 2009 White Party. Sanker had her picked up in a tour bus specially designed to look like the inside of a wedding dress. Gaga was so smitten with the all-white, lace-and-frills interior that she offered to perform her complete 75-minute Fame Ball tour for the crowd. “She said, ‘I really want to do something special for my gays. Do you mind if I do my entire concert?’” recalls Sanker. Accommodating a full show, rather than the three- or four-song set Sanker expected, required reshuffling the event schedule. But he couldn’t look this glittery, grateful gift horse in the mouth: “How can you say no to Lady Gaga?” The Bad: We’ve heard of singers shattering glasses, but not like this. When The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak performed her song “Tardy for the Party” at the 2010 White Party, she was supposed to enter by being wheeled out inside an oversized champagne flute. Whoops! Zolciak accidentally broke the glass bowl in rehearsals. “I guess my tits are too big!” joked the good-natured performer. She instead made her grand entrance perched on top of the glass’s pedestal portion. “Nobody in the audience knew the difference,” says Sanker. “And she looked every bit the queen bee.”  The Ugly: White Party has hosted huge names from Jennifer Lopez to Boy George. But “Milkshake” singer Kelis takes the cake for diva-like behavior. After the 2007 party, it was widely publicized that Kelis took the stage two hours late, refused to rehearse, and forced her stand-in to lip-sync the opening number instead of performing herself. Her antics extended offstage. “She was such a diva,” says Sanker, who had his team trail her in two Escalades while Kelis, sipping Dom Perignon Champagne all the while, traveled between four different hotels to review each of their presidential suites. It took all night for her just to choose her room. Tom Whitman The L.A.-based producer responsible for Pride events like Wonderland has more memories than you could shake a disco stick at. “There are so many stories! At Wonderland one year, a celebrated diva who has many Circuit classics under her voluminous belt wouldn’t go onstage until she had Honey Barbeque chicken wings — at 2:30 in the morning. The year that Lady Gaga performed at Wonderland, the batteries in her disco stick got stuck, she couldn’t get them out, she was late going onstage and I was starting to freak out. Finally I grabbed the disco stick, got a horrified look from her, and wildly swung the stick until the batteries came out and I could put new ones in. Another time at Wonderland, the power went out for 10 city blocks around Paramount during sound check. I was about to cry. The studio had to reroute power from a switching station in Arizona for the event. Luckily it always works out somehow. Except that one time when the fireworks were cued 45 seconds too late!” Ric Sena Sena’s signature Alegria events always go the extra mile when it comes to décor. The elaborate sets travel thousands of miles from his native Brazil. If you thought it was stressful when the airline lost your luggage, read on. “Once at Crobar, I had a military party that had a big helicopter in the center of the room. The broker in Brazil sent the décor for the party, including the helicopter, in a ship that wasn’t non-stop, and only realized it once the décor was actually inside the ship! It wouldn’t get to New York in time; but to take it out they’d have to stop everything at port and have all these workers remove it. It would have cost $100,000. So we had to build a second set of everything within a month. People were working 24 hours a day to pull it off, and the second set was shipped by air. I spent all that money twice, and no one at the party realized that all the décor, including the helicopter, wasn’t even the original. Eventually the container with the first set arrived in New York. I just abandoned it. It wound up trashed in its container somewhere.”  Kristine W As one of our most beloved and in-demand performers, Kristine W no longer bats a fake eyelash at racy antics. The same, however, couldn’t be said for one shocked and awed pal. “I invited my new straight boyfriend to go with me to Canada for my first performance at the Black & Blue Festival at the Olympic stadium In Montreal. Because it was my first time going, I didn’t know what kind of party it was. I had just been in Amsterdam for a big straight dance festival, so I assumed it would be the same, and my agent didn’t say otherwise. We got to the stadium, and there were 25,000 gay men in S&M gear, body harnesses, and buttless chaps. Some were completely naked. Others had whips or had horse bits in their mouths. He was in total shock! He was speechless all the way back to the hotel room. The silence was deafening, and I was searching for something to say. Finally, I broke the silence with, ‘Welcome to the world of Miss W!’ I had seen enough penises, so I went to sleep while he called his brother and talked into the night, obviously needing some counseling for what he’d just witnessed.” Mark Nelson Expect talent to take the stage late: an hour, maybe, or two. But half-a-day late? The New York promoter Mark Nelson, the man behind mega-events like the Pier Dance and Out @ Night at Six Flags, remembers one diva who was just a little too late to her own party. “Years ago, when I was but a dancer, I was at the Palladium and was set to back-up dance for Grace Jones. It was her birthday. We arrived at 10 p.m. to dance until 3 a.m. — all for $100! Well, 3 a.m. came and went. Then so did 4 a.m., 5 a.m., 6, 7 and 8 a.m. … still no Grace Jones. She arrived around 9 a.m., completely crazed. We were all worn out from waiting. She went on, we did our thing, and I vowed never to work with her or that type again!” Jake Resnicow & Patrick Crough Matinee events are filled with plenty of buff, beautiful guys. The producers remember one misunderstanding that nearly turned their go-go guys into go-go goners. “One of our main events at last year’s Amazing Vegas Festival was the Supersized event at Rain nightclub. Halfway through the night, when the energy was at its height, one dancer ran up and said that security had escorted out five dancers for using drugs backstage. These were all guys needed for the next dance set to follow our headlining performer. My dancers know we have a strict policy in these clubs, and I was very upset that they had gotten in trouble. But the show must go on. I was scrambling. Thankfully, right before the next set, security approached me hand-in-hand with the troubled dancers — in full costume and makeup, mind you. Ha! They said that it was their mistake. The dancers were not taking any kind of drugs; they were swallowing down water pills to help shred those go-go-dancing bodies! It was a huge misunderstanding, everyone apologized to each other and the next set was saved.” 2012-11-02T20:12:34+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/three_to_watch_out_for http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/three_to_watch_out_for Omar Gonzalez: Miami Heat First of all we descend on the home of the Winter Party. At 31, Omar Gonzalez is already a nightlife veteran, having promoted parties for over seven years. He’s best known as the founder and driving force behind OAG Productions and its “Sunday Skool” party at South Beach venue Click. Celebrating its first anniversary this past summer, Sunday Skool has become church for Miami’s fabulous denizens. This is where fashionistas meet muscle, businessman rub shoulders with artists. And then there are the celebrities, like Oscar-nominated actor and notorious partyboy Mickey Rourke. Like the other promoters interviewed for this article, Gonzalez points to a generational difference in musical tastes—and how it’s presented. “We started out spinning a lot of House music,” Gonzalez says. “But we found that the younger crowd was more enthusiastic about the Pop sets.” He never knows what to expect from week to week, but he does know that the party has become more mixed since its beginnings. “Diversity is quickly taking place in South Beach nightlife,” the young promoter says. This year, he would not be at all surprised to see his crowd consisting of “mature, young, gay, straight, men, women, drag queens and a guy in a chicken suit.”  Unfortunately, the legacy of some party drugs had changed the South Beach party scene—and not for the better. With a sense of sadness, he speaks of the disappearance of many familiar faces: “A lot of the crystal and GHB set has gone to staying in at night on the Internet and not socializing in public. A younger group who has marked an increase in alcohol sales has replaced them,” he adds. “Don’t get me wrong, I welcome the new, but miss some of the familiar faces.” Whatever the future, he seems poised to take whatever comes and roll with the punches. http://www.oagproductions.com Chris Ryan: New York City Cool Traveling up the East Coast, we find Chris Ryan, an even younger promoter with a full weekly plate. Only 28, Ryan finds himself a semester away from a master’s degree in clinical psychology while becoming one of the mainstays on New York’s continually challenging and ever-changing nightlife scene. Ryan can already boast the longest-running gay Thursday night event at Splash with “Campus.” “It’s hard to believe it has been so long,” he says, in a tone of slight bewilderment. “Every week feels like the first time. Then I look out and see so many familiar faces and I love that!” When asked about the reason for the longevity of the event, he quickly responds, “Cheap drinks, fun music and hot boys. How can you go wrong?” How, indeed? From Central Chelsea, jump on the C subway train two stops north to the “other” gayborhood, Hell’s Kitchen, where Ryan has established a little slice of booty-shaking heaven two nights a week at the Ritz. Ryan’s ‘80s retro extravaganza “Rewind” on Wednesdays and “Flex” on Fridays has helped make this Restaurant Row boîte a “must” for Generation Y’ers. Initially, he had expected a more mature crowd for the retro tunes that give Rewind its name. So he was hardly prepared for the twentysomethings who turn it out and dance in the backroom space to music that were on the Billboard charts when they were in utero. “I don’t think anyone expected to refer to the ‘80s as a simpler time,” he notes. “But in retrospect …” Two nights later, the Ritz gets a sexier vibe with “Flex Fridays,” which is billed as a “Flirtatious and Fun NO Attitude” party. Ryan posts a hunk de la semaine each week on his website ChrisRyanNYC.com. Any partygoer willing to flex his muscle for the door earns a free drink. The best “flexer” wins tickets, dinners or other prizes. Ryan enjoys hosting at the Ritz because of the mix of people: “You get a nice combination of neighborhood guys who come every week and tourists who are in for one night and one night only. It all makes for a very unpredictable dynamic—never a dull moment.” Ryan has just given birth to New York’s latest party night, “Tight” at Amnesia, a space in far northwest Chelsea. The new night premiered February 7, with DJ Nita Aviance and Shiny Toy Guns. Valentine’s Day features one of the biggest names in nightlife, Junior Vasquez. “This is a long time in the making and I hope will mark an upward swing in NYC nightlife,” Ryan says. “It has a little bit of everything for a lot of everyone.” At Tight, Ryan hopes to mix up music, performance art and socializing in an ultra-hip environment. The preview party proved to be a great success and drew raves from the media as well as from those attending, a veritable Who’s Who of NY gay boys and nightlife. Ryan intends for that mix to hearken back to the city’s glory days as the world’s nightlife capital. “I always look to the legends of NY party promoters like John Blair and Jeffrey Sanker when building an event or making choices that will affect a party night,” he says. Someday, we’ll be including him on such a select list. As someone who seriously studied the human psyche, Ryan tries to keep it real. He has been a strong supporter of the New York Anti-Violence Project, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and gay marriage. But his pet cause is animal rights. “I will fight for that until my final breath,” he says. Ryan seems to be a well-rounded man beyond his years, a refreshing combination of the serious and playful. http://www.chrisryannyc.com Ray Rhodes: L.A. Warmth On the Left Coast, Ryan’s good buddy Ray Rhodes is a former DJ who has become a player in the white-hot West Hollywood club scene. A former Palm Spring White Party and Gay Disney DJ, his “TigerHeat” has been heating up Avalon for nine years in Hollywood. How does he account for the resilience of this party among fickle Angelinos? “We started at a time when the world as we knew it was about to change, 2001,” he notes. Up to this time, video dance parties were considered taboo—and lyric-driven party music was marked as “not acceptable” by clubbers. Rhodes originally played as a radio DJ on 104.3-FM, so he was comfortable with Pop and Top 40. “So I figured, why can’t we play it and dance to it?” Rhodes explains. The format of TigerHeat has become a brand of sorts, with satellite parties in Long Beach, Las Vegas and even hopes for a future night in the Big Apple. “Chris Ryan always puts me up when I go to New York, and we are trying to work together in the future,” Rhodes says. “We’ll see what happens.” If his past success with TigerHeat is any indication, New York may be seeing a Rhodes/Ryan event in the coming year: “I want to try and expand on the TigerHeat brand, but I can never lose what I truly love. I couldn’t sit behind a desk and make decisions about something for which I am so passionate. I will always have to be spinning; that’s my love.” Aside from his role as impresario and DJ, Rhodes is working on a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of California-Los Angeles. It’s enough to keep most 105-year-old men very busy. At least that is how old he claims to be on his MySpace page. (Judging from his spiky blond hair and very fit, California-buffed physique, mid-twenties seems about right.) As a DJ, Rhodes has learned how to spot up-and-coming talent. Last year, Lady Gaga did a few numbers at the Las Vegas TigerHeat in front of 300 people. A few months later, just after “Just Dance” hit the U.S., almost 2,000 people showed up when she returned. Lady Gaga is typical of Rhodes’ knack for scouting the Next Big Thing from the other side of the pond or the other side of the world. “Since before The Beatles, a large number of the latest big stars have hit first in England,” he notes. Closer to home, he never underestimates what the latest generation of clubgoers want to hear: “This world is changing so fast whether you are a businessman, doctor, politician or entertainer. You cant sit back for a minute and just enjoy what you have. You have to constantly work, and evolve, or you will get left behind in the dust. I never want that to happen to something that I love and have worked so hard to create.” Rhodes hosts some other events in WeHo, such as “Super Cherry Pop” and “Boy’s Room”, check out http://www.rayrhodes.com. The next generation of club promoters mirrors their constituency. Savvy and plugged in, they’re looking for new events, while enjoying older music. If these three are any indication, the future looks bright. 2010-02-13T18:30:36+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/tango_blues_puts_a_new_spin_on_club_promotion http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/tango_blues_puts_a_new_spin_on_club_promotion “There’s been a major change in nightlife. The reason the Circuit developed was so that there could be places where people could go and dance, where they could have big events and feel safe and not worry about being gay. With the world in general more accepting—especially the younger generation—they don’t need that. They don’t need to go to a gay bar to be gay. Nightclubs aren’t for 21- to 30-year olds going out to meet people. And if they do go out, they don’t care if it’s a gay bar. It’s really changed the industry. It’s changing the way we do business and our business model.” That’s how Andrew Briskin describes the state of gay clublife in 2009. But following the venerable Chinese proverb, out of crisis comes opportunity, that’s exactly what Briskin has done. Using his stable of talent, which includes luminaries like singer Ultra Naté, J.P. Calderon, Candice Cayne, Scotty K and Drew G, he’s been able to persuade marketers that the best way to get consumers to respond positively is where they play. So he’s been assembling packages for corporate clients to go to Clubland, where they sponsor special nights. It’s a win-win: clubs get talent and a night to promote; the client gets his message out; and the rest of us get to dance and be entertained. “We are managers, but what we do mostly is promotions, marketing and branding,” Briskin explains. To cite an example written about in these very pages two issues ago, Briskin was the mastermind behind the well-received Music to Wear 2008 Tour, which paired Andrew Christian’s sexy men’s underwear with Kimberly S.’ driving beats. “We packaged that,” Briskin says. “We put his underwear on every gay boy. Clubs that are lighter venues than Kimberly would normally play could book her.” Similarly, Tango Blues successfully rebranded AtomicMen.com for a rollout as a gay social networking site. In this case, Briskin and his staff worked as a more traditional marketing consultant. They redid the site “to look like Facebook more than Adam4Adam.” Then they began holding Atomic Mixers in bars and clubs around the country to introduce AtomicMen to its target audience—plugged-in gay consumers, the early adaptors who would respond to AtomicMen’s features like a mobile app. Just looking at its roster of talent, it’s easy to see that Tango Blues is focused on the gay market. But not entirely; Briskin has had corporate clients across the board. Tango Blues is poised to work on any product launch, such as a sports-related DVD release in sports bars. Branching out is part of Briskin’s survival strategy—not only with the lousy economy, but also in the new world of gay venues. “We had to branch out,” he explains. “There aren’t as many gar bars anymore.” Briskin maintains an active database of strictly gay clubs in North America that his staff meticulously updates every six months. “As of January, 40 percent went out of business or went straight,” he says. That also means that club owners and promoters can’t afford to bring in the superstar name DJs the way they did only a year ago. So they’re more receptive to corporate-sponsored tours such as the ones Tango Blues assembles. “With the economy, they can’t book the plane and the hotel and the big fees,” Briskin notes. “Local promoters can’t bring in talent anymore. We tie in with a sponsor to reach out to the community. It’s a great way to brand the product; and for the clubs, it’s something special to promote.” Animal Training to People Managing Andrew Briskin came to his field of expertise in a roundabout way. Or maybe not. Although his family was in “the Industry,” (that’s Left Coastese for showbiz) he stayed in Miami after graduating from the University of Miami and took a job as director of exhibits at the Miami Seaquarium. He then moved into animal brokering for zoos. During that time, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective came to town to film, and he did some work with the on-set animal trainers. He found he had a gift for working with four-legged talent, and started working with animals locally. Eventually, he hooked up with Bruce Weber, the legendary fashion photographer and connoisseur of male pulchritude (praise—or blame—him for the hegemony of the A&F boys). He worked for Weber on very fine two-legged specimens for nearly a half-decade as a freelance producer until someone hired him away to work on a Levi’s jeans commercial. Upon moving back to his hometown in 1998, he opened a production studio in Hollywood and went “from there to production to talent management. Tigers,” he sighs, “are a lot easier and less stressful to deal with than people.” This is a sentiment that would be readily seconded by anyone who has balanced the demands of a DJ, dance-song diva, lighting designer and bartenders to produce a night of magic. Don’t get him wrong: Briskin loves his work. Unlike some behind-the-scenes guys, he likes to go out and have fun. “Nightlife may not be what it was ten years ago, but you can still you have a good experience,” he says. For now, Briskin is concentrating on working with the bars, clubs and megaclubs around the country to help them survive these lean years by bringing in acts that will attract crowds but not the repo man. “Our big draw in the past year-and-a-half has been coming up with ways to increase traffic through their doors while promoting what we’re promoting,” he says. “We’re giving the clubs something to promote that won’t cost them anything.” Tango Blues’ Red-Hot Talent Roster This is only a sample of the people handled by Andrew Briskin and his staff: Debby Holiday: She’s been shaking the dance floor since 2004’s “Dive.” Billie Myers: Best known for “Kiss the Rain,” her “Am I Here Yet” became a dance-floor staple through Junior Vasquez’s remix. She’s toured with no less than Savage Garden and Bob Dylan. Ultra Naté: This ultimate House diva needs no introduction to the readers of this magazine. The Baltimore-based singer, songwriter, party promoter, label owner and House DJ is taking it on the road with a 12-city tour and a double album. Scotty K: The headliner for Global Groove’s tour last fall has played major venues from the Pavilion on Fire Island to Fresh in San Francisco. Drew G: Tango Blues doesn’t ignore Gotham, with one of the city’s best-known DJs who’s spun all over town. Marco: He’s done Saint-at-Large parties, the Eagle, Limelight, Crobar and Splash. With his life partner, the actress Candis Cayne (also a Tango Blues artist), he now lives in Hollywood. J.D. Ordonez: Best known for MTV’s The Real World: Brooklyn, he’s actually a dedicated marine mammal trainer. While in New York, he worked at the LGBT Center in the public policy department. J.P. Calderon: Even if you don’t recognize the name, you know the face and bod from the cover of Instinct Magazine. This pro volleyball player was featured on The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency and in a national 2(x)ist campaign. Flava: This noiZe feature subject has been livening up dance floors with his unique performance art for years. 2009-05-02T05:15:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/mark_baker http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/mark_baker After literally changing the face of the gay party circuit earlier this decade with his legendary groundbreaking soirees held during Orlando’s Gay Days, prolific party producer Mark Baker took a few years off to rest, reflect, recoup and recharge. Now he’s back with a brand new party concept for Central Florida’s first major dance-music festival held over Memorial Day Weekend: World|Vibe Orlando. Following five years of consistently (and incredibly) topping his own extraordinary creativity with parties that included Colosseum, Magic Journeys, and Stars, the Circuit impresario finally maxed out on ideas. In 2005, he sold his Disney-bejeweled party scepter to Johnny Chisholm and retreated from the spotlight to focus on his other career, directing television commercials. He still produced the occasional corporate event (at least until the economy went south). Now he’s back producing parties, this time inspired by sexually ambiguous (i.e., mixed) mega-events like Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, Los Angeles’ Electric Daisy Carnival and Montreal’s Black & Blue. While Gay Days has always focused on its gay male audience, World|Vibe Orlando is less about lifestyle and more about the music—House music, to be exact—and will cater accordingly to that genre’s diverse legions of devotees. “It’s not a totally different audience,” Baker assures. But a different one nonetheless. Headliners include DJs Boris, Chus & Ceballos, Oscar G, Jonathan Peters, Roger Sanchez and a host of other established and emerging talent. This is a big step for Baker, who made his name taking big chances. Back in 1982 he moved from Toledo, Ohio, to Orlando and began working for Walt Disney World at the Hall of Presidents on the technical side of the animatronic show. After attending his first Circuit party in 1996, he recalls thinking, “I can do that.” After a couple of false starts, he finally hit his stride in 1998 with a late-night affair called Magic Journeys. Originally held at Front Row during Gay Days, the party later moved to Arabian Nights to accommodate thousands more revelers and expanded to several nights throughout the weekend. It was the award-winning Colosseum party he threw at Hard Rock Live with DJ Abel that really put Baker on the international party map. “It was like a hybrid Circuit party,” Baker says. “It’s an entire evening put together with shows that interconnect. With my background in television, I thought of doing it like an entertainment show with a progression, a script for the entire night. It was a more thought-out entertainment experience.” By 2002, the Sunday night crowds had far outgrown Hard Rock’s 3,500 capacity, so Baker moved it to Friday night and replaced it with the Stars Party at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, with the ability to accommodate 6,000 revelers. Along with the daytime Groove parties at Universal Studios, Gay Days became Baker’s baby for several years. He also branched out to the hot (and hotly competitive) Miami scene with White Dreams at the Miami Seaquarium during White Party and a Winter Party event at the Ice Palace. From Gay Days to World|Vibe While at the top of his game, Baker decided to sell his company and the rights to his Gay Days parties four years ago to Johnny Chisholm. Eventually, he says, he realized, “You can’t really top yourself. I had done it for five years, and you kind of run out of new ideas. There were some pretty creative components to what we’d done, but I thought we had taken it as far as we could. I thought it was a good time to step away and go on to do other things.” He takes a grand and all-encompassing approach to producing events in order to live up to his personal motto, “Beyond belief is where this party begins.” “We know Gay Days weekend is a very competitive market,” Baker acknowledged during an interview back in 2002. “If you don’t have the biggest, best thing, probably the next year you won’t be around. So we just make sure that all our parties are the best.” To accomplish this, he would assemble a core team of more than a dozen people to coordinate the weekend. “The people we hire are really great special events people,” he explained. “They’re very technical people who have worked for a lot of theme parks. They take the week off and come work for us. We have an individual project manager for each of the parties, and a dedicated technical person who handles all the technical stuff. They’re not people that do other jobs like Realtors or something else during the week—they do special events all the time, and that’s all they do.” Now operating under the moniker of Mark Baker Creative, Baker has teamed up with Envibe Entertainment, which is run by his good friend and House music aficionado Steve Milo, and Groove Travel for his World|Vibe Orlando venture. Among the many considerations behind the creation of this new party weekend were the weakened economy and what he sees as a shift in the interests and expectations of a key constituency: “What’s interesting about the gay demographic is, the younger you go, the less interested those people are in exclusively gay parties. It’s just not such a big deal to anybody.” Baker also saw World|Vibe as an opportunity to do something new and entirely different. “As a promoter, when you go to Ultra and there’s 30,000 people standing in the middle of a field, you do kind of go, 30,000 times $85 is...” he says as his voice trails off, with the unspoken question: How do the numbers add up? “I love the creative, but you’ve got to make it run as a business. I think that’s why I got sold on this project more so than some of the other ones I’ve been presented with. I thought, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of potential here.’” At the same time, the current economic climate demands competitive pricing and affordable packages. “My gut is, we’re being very realistic,” he says of his low break-even numbers, which are based on average ticket prices of $45 to $55. “Everybody’s trying to find new ways to make money. This weekend attracts a whole different audience that probably wouldn’t come to Disney. So here’s a chance to bring in some new business. We were able to negotiate with the venues and hotels because everybody in the entertainment [and hospitality] business is hurting right now. There are people now giving us deals who two or three years ago would not have given us the time of day.” Baker’s “Be Here” page on his website, WorldVibeOrlando.com, lists one- to three-night travel packages, including hotel and tickets, ranging from $235 to $550. Time and again Mark Baker has proven himself a remarkably creative innovator who has consistently set many of the trends that other event producers and party promoters will eventually follow. With World|Vibe Orlando, he seems destined to continue that magnificent legacy. One can only imagine what he’ll dream up next. 2009-04-30T12:25:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/jeffrey_sanker http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/jeffrey_sanker Ask any party boy to name the top promoters on the scene, and the name Jeffrey Sanker will be at the top of the list. His career spans three decades starting with the New York club scene during the halcyon days of Studio 54. His parties happen in the country’s hottest hot spots—Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Miami and Las Vegas. He’s also brought some of the Circuit’s best-known DJs to parties during Gay Days in Orlando. The super-producer known simply as “The Man” has consistently come up with the baddest parties for the fiercest crowd.  How does he do it? According to Sanker, “You have to make everything like a show. That is why I feel I am more of an impresario than a promoter.” It also means keeping up with the changes in nightlife. Sanker is perhaps best known for White Party Palm Springs, which has long held the crown of largest gay dance event west of the Mississippi. More recently, he has been extending his brand into some of the hottest clubs in L.A. Every month a new party seems to crop up with “Jeffrey Sanker presents” emblazoned on top of it. But these are not your uncle’s Circuit-style parties. He might add some décor, and he always has the top DJs at the turntables, but he has realized that the younger party boys are self-lubricating with that old standby, alcohol. The music is hip-hop and pop, the dance floors are smaller, and there are “chill” spaces where the city’s A-list can see and be seen. The focus has shifted from a night of sweaty dancing to an evening being with your friends and making new ones. In fact, at one recent event, the dance floor was filled—but no one was dancing. Instead, the boys were just holding the latest trendy martini and chatting each other up. Shirts firmly remained on torsos. A lot of the Sanker “magic touch” can be attributed to the perception that if his name is on the event, you’re guaranteed a fun, sexy crowd (shirts on or off). One relatively new event, Fresh Fridays at WeHo’s Eleven Lounge, has a line down the block each week. “I create Donald Trump-style events,” Sanker said in a recent interview. “I want to give only the best of everything: the best DJs, venues, performers and themes. That is why they keep coming back.” Sanker’s signature event, White Party, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. Sanker points out that drink sales have gone up 25% in the past few years, but he likes to keep this one Old School. Each event is in a “big room” where the focus is on serious dancing, performances, and connecting with the crowd. For the twentieth anniversary, he is planning an over-the-top event. However, despite having big-name headliners like J-Lo and Tony Braxton in the past, do not expect the usual rumor mill of who might be the special performer this year. He is done with that. “If you want to see Cher, go to Vegas,” Sanker quipped. (He’s been there with a roadshow White Party in the 24-hour town.) This year, he is focusing on bringing big, innovative shows to Palm Springs that will blow the crowd away, without any of the anticipation (or drama) of an unannounced diva showing up—or not. He was the first to add Cirque du Soleil-type performances to dance events. Previous years have included the L.A. Philharmonic backing up Flava; live horses; acrobats; and insane pyrotechnics. No matter what he comes up with, you know it will be exciting—even without one of those big-name (and big-maned) divas. DJ-wise he is also mixing it up. This year, he’s going international by importing Oscar Velasquez from Mexico City for Friday night and Ana Paula from Rio closing the main event. He’s also nurturing the hottest young DJs on the scene such as the Perry Twins, Casey Alva and Morningstar. The theme for this year’s White Party is “Legion of Superheroes.” To keep with that theme, each event is set up “dynamic duo” style.  Every party will have a known DJ along with a fresh face as the sidekick to give the boys a feel for tomorrow’s headliners. Looking Back & Ahead Surprisingly, Sanker got the idea to do a dance event in Palm Springs from the lesbian community. In 1987, he felt the New York club scene was moribund. So he moved to Los Angeles, where he initiated a string of successful parties and clubs. His first event at the Palace (now Avalon) brought in 1,800 guys. Based on that success, he was invited to check out The Dinah Shore Weekend, a party for the gals in the Desert during the Dinah Shore Golf Tournament. When he saw the main event consisted of four speakers and a few balloons, he knew he could do better.  His first event was called Wet and Wild and attracted 500 guys.  One DJ, Manny Lehman, played all the parties. A year later he changed the name to White Party and its popularity exploded. Today, nearly 20,000 people descend on the town during White Party Week. It takes over 300 workers and $1 million to produce this marathon of dance and camaraderie. When asked about the future of the gay dance scene, Sanker would like to remind the new generation that the gay community has always danced. Dance has been an important element of socializing and feeling a sense of community. He hopes that with themes younger boys can relate to and their favorite DJs, he can continue to attract them to a big event like White Party. Once there, he feels they will embrace and understand our communal need to dance and will propel the scene into the future. So what if some of the older Circuit boys are doing cruises rather than parties these days? Or that the younger generation is restlessly looking for something different? Sanker has continued to be successful in creating the best club and party experience possible—and that’s what he intends to do, wherever the prevailing winds blow. By doing so he keeps reminding us of our need to connect in the place that has always been an integral part of the gay experience: the dance floor.   2009-01-31T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/chris_harris_renews_new_england_nightlife http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/chris_harris_renews_new_england_nightlife If you go out to any big clubs in Boston or you’re a regular at the major Circuit events in the U.S. or Canada, chances are you’ve been to one of Chris Harris’ events. Known as New England’s best party promoter—and certainly the region’s most important—Harris is no newbie to the nightlife scene. And he’s not just another pretty-faced party boy. An adept businessman, Chris is credited with single-handedly reviving the once-languishing nightlife scene in Boston; although now, he has extended his reach much farther afield. With hundreds of parties and Pride celebrations under his belt, Chris knows what he’s doing and he does it very, very well. Don’t think, however, that this means that he’s sitting back and sipping mojitos while letting other people do the dirty work for him! He didn’t get to be where he is today on his good looks and charismatic smile alone (although I’m sure they didn’t hurt). Chris has a long history in the industry. He’s worked in club operations at various levels for almost 20 years. But it wasn’t until he moved back to Providence from Miami that he decided to start throwing parties himself. Luckily for him, the administration of the Rhode Island capital was supportive of his efforts. His events were successful for him, the city, and the charities for which his events raised funds. When the owners of the Strand, his mainstay club in Providence, decided to go in a different direction after a five-year run, he decided it was time to move on and up to the region’s biggest city. Knowing about Chris’ successful fundraising and fabulous parties in Providence, Boston Pride asked him to bring his Military Ball to the old Avalon as the main Pride event for 2007. The party ended up doing so well that although the club was scheduled to close in six months, the owners offered him Saturday nights for the remainder of the lease. Chris jumped on the opportunity. Together with the Boston promoter Raffael Sanchez, he began his ascent to the top of Boston’s gay nightlife scene. Just as the six-month run at Avalon was ending, Chris got a call from the owners of the Roxy. It seems they had noticed the 1,200-plus turnout of gay boys at Chris’ parties at the Avalon, and these packed events looked better than the smaller straight crowds they’d been dealing with on Saturday nights. EPIC Saturdays, Glamlife Thursdays, Hot Mess Sundays Chris Harris, along with Gay Mafia, is now running three very different weekly parties in Boston. Each one has a different vibe—literally, in terms of music; and figuratively, as for the crowd: Glamlife Thursdays at The Estate (Top 40 and hip hop); EPIC Saturdays (big room dance party); and Hot Mess Sundays at Underbar, where Chris says “you’ll hear everything and anything… except Boy George.” Boy George and Chris Harris have a somewhat tumultuous history, largely because the made-up DJ (pun intended) still reportedly owes Chris $10,000. Big Boy G was a no-show for a party he was contracted to do last year before he got busted on drug charges. Although Chris has tried to collect from the DJ, his management, and lawyers, and left very clear and detailed contact information (literally) at his house in London, he’s yet to see a penny. He even confronted him with picket signs while the karma chameleon was picking up trash in Manhattan as the community service part of his sentence. No ex-Culture Club member could keep this cultural club phenomenon down, however. Chris has become known in the industry as a global promoter. Unlike some promoters who never hit the dance floor in their off hours, he tries to get to as many other parties around the world as he can, which contributes to his ability to mix it up when it comes to hiring talent. Chris’ events feature a balance of internationally known DJs with local and regional up-and-comers and established scenesters. Aside from the Military Ball, Chris has been responsible for organizing and throwing world-class parties. At one time or another, he has been behind events around a White Party, Black Party, Nation V and Winter Party, as well as Erect, Voyage, Eruption, Volcano, Chinese New Year, Ego,  Northern Decadence and Ego. Although these events have made him well known among the Circuit crowd worldwide, he’s still very much in touch with the cities where he throws parties, and always looks out for the locals. Right now Chris is back to living in Providence, but since he’s in Boston nearly every weekend (the two cities are barely more than an hour apart), he keeps a flat there too. As a promoter at the top of his game, he’s looking to expand into real estate, gay travel, and some more surprises that he’s keeping under wraps. Helping out friends & worthy causes Aside from being a master promoter, Chris is also known for helping out his friends, standing firm behind true talent, and even pushing those in whom he sees great potential to go even further. A perfect example of this is DJ Dena. A novice DJ when they met, Chris encouraged Dena to hone her skills at spinning. He made sure she had the opportunity to play for ever-larger crowds. In just a few years, DJ Dena has come into her own as her reputation continues to rises on the Circuit. When Dena was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, Chris decided to do something about it. Together with others in the industry, he put together “Divas For Dena: The Breast Party Ever!” to benefit the “Save the Ta-Tas Foundation” and raise awareness of breast cancer. Right now, he’s more than busy managing the three weekly events in Boston and traveling the world. He likes to keep up with the industry and explore new concepts to keep his parties fresh. With all of those miles, it’s helpful that his Hawaiian boyfriend of eight years, Dominic, is a flight attendant. In the next few months, he’s really looking forward to “Caligula,” a Roman-themed party he and Raffael Sanchez are throwing for New Year’s, with Manny Lehman at the helm musically. He’s promising “the best party New England has ever seen.” Chris is also eager to turn his attention back to Providence and throw more parties there. Nor is he stopping at the party scene. Providence is already famous as the largest city in the country with an openly gay mayor. If, as expected, he runs for governor, check out http://www.ChrisHarrisForMayor.com to see what this ultimate multitasker has in store for 2010. 2008-10-08T07:52:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/franco_beneduce_san_frans_magnitude_man http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/franco_beneduce_san_frans_magnitude_man For anyone who has attended the (in)famous Folsom Street Fair, the Saturday night Magnitude Party stands out as one of the highlights of a crowded party weekend. For Franco Beneduce, the man behind this multifaceted affair, the secret of its success is simple: He gives a party that he would want to attend. It all started with a handshake on the dance floor of Club Universe in San Francisco 13 years ago. Franco Beneduce, an event planner, had recently relocated from New York City when he ran into Jito Garcia, who wanted to start producing large-scale dance events. Jito knew how to get people to the event but lacked the producing experience that Franco brought to the table. Out of that initial collaboration came forth the now infamous AfterShock after-hours parties. After that triumph, they set their sights on a Saturday night party the week of the city’s biggest gayola weekend, Folsom Street Fair. Thus the Magnitude party was hatched. To understand Magnitude and Franco (who runs it without Jito these days), one must understand the Folsom Street Fair, the massive charity event that last year donated over $350,000 to local Bay Area organizations—a figure that rises each year. Magnitude has been one of the major reasons for the steady increase. With 400,000 attendees from around the globe, the fair is the largest leather event in the world and the third-largest exposition in California behind the Rose Bowl Parade and San Francisco Pride. Folsom Street, however, goes way beyond what most people view as a leather event. “Folsom gives people the ultimate freedom of sexual self-expression,” Beneduce explains. “That is why Magnitude could only happen in San Francisco.” Many look at Folsom, celebrating its 25th anniversary at the end of September, as the one day a year they can be themselves—to themselves and to the wider world. A married doctor from Kansas City shows off his exhibitionism by walking the fair clad in nothing but chaps and a raging hard-on. An executive works his submissive side by being led around on a leash. A lesbian shows us that a woman can be butcher than any leather queen could dream of being. Much More Than a Dance Party Franco is obsessed with translating this freedom into a dance party, and the result is one of the world’s truly unique dance events. To begin with, Magnitude is about much more than dancing—although there’s plenty of that—including live demonstrations and an erotic play space. The rooms are decorated with images of some of the hottest men in leather along with other props to create a sexually-charged atmosphere. Franco admits that he prefers to throw a party that gives attendees options. “I try to create an event that I would want to attend,” he states. “Magnitude is the convergence of world-class music, dancing, live erotic demonstrations, and interactive play. And that can only exist in conjunction with the Folsom Street Fair.” The crowd ranges from the 30s to 50s (with representatives from either side of the spectrum, to be sure). These guys may not be going out every weekend anymore, but when they come to Magnitude, they are ready to party. There may be more men with chest hair and harnesses than shirtless twinks with smooth bodies, but muscle abounds … and lots and lots of fun. One might think the music would be a dark after-hours style. It isn’t. Franco works with the DJ to create a journey into sexual bliss. “Since the crowd is a bit older, they may not be up on a lot of new music.” Franco said, “We always throw in a section of classic dance anthems from the past decade to remind folks of the Circuit heyday.” Neil Lewis, who spun for five of the first six years of the event, had a major influence on Magnitude’s sound. “We have had some great DJs like Susan Morabito and Mark Anthony spin for us,” Franco says. “Since Neil’s death, we’ve tried to honor his tradition with exceptional new musical talent like Joe Gauthreaux.” This year’s DJ, Paul Goodyear, is returning for another spin at the wheels of steel. Goodyear was a close friend of Lewis, knew his music well, and has a similar style. Also, since Paul has lived in Sydney, London and Barcelona and has played all over the world, he brings a fresh international vibe to the event that reflects the changing demographics of the international crowd. Changing the Party Vibe International, indeed. Magnitude and Folsom both attract people from all over the world. Many Aussies attend every year, and there’s even a regular group from Iceland. The event was not always focused on creating an erotic and sexualized environment. However, five years ago Franco and Folsom Street Events decided it needed a few changes to make it more reflective of the energy of Folsom Weekend. The changes proved to be especially popular with international patrons, and the event’s popularity grew considerably. The first reworking included the addition of the Dungeon Beds lounge. The L.A. store Mr. S. Leather is sponsoring the dungeon space with support from Titan Studios. It will be in the basement of the venue, with different music and a different vibe from the main floor—darker and sexier. Expect a steamy, safe, playground of pleasure. While many mainstream Circuit parties continue to see a decline, it is a testament to Beneduce’s continuing hands-on involvement that attendance at Magnitude has been steadily going up over the past few years. Franco attributes the continued success to Magnitude and Folsom’s unique place in the gay universe. Some compare Magnitude to New York’s annual Black Party extravaganza. Franco admits to some similarities, but he hastens to point out that Magnitude is part of a much bigger experience, one where attendees come for a week or longer. It is not just about a single—albeit fun, massive and very well-produced—party. With all this erotic self-expression going on, you would think that it would be hard to find a place big enough that would be accepting of an event of this nature. Franco admits it is hard to find an appropriate space in San Francisco on a Saturday night. After producing events for 13 years, however, Franco has managed to build a solid reputation in the city’s larger club community. Landlords know that Magnitude will be a tightly run ship, with attendees on good behavior (but not too good!). This year, the party is moving to the Regency Center, a restored 1909 landmark. The Magnitude production team plans to transform the elegant Beaux Arts interior with the kind of lights, projections, lasers and props that partygoers have come to expect, with some new twists to keep the concept fresh. In addition to Magnitude, Franco also manages Bay of Pigs, the Saturday night party for the Dore Alley Fair. Dore is the smaller cousin to Folsom and attracts less non-leather tourists and more sleaze. When asked if anything shocks him at Folsom or Magnitude anymore, Franco simply replies, ”I’ve seen just about everything you can imagine—and then some. But what really shocks me is that there are still gay people in this day and age with puritanical minds who judge the way that other gay people express themselves sexually.” Perhaps. But maybe, just maybe, with the continued success of Folsom Street Fair and Magnitude, some of those closed minds will be changed. 2008-08-04T12:10:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/sandy_sachs_robin_gans http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/sandy_sachs_robin_gans In the fast-paced world of gay nightlife, lesbians typically get a raw deal. In the prevailing stereotype, gay men play the role of freewheeling party monsters, while the girls are relegated to a small cabin in the woods of Oregon tending to their golden retrievers. Venture outside our male-dominated spaces, however, and you'll discover a world of lesbian revelers paryting as hard as the circuit boyz. Hip-hop dykes or disco divas, gay nightlife has a healthy dose of girl power. Just ask Sandy Sachs and Dr. Robin Gans, the impresarios of the scene.The power couple fell in love in the '80s, at popular lesbian event SheScape in New York. After moving to L.A., they opened Girl Bar in 1990, which remains the largest lesbian dance club in the U.S. The long-running Girl Bar parties, now in four cities across the country (with more on the way), set a new standard for lesbian nightlife. They also produce Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs, the largest lesbian event in the world. They managed the White Party Palm Springs for ten years; kept the Factory Event Space in L.A. fresh for the past nine years; opened the elegant and popular West Hollywood restaurant Murano; created The Fitness Factory, one of L.A.'s top-rated gyms; and run GirlBarMatch, an online lesbian dating service. On top of that, Robin is a successful Beverly Hills psychologist, and Sandy will sometimes man the turntables at Girl Bar. Somehow they still find time to give back to the community, working with notable organizations such as The Trevor Project, Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing, Human Rights Campaign, L.A.'s Gay & Lesbian Center, AIDS Project Los Angeles and PAWS. It's no wonder they were named "2005 Women of the Year" by Christopher Street West. They started by managing Revolver, a popular WeHo bar now East/West. At the time, only The Palms was catering to L.A.'s lesbian population. Word got out that these two women were managing this fun video bar, and the gals started showing up. Seeing an opportunity, they created a weekly event that took over the back bar. They turned an exit into the entrance so patrons could enter without having to walk through the main bar. The comfortable and elegant environment became an instant hit and eventually packed the whole bar. Scott Forbes, owner of Studio One, the über-exclusive WeHo dance club, saw their success and offered to host Girl Bar in a room at his club. Things took off from there. Eighteen years later the event is still going strong in the same space, now called Ultra Suede, part of the Factory Event Space owned by Sandy. It's interesting to note that in those days gay male dance clubs were famously selective at the door-but Robin and Sandy knew that would never fly in the women's community and made sure that everyone was welcome. In 2004, the duo took the show on the road and opened up Girl Bar events in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Chicago. They are opening in Long Beach, and plan on San Francisco and Seattle as well. Chicago in particular has been very successful. Opening night was 20 degrees below zero, and the girls were still lined up down the block. The Big One: Dinah Shore In terms of attendees alone, Dinah Shore Weekend is their crown jewel. Originally, the weekend was a loose series of events surrounding the Dinah Shore LPGA Golf Tournament that attracted a Southern California crowd. The gals started by improving sound, lights and décor, bringing to the table ten years working with Jeffrey Sanker on the White Party. The result was a high-quality weekend with a wide range of activities that now attracts over 10,000 women to Palm Springs each year. And the girls don't just want to dance. They can choose from concerts, comedy shows, VIP brunches and pool parties. There are some differences between the girls and the boys with this event. Dance parties end at 3 a.m., with most attendees leaving by 2. The intoxicant of choice is alcohol. By far the most popular events are the pool parties, which start at 8 a.m.! The girls just don't do after-hours. "They literally line up the hallway with pillows and blankets," Sandy says. "It is all about getting a coveted pool chair." The music differs as well. Pool parties start with Ibiza-style chill music, and as the day moves on the pace of the music picks up. But the volume never reaches the level of an average Circuit party. At evening events, the space is brightly lit with tables and chairs everywhere. The tempo of the music varies, and is sexy without being hard and driving. It is less fist-in-the-air, and more high-energy groove. The mood sets the stage for conversation. It's true: Lesbians actually like to talk before they hook up. The probably even know each other's last names. From Promoters to Becoming a Brand Sandy and Robin know how to take care of the boys as well. A few years ago, they noticed a drop in attendance at Circuit-themed dance events at the Factory and at other clubs. One night Sandy overheard two guys lamenting that they didn't know any of the songs the DJ was spinning. She realized there needed to be a change, so she created POPStarZ, a weekly event playing all the Top-40 hits the boys love. "It's the antithesis of the Circuit," Sandy says. "Everybody has to keep their shirts on. The DJs know that if you can't hum to the music, you can't play it. The young boys love it!" The event has now become one of the most popular weekly gay male dance events in all of Los Angeles. What's next for this power couple? A lot. They are working on taking their Murano concept to other locations, and will release a CD of the music Sandy programs for the restaurant called Murano Morsels. Major brands are approaching them to be a part of their events as a way to improve their gay image. The president of Ketel One vodka just met with them in person to sign a six-figure, three-year deal. They're not afraid to venture into uncharted territory, either. "There are major hospitality groups that run hotels, restaurants and clubs that are always owned by men," Robin said. "Sandy and I have this vision that there ought to be a group like that owned by women." For now, they will continue to grow Girl Bar and expand their lesbian empire. They are bringing in younger promoters and mentoring them so the pair can comfortably move into other areas. It would be nice to, Robin sighs, "not have to work until 2 a.m. every weekend." No matter how they continue to grow, it is clear that whatever business this power couple focuses on will be fresh, fun and successful- no boys required. 2008-04-29T03:45:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/tom_whitman http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/tom_whitman In LA, is there any night of the week when Tom Whitman’s name doesn’t figure somewhere into the schedule? His events run the entire spectrum of gay–fabulous, but they all have one thing in common: "I try to produce events that I want to go to,” he says. “I want to hang out with fun, flirty, unpretentious people. I want to go to an upscale event and dress up one night, and get sloppy in a pitcher of margaritas in the afternoon on another day.” Tom says his events are geared to conversation, not attitude. Take aptly named “Drunk and Horny,” Tom’s Friday nights at FUBAR. "Wear something tight," says the ad. "If you go home alone, you aren’t really trying." Or just turn on your mojo at "Smack," Thursdays at O–Bar, the home of the self–proclaimed "world’s fastest open bar." Three times during the night, drinks are free for a few minutes–and after some lubrication, the hottie you’ve been eyeing across the room becomes soooo much easier to talk to. In addition to “Saturday On Sunday” nights, the line snakes around the block in front of “here” Lounge for the jock–themed night “Player,” and in winter months for “Size,” a surfboards–and–margaritas celebration of Southern California’s famed beach culture. "Before I produced events in the gay world," says Tom, "I produced concerts and television, so I love the production aspects of events." Yes, Tom has worked in what we here on the Left Coast call “The Industry”: He wrote and directed two animated shorts that have toured the international film festival circuit. Before moving to LA, he worked in NYC for five years as a producer at MTV Networks, and even now, he frequently returns to Gotham. So he knows the scene on both coasts. But Tom says that LA no longer plays Second City to NYC, although he acknowledges that LA nightlife is changing. “It’s transitioned from being centered on big, Circuit–type events to more spread–out, smaller events in bars and nightclubs,” he says. “The younger crowd likes to do different things. It’s not just about staying out until 7 a.m.” A Hollywood Wonderland Nowhere is his producing experience more evident than at Wonderland, a big Circuit dance event held on the backlot of Paramount Studios the weekend of West Hollywood’s Gay Pride. Wandering around a movie studio is a cheap thrill for anyone who doesn’t work on one, and Wonderland has quickly become one of the most anticipated events on the LA. boys’ party schedule each year. Ferris wheels, fireworks, racks of speakers with go–go boys on top, outside dancing…yes, it’s all been done before. But what’s fun and so special about Wonderland is the fact that it could only happen here in LA. Sure, we have some great party spaces here, and world–class clubs. Leave it to a movie guy, though, to bring the Circuit to Hollywood. There’s a "road" version of Wonderland, too, a New Year’s Eve event held on the roof of the Ipanema Plaza Hotel in Rio de Janeiro. Not quite as "Hollywood," but you do get to party in Rio with all of those drop–dead gorgeous Brazilian men. One LA nightlife regular calls Wonderland “without question, the best event in LA in years.” This jaded partygoer, who has earned his Circuit gold star many times over, says Wonderland “ranks with the best events in the world. What made this particular party memorable, was not only the way it flowed seamlessly, or the music, or the lighting, which were all stellar, but the way he became the heart of the event, bringing to mind Studio 54 in its heyday, or promoters such as Suzanne Bartsch, who becomes the star of her parties.” Tom appeared at the last Wonderland in a "Mad Hatter" costume, was hoisted above the dance floor and welcomed the crowd with a message about having fun safely. It was a magical moment, and the already happening event took off. It’s another sign that Tom lives out his claim that he produces events that he would enjoy himself. Unlike some promoters, he can often be seen out on the dance floor. One regular LA partygoer describes him as a “surprisingly great dancer. He’s surrounded by boys at the clubs, and acts as though he’s one of them,” he adds. “He’s truly one of the most popular guys in town–who just happens to be a professional event planner. No wonder one of his lounge nights is called ‘Popular.’” A Wanderer at Home Recently, Tom made a splash with the “Lucky Devil” burlesque show at hot Melrose Avenue club Forty Deuce, billed as the first such all–male burlesque in the country. Each winter, Tom lures the crowd outside the city and into the great outdoors. Attendance at Elevation Ski Weekend in Mammoth has been nearly doubling in size each year, with 2,000 or so party–hardy skiers and snowboarders expected this year, making it the third–largest gay ski event in the world. This is high–altitude, no–attitude fun; why is it that everyone is so much friendlier when you get them out of the city? On top of all the fun, Tom also gives back to the community. He is on the Board of Directors of AIDS Project Los Angeles and has produced events for it along with many other local charities, including the local HRC chapter, The Trevor Project, The LA Gay & Lesbian Center, among others. Tom probably gets his out–of–the–box attitude from his wandering childhood. An Air Force brat, he was born in Hawaii but spent most of his childhood in Europe. He first came to California to attend UCLA, then shuttled between the two coasts. Wherever he is, the one thing you can expect is to see Tom in the middle of the party, having as great a time as any of his guests.   Visit http://www.myspace.com/tomwhitman or http://www.tomwhitmanpresents.com for dates, times and locales of Tom Whitman’s parties.   2008-04-15T04:11:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/alexander_catala http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/alexander_catala Enter Alexander Catala. Originally from Puerto Rico, he is a traveling professional and a self-described “Circuit pro.” When he went to that final Ice party in the spring of 2004, he was at the end of his Circuit rope. “I was towards the end of my experience. I asked myself, ‘What exactly am I getting from this?’ Traveling and spending all this money - something had to change. The prices were getting astronomical. At that point I had already started contemplating promoting and producing my own parties, but I never understood how I could really fit into that puzzle.” All of that changed when he met Dan De Leon. Dan remarks, “We complimented each other well. Alex is the quintessential Circuit boy on the dance floor and perfectly understands the Circuit experience from that perspective. I have this sort of worldly musical view from my rave background. The pieces of the puzzle that I didn’t get about the Circuit, what appealed to the gay community, and the part of the puzzle that he was looking for: that’s what I had to offer to him.” They came together not only as a couple, but as partners with a vision that they could both finally realize with each other. Lattitude Events was born. It was a product of what they each had to offer in a party all their own. They came together not only as a couple, but as partners with a vision that they could both finally realize with each other. Lattitude Events was born. It was a product of what they each had to offer in a party all their own. The first two Lattitude events were Circuit-style parties completely geared towards the gay community, but with their unique production aspects and impressive roster of guest DJs, they soon became huge successes with both gay and straight LA club-goers. Internationally renowned DJs like Chus & Ceballos, Murk’s Oscar G, and Saeed Younan caught on to Lattitude’s fresh approach to parties and De Leon’s musical vision. The last few events at Avalon Hollywood, one of LA’s leading nightclubs, were so successful that management there has moved it from Friday night to the more lucrative Saturday night slot. Dan orchestrates the musical aspects of each event, and Alex masterminds all the production aspects and promotional duties that fuel any successful party. “You’re really getting more than just a DJ setting up behind turntables and playing some records. You’re really getting a vision.” There is no set timetable for Lattitude events because Catala insists that it’s more important to get all the details exactly right for every event than trying to throw as many parties as possible in one year. “It’s a lot of work to do it right. It doesn’t just happen magically: trust me.” Lattitude has begun to move beyond the shores of California to the high seas. In February, RSVP Cruises brought them onboard to bring new life to the club events on their gay cruise in the Caribbean. The collaboration was successful, and they continued with RSVP on their Mediterranean and Alaskan cruises as well this year. They are slated for this coming February’s Caribbean cruise. Lattitude Events is a brand and a party tied intrinsically to both Dan and Alex as a couple and as individuals. As Alex explains it, “There is an emotion to every event that comes from between us as a couple.” “Together: that’s the way the formula works,” says Dan. “I don’t think I could have done it without him, or vice versa. It’s definitely a product of the two of us.” 2007-12-15T05:26:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/hilton_wolman http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/hilton_wolman How did you get your start promoting? As Advertising and Promotions Manager for a major European car manufacturer, I had been responsible for new model launches to dealers, the press, and the public. We would constantly try to come up with spectacular ideas that would blow the attendees away, be it by taking over a conference center, hotel or resort, or even chartering an entire ship. That experience served me well when I moved to South Florida and got involved in producing and promoting parties. What are some of the highlights of your career? Working with Abel every Saturday night at Salvation and watching him become one of the most beloved Circuit DJs; witnessing the meteoric rise to fame of other wonderful DJs that I worked with like Manny Lehman and Tony Moran; producing over a dozen parties for White Party and Winter Party; and accidentally pioneering the daytime Sunday party when the laws in South Beach forced the after-hours clubs to close at 9 a.m. Church (at Salvation) on Sunday morning became incredibly successful, as did the Monday morning parties we added to the major party weekends. After Salvation I produced Orbit at Space and was also involved with events at Crobar and Coliseum; and while Twilo Miami has come and gone, we certainly had some amazing nights there. Salvation in Miami was one of the most legendary clubs in history and you were intimately involved during its heyday. What are some of your favorite memories? Can you tell us a little about your annual “Salvation Reunion Party”? Saturday nights at Salvation ran so smoothly that I was able to spend most of the night on the dance floor, meeting people and having a great time. I think that part of my success as a promoter stems from the fact that I was out there in the middle of it all, and I could see what worked and what didn’t. I remember when we were the first club in Miami to do liquid nitrogen blasts, hand out ice- lollies, or have Power lowered from the ceiling to perform a show. People would come back each and every week to see what we did at midnight to open the main room. It wasn’t easy coming up with something different fifty-two weeks a year! I made so many lasting friendships at Salvation. It was on the dance floor there that I met my good friends and the promoters I most admire, Ric Sena and Mark Baker. I also got to work with so many talents - performers like Power, Kitty Meow, Circuit Mom, and RKM as well as numerous DJs who have gone on to become good friends rather than just business associates. The Salvation Reunion Party began at one of my birthday parties and it has become an annual event. Abel always spins and Power always performs. It’s a great mix of the old and the new, where Abel hauls out the classic hits from the Salvation days, but mixes them in with current favorites so that it doesn’t feel like a night stuck in the past. But it is a party that usually brings out many people who don’t go to parties any more. Next year we are also hoping to take it to a few cities outside the South Florida area. I think that people will really enjoy the experience, especially those who actually attended a Salvation event. In addition to Salvation, Miami has been home to such mega clubs as 1235, Liquid, Crobar, and the list goes on. However, the landscape of South Florida nightlife has changed as all of these clubs, as well as the newly- incarnated Twilo in Miami, have closed. What insight can you give us as to the changes happening in South Florida? A few years ago Miami could support three megaclubs being open on three consecutive nights - Level on Friday, Salvation on Saturday, and Crobar on Sunday. But the trend has been to the smaller venues, with lounge type atmospheres. Score on Lincoln Road is always busy and the newly opened Halo is another example of the more intimate venues that have become popular. For a while, many of us blamed the internet and the hookup sites for the decline in attendance at the large clubs. You no longer needed to go out to a club to meet someone - you could go online and “order in”. Miami Beach also saw a decline in the gay population as people moved away because the nightlife was no longer the draw it once was. And the gay tourist doesn’t travel down as often because these days many of the DJs that once only spun in Miami, New York, or LA can be found at the local bar or club. But the pendulum seems to be swinging back. People seem to miss the social aspects of a night out dancing, and most of the local clubs are reporting an increase in attendance. I also think that with the closure of Twilo many people in South Florida realized that if they didn’t support their local venues on a regular basis, they stood a chance of losing their “playground”. Tell us about your monthly parties you’re throwing at Coliseum in Fort Lauderdale with Gary Santis. The scene in South Florida has definitely moved from Miami to Fort Lauderdale. Gary already had a successful Saturday night party, but he invited me to collaborate with him on a new monthly event that would hopefully add something exciting to the formula. By combining forces we’ve managed to boost attendance figures - and production values - to levels that hadn’t been achieved locally in several years. But we are not giving up on Miami. I’m still working on several exciting projects in the Miami area, just not on a weekly basis. Last January, you presented “Freedom - The Official Sail-Away Party for the Largest Gay Cruise in History” before the Atlantis cruise. Can you tell us about that as well as what you have planned for the upcoming Atlantis cruise next January? Actually we began doing the Atlantis Sail-Away party back at Salvation, but as the ships have grown bigger and bigger each year, so has the size of the party. Two years ago for the Navigator cruise we had Manny, Tony, and Abel all spinning on one night, and for Freedom, Warren Gluck teamed up with Abel. In 2008 and the Liberty cruise, I am hoping to expand the concept from simply a dance party to a night that offers all sorts of possibilities because of the spectacular new $25 million venue that we will be using. Not only is there an amazing indoor and outdoor space for the dance party, but we also have adjoining restaurants and bars that will allow those patrons who are not interested in the dancing to still participate in the night. Kind of like what happens onboard the ship, where you can choose from a piano bar, restaurant, or the main dance event - something for all tastes. What do you think the future holds for gay nightlife in general? People are not traveling to as many parties as they once did. But they are still traveling - doing the cruises and picking one or twomajor events each year. The successful promoters are the ones who don’t cut back on their production values because there might be a decline in attendance. They just adapt accordingly. Gay nightlife will continue. I remember being warned that, with greater mainstream acceptance, the younger generation would be more inclined to party with their straight friends at straight(er) venues. My son, who is also gay and in his early twenties, did that for a while, but these days he and his friends are supporting the local gay bars and clubs on a regular basis. Promoters are reaching out to the younger crowd by incorporating different styles of music, different entertainment, and different pricing strategies. I think it is working and I’m thrilled to see that with each party I do, there are more and more people I don’t recognize! Or is that just a sign that at my age the memory begins to fade? 2007-11-15T05:29:00+00:00 http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/rich_campbell http://www.noizemag.com/index.php/articles/promoter_spotlight/rich_campbell In late January, the latest Atlantis gay cruise set sail. noiZe had a chance to speak with Rich Campbell, President of Atlantis Events, Inc., just before he embarked on what was to be the biggest cruise, gay or straight, in history. The Freedom of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest ship, was host to 3600 guests who joined Rich on this floating city for one of the most unique experiences of their lives. How did you get started with Atlantis? We started this company in 1990 as the gay brand of Club Med. I was bouncing around television in Los Angeles and I was trying to figure out something else to do for a period of time. You rarely actually plan on things to come out the way they do. I had this crazy idea of hosting a gay week at Club Med. I thought I’d do that for a year or two, make a little money, and then go back to Hollywood. In 1990, we went to Club Med on a cold call and walked out with a contract, knowing absolutely nothing about the travel industry. In May of ‘91, we operated our very first Club Med resort under the name “Atlantis at Club Med” and we sold it out and had an amazing time. And that was the beginning. I liked the experience, our guests liked the experience, so we went back and said let’s see what else we can do. There really was no grand plan. There still isn’t. We’ve always been very opportunistic about trying to create these really unique interesting experiences for people. We continued with Club Med for the next seven years. We grew considerably; we were doing six Club Med resorts at our peak in 1996. In ‘97, we decided it was time to broaden our horizons. There was an opportunity to charter a small ship - a 900-passenger ship called the Leeward that Norwegian Cruise Lines owned. We chartered that ship, sold it out in about six months, and that was how we got into the cruise business. In early ‘98, we did our first big ship cruise and we’ve been growing steadily ever since. In 2007, we’ll do eight full-ship charters ranging from 700 passengers to 3600 passengers. Do you have competitors? Everyone is our competitor. Every possible type of travel experience - whether it’s going to a party in Miami, going to Hawaii for vacation, or going to Europe with your family - all of those things are competitors to us. The biggest issue with Americans is that they don’t have much time for vacation. We’re trying to fight the two-week limit more than anything else. There’s one other company that does what we do, RSVP, and there’s a company in the women’s market called Olivia. RSVP is a quarter of the size of us - they’re running four cruises this year, we’re running eight. And now you can say you’ve chartered the largest cruise in history… My thing has never been to be a travel company - we’ve always been an event production company. The idea was to create unique experiences in really interesting places. Lately, those places have been cruise ships. But we also have resorts. We’re back at ClubMed this year for the first time ever. They’ve upgraded their resort substantially and they’re pretty fantastic. So I’m really thrilled to start a new relationship with them. What types of things do you do to turn a cruise into an event? We rip it apart and put it back together. We basically reinvent the cruise experience from the ground up. Besides the fact that it’s a gay audience, it’s also a completely different style of cruise from what the cruise lines typically offer. They try to be all things to all people; we try to be great things for a few people. We bring all of our own entertainment. We’ll have twenty-five different shows on the Freedom next week. What kind of shows? They range from cabaret singers to a couple of big name headliners that I can’t disclose to you. We had Jennifer Hudson on the last cruise, who just got a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in Dreamgirls. That’s the caliber of people we bring in for our headline entertainers. We’ve had Patti Lupone on a few times, Roseanne Barr has done a few, Joan Rivers has done a couple. We have a stable of people that we like to work with. And then we try to get the newest, freshest, most exciting talent out there that’s appropriate for a gay audience. It’s also what’s appropriate for an audience that tends to be more active, younger, and more social in nature than a typical straight cruise. We start the week with Charo! We have performance acts - on this next cruise we’re bringing a couple of really unique people. We’ve got five DJs on this cruise - Manny Lehman, Brett Henrichsen, Warren Gluck, Abel, and we’re bringing Junior Vasquez for the first time ever on a ship. We’re going to have him do a highly-themed, really unusual indoor night that will really blow people away. What is the age range of your clientele? The youngest person is 20; the oldest is 88. 80% fall between 34 and 43. Your DJ selection is really impressive - there’s such a wide range of styles. That’s the idea. With 3600 people, we don’t throw one party - we throw twenty. And we use different venues. There will be an R&B night, a classic disco T-dance with all 70’s music, and we’ll do an 80’s party. We’ll do an alternative night as well as a trance night. We try to vary the music programming in different sized venues so that if you want something unique musically, you’re going to find it. Are there multiple events going on at the same time? Always. The most difficult thing for people is picking and choosing. The suicide guests try to do everything; the smart guests go, “OK, I guess I’m not gonna see this.” At any given point and time, I’ve got between five and nine different events going on. We have an ice rink on the ship where we could have a show, as well as a show in the theater, a parade going on in the promenade - we have a promenade that’s the length of three football fields. You have parades? Parades! These are things that Royal does that we just adapt slightly. There could be a cabaret performer in the Schooner Bar, a small show in Pharaoh’s Lounge, and a party just starting out on the top deck - that’s all entirely plausible. Oh, and at the same time, we could have nighttime surfing on the back deck on the FlowRider surf machine. And that’s not counting the thousand people that are still finishing dinner. We try to do it so we’re not entertaining 3600 people all at once. Five hundred here, eight hundred here, a thousand there - and even then you’ve still got twelve hundred people to handle. Do you have a staff that helps you out with all this? We have about 100 people onboard. Some of them are employees; a lot of them are contractors. And that includes the talent. Also, we bring on a team of about thirty - they’re not quite staff, they’re not quite guests - they’re more or less facilitators. They keep the show running. They’re the glue that holds the entire week together. They’re basically volunteers that we bring in from all over the world. It sounds like event promotion times a thousand… It’s a live theatre production with 3600 people and they’re all part of the show. You don’t walk off of this saying, “Oh, I was just on a cruise.” You walk off going, “That was the most unique experience I’ve ever had.” We create this somewhat artificial but very real community that people become a part of and engage in. What’s really cool is that there’s a lot of down time. There’s a lot of time out in the sun and on the pool deck, time wandering around the ports, time sitting with friends and, sometimes, total strangers. It creates this wonderful social interaction. So you’re all stuck together for seven days and you end up talking and meeting new people and making friends… Exactly! And I would hardly call them “stuck”! Stuck in a good way! Exactly! And that’s really why I’ve been doing this for so long. I walk off that ship and I see people who’ve made friends and will remain friends for a long, long time. Compared to doing a land-based operation, what would you say are the biggest challenges working on a ship like this? There’s no turning back. Once you sail, if you forget something, you’re screwed! Once we forgot the dog tags for a Dog Tag T-Dance on the dock! Do you ever get down time? Do you ever get to relax and enjoy the cruises yourself? I love what I do! I have the best job in the world. Are you kidding? I get paid to go to really fun places with really cool people and entertain them for a living. 2007-04-15T05:04:00+00:00