Tracklist:
Universe “Chances”
Universe “Orange Leaves”
Universe “Confidence”
Notorious B.I.G. “Hypnotize” (Orville Kline & Jai Sephora Remix) Listen
Azealia Banks “212″
The Hood Internet “When The Night Knows” (Whitney Houston vs. Chromeo)
Bassnectar, King Fantastic, & Lil Jon “Bia Bia Basshead” (PHNM Blend) Listen
Diplo “Express Yourself” ft. Nicky Da B (Radio Edit)
Laidback Luke & Sander Van Doorn “Who’s Wearing The Cap” (A-Trak Remix)

My friend Miche sent me this video. This is absolutely adorable. Watch DJ Mama, a french bull dog DJ along with his master.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Amir Bar-Lev pulled off one of the most charming documentaries in years with Re:Generation. The premise is simple, put todays hottest DJ’s/producers with some of the most respected names in each genre of music in a studio and see what happens. With an increase in todays DJ’s, the question of them being actual musicians arise and this documentary fires back with positive results. DJ’s are musicians too, well more so producers, but yes they make music and have transitioned into artists themselves. It’s the new trend in the music industry with musicians relying less on bandmates and working for themselves. With this in mind, five distinct DJ’s will discover how the past is infact influencing the future of music.

Watch this video on YouTube.

So who are these producers that helped shape an entire paradigm shift within the music industry? Let’s welcome DJ Premier, Mark Ronson, Skrillex, The Crystal Method, and Pretty Lights. On their own, they will each spend time with a specific artist who was huge at one time, it’s mixing together different generations into one. So these super producers get to work with: Nas, members of The Doors, Erykah Badu, Martha Reeves, Leann Rimes, Mos Def, Dr. Ralph Stanley, The Berklee Symphony Orchestra, Zigaboo Modeliste, The Funk Brothers, Trombone Shorty, and members of The Dap Kings.

DJ Premier sets the tone of Re:Generation, he is like a young boy on a Christmas day; amazed and wowed by everything that comes his way. He’s absorbing everything and you see him working hard at making his vision a reality. Premier worked with The Berklee Symphony Orchestra and recreated a dozen classical songs into one full epic hip hop record with Nas. The way he put together his piece was creative and very imaginative, I’m talking a whole new level of producing! He sampled a dozen classical songs into Pro Tools and then he would have each sample transcribed into its own section for the orchestra.

Watch this video on YouTube.

My second favorite collaboration was Mark Ronson’s with Zigaboo Modeliste, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, members of The Dap Kings, and Trombone Shorty. Together they created an up beat record that blends soul, jazz, and blues that screams Louisianna. It’s wonderful watching Badu working with Ronson, their interaction together is almost sibling like. It’s amazing how something simple as gumbo can transpire into an entire song.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Pretty Lights is the most nerve wreaking collaboration to watch. He’s been assigned to work with Dr. Ralph Stanely, a country musician who started his career in the mid 1940′s. Pretty Lights, also known as Derek Smith is obviously nervous about the whole project. He seems to have an idea of working with the country legend but ultimately has problems getting his vision across with Stanely. Eventually, Smith asks country superstar Leann Rimes to lend her voice to the song and the results come out way above par. The record is all Pretty Lights with a twang, making it extra special when he premieres it at his hometown show at Red Rocks in Colorado.

Watch this video on YouTube.

The Crystal Method worked with Martha Reeves and The Funk Brothers. Together they put out a funky R&B track that had many obstacles to climb. The Crystal Method was also writing the lyrics to the song and Martha Reeves would have problems with certain words like “fight”. It was at times frustrating, but The Crystal Method pulled out with a winning record in the end. Martha wanted to make sure that the record had soul and the emotions of Detroit, Michigan. She had to witness the painful demolition of the music venue where she broke out as a star. She’s seen Detroit as a giant and now recognizes that it isn’t the same city as it used to be.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Then there is the odd looking dude named Sonny Moore who is better known as Skrillex. He gets to work with the remaining members of The Doors. No big deal right? Well this was definitely the most interesting collaboration to watch since this is The Doors first time in a studio together in over thirty years. Sonny is goofy but doesn’t realize it and that’s not a bad thing at all, it makes his personality more likeable – it’s innocent. Moore is real cool when it comes to working with members of The Doors. He reminds me of a kid who is a little nervous, but is 100% excited about everything around him, kind of like DJ Premier’s experience. Everyone in the studio has that California swagger and it shows when they’re singing the hook to their record “Breaking A Sweat (It’s Alright)”. It’s funny to watch the members of The Doors kicking it in the studio, they’re all still kids at heart. The most eerie thing was when The Doors drummer John Densmore brought up the fact that the late Doors singer Jim Morrison once prophesized that music one day would be made by a man and a machine.

Watch this video on YouTube.

It’s nice to see these artists coming together, painting a musical picture about their culture and surroundings. Re:Generation is a visual ethnographic piece if you inspect closer, but at heart it is a common ground for DJ’s and producers to show the world that they are in fact musicians themselves in a new age of the music industry. Amir Bar-Lev put together the most exciting documentary that touches on music since Wilco’s I Am Trying to Break Your Heart or Davis Guggenheim’s masterpiece It Might Get Loud.

Rating: * * * * *

Chicago DJ and producer PHNM (AKA Phenom) dropped the sickest Bassnecter mashup with Lil Jon. The song obviously is Bassnecter’s “Basshead” with vocal cuts from Lil Jon and King Fantastic. After hearing this, it is obvious Lil Jon should have scrapped his long delayed Crunk Rock album and instead begin a “crunk-step” movement. Crunk can live on and this is proof thanks to PHNM.

Orville Kline and Jai Sephora, Porn & Chicken’s resident DJ’s bring you this in your face remix of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize”. The drum work and slap like wah-bass sounds give this remix a unique feel. Orville Kline will be our podcast guest in March for episode 6. He will be dropping his next single with Jai Sephora, “Stellar”.

Serotonin is made of Chicago producer AMac and emcee Roe Dee, both former partners in Milk N Cookies. Serotonin submitted their two latest remixes, Benny Benassi’s “Illusions” and Steve Aoki’s “Ladi Dadi”. Both tracks crush with clean sounds and crisp mixing. Serotonin is a name you should look out for in 2012!

You can catch Serotonin at Viaduct Theater (3111 N. Western Ave.) for a 17+ show on Friday, March 2nd.

Duck Sauce who is made up of A-Trak and Armand Van Helden brought you the Grammy nominated hit “Barbra Streisand” and recently they’ve released “Big Bad Wolf”. I didn’t think much of “Big Bad Wolf” when I first heard the song in fall of 2011, but when it is paired up with a music video, it colors a whole different meaning. Watch for youself, “Big Bad Wolf” is equally funny as it is disturbing.

Watch this video on YouTube.

In the latest Twitter battle, Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell and the account @LollaLeaks exchanged words over the threat of leaking this years Lollapalooza lineup. It all started when @LollaLeaks posted “I wonder how @perryfarrell would like it if I just dropped all of the headliners right now?” Farrell retweeted back, “You must have a small penis”.

Now the word is Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, Beck, Beyonce, and Sonic Youth are all rumored to headline Lollapalooza 2012. What would make Lollapalooza 2012 appealing to rock fans is that Sonic Youth are rumored to play their last show at the annual festival in Grant Park, Chicago.

Perry Stage or Tent is looking bold with Korn featuring Skrillex, M.I.A., Noisia, Bassnectar, Calvin Harris, Flux Pavilion, Knife Party, and Mord Fustang. Other bands rumored to play are At The Drive In, Garbage, Missy Elliot, Passion Pit, The Shins, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, M83, Kimbra (Female Artists To Watch in 2012), Gotye, Crosses, Surfer Blood, Real Estate, Antlers, Gaslight Anthem, Guided By Voices, and Bombay Bicycle Club.

Remember this lineup so far is just a rumor, but if it were true, this year is one hell of a mix of bands and artists!

If you missed last nights Grammy, Foo Fighters performed with Deadmau5 live. If you did catch the award show and wondered what song they were playing, it was “Rope” off of Foo Fighters Grammy Award winning album Wasting Light. You can purchase this song at iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://effortchicago.com/foo-fighters-rope-deadmau5-radio-edit/feed/ 0 http://effortchicago.com/orgy-reunites-comes-to-chicago/ http://effortchicago.com/orgy-reunites-comes-to-chicago/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:13:47 +0000 Pete Cho http://effortchicago.com/?p=1948

Orgy was a rare story in the music industry back in the late 90′s. They’ve made millions of fans overnight when they covered New Order’s “Blue Monday” and released two successful platinum albums Candyass (1998) and Vapor Transmission (2000). They were once signed to Korn’s Elementree/Reprise Records and were touring with the hottest bands at the time. They were part of the original Family Values Tour that featured Korn, Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube, Incubus, and Rammstein.

After their huge success, the Los Angeles band took some time off and eventually released Punk Statik Paranoia, Orgy’s last album released in 2004. Punk Statik Paranoia was met with minimal success since it was their first album released outside of Elementree/Reprise Records. Orgy had to release it on their own so lead singer Jay Gordon started his own company D1 Music.

Orgy went on hiatus while guitarists Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh started their new band Julien-K. In 2010 rumours started escalating that Orgy would reunite for a tour, but it was announced that Jay Gordon was no longer a part of Orgy. To clear things up Jay Gordon posted on his Facebook profile, “Everyone has been so busy with their different projects I figured this was the only way for me to continue on with the name. I started this band, and I don’t want to let it fall to the wayside completely.”

This didn’t sit well with the members of Orgy because Gordon relaunched the band with a new lineup made of members from Snot, Deadsy, and Run Run Run. This created a storm between Gordon, Shuck, and Derakh. On the side, Gordon started a dubstep project Kill-O-Watt.

Just yesterday, Gordon took to his personal Facebook account and announced a month long tour with the newly charged Orgy.  Strangely enough, you can relive the late 90′s again in one night on Friday, February 24th because you can catch Orgy at Bottom Lounge in Chicago, the same night as Korn’s “Path to Totality Tour” at Congress Theater.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.