Jean-Michel Jarre on The Knix Mix

Jean-Michel Jarre

There is perhaps no one more fitting to appear on a radio show devoted to European electropop than French musician, producer, and composer Jean-Michel Jarre, one of the great pioneers of electronic music.  I was beyond thrilled to get a chance to chat with Jarre about his newly released album Electronica 2:  The Heart of Noise, which I have been playing in heavy rotation on The Knix Mix since its May release.

Never one to do anything halfway, some of Jarre's four-decade long career highlights include having the best-selling ever French album, his 1976 debut Oxygène, holding the record for the largest ever audience at an outdoor venue, and being the first Western musician to be officially invited to perform in the People's Republic of China in 1981.  

In the same bigger is better vein, his two-part album project took five years to complete and features a list of 30 collaborators that reads like the Who's Who of the electronic music genre. The results were Electronica 1: The Time Machine and Electronica 2:  The Heart of Noise.  (Electronica 1 hit the airwaves in October of last year.)  Intriguingly, the project includes a few collaborators who aren't primarily known for music such as whistleblower Edward Snowden and director John Carpenter, who is known for films like Halloween but is a talented composer as well. Jarre chose people who were a source of inspiration to him over the course of his career. The list includes early pioneers in their own right like Air and Tangerine Dream (one of the late Edgar Froese's last projects) and contemporary artists like M83 and Gesafellstein. Naturally, I was quite excited that Gary Numan appears on the track "Here for You" - one of my favorites on Electronica 2. Other names plucked from the music charts during my formative years (Yes, the 80s!) that I am partial to are Vince Clarke, Pet Shop Boys, and Cyndi Lauper.

Jarre actually traveled to work with his collaborators in person rather than simply exchanging digital files by Email. Jarre is aware that creating music can be a very solitary exercise, much like a writer or a painter, and it took courage for people to welcome him into their home studios. Basically, electronic music geeks sharing their grown up toys! The result is music that blends the unique qualities of each artist with Jarre's own well-honed style.

Have a listen to the complete interview and learn more about the project, the underlying themes, and where Jarre thinks electronic music is headed in the future.  Keep up to date with upcoming news and tour information here!

Soundtracks for Electronic Loving Sci Fi Folk

I'm in all kinds of love with Chronicles of the Wasteland/Turbo Kid Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Le Matos!  If you're a child of the 80s like I am, you're going to crush on the nod to analog synths and 80s movie soundtracks.  I haven't even seen the movie, but I don't care!  Check out a track for yourself and then go to the Bandcamp page to preview a few more tracks!

Also brand new in soundtrack land is Star Wars Headspace.  Another thing children of the 80s can get bbehind The album features various artists like Kaskade and Bonobo, but I am naturally most enamored of the Röyksopp track "Bounty Hunters." Check it out!

DJ Knix of WERU's The Knix Mix Q&A

I've done a few Q&A profiles of artists and other WERU programmers along the way, and I thought it would be a bit of fun to answer a few questions myself.  Of course, you know I spin electronic music on The Knix Mix every Friday night from 10 p.m. to midnight. If you don't, you can listen by going to weru.org and live stream or listen to a previously recorded show.  I'd always been aware of WERU being from this part of Maine. I graduated from Brewer High School in 1988, which happens to be the same year WERU was getting underway at the Hen House in Blue Hill. When I returned to Maine after a decade in Massachusetts I moved just down the road from the station. There's a great sense of community at the station, and it doesn't hurt that I get to play the kind of music I wanted to hear. I've been at the helm of The Knix Mix for over two years and counting.  Which is, come to think of it, one of the reasons I coined "Knix Picks." So I could keep track of all the new music in that span of time that I love, love, love!

1. Favorite genre of music? My heart belongs to electronic music, which encompasses a range of styles. Basically, I’m a total child of the 80s. British New Wave was the soundtrack of my youth, and I subsequently love anything that has synthpop origins. Ah, nostalgia!  Electropop, electro house, electro clash, French house, club/dance...Sensing a theme here? Really, I adore anything you can dance to.
2. Favorite band? It’s hard to name just one, but there is exceptional music to dance to coming out of Europe. Artists like Röyksopp, Etienne de Crécy, Autokratz, Vitalic, The Bloody Beetroots, Yuksek, Simian Mobile Disco and Soulwax. I also love music to brood to. Bands that have that angst-ridden post-punk influence like Motorama, The Juan MacLean and White Lies.
3. Favorite song? I’m really crushing on Etienne de Crécy generally, but “Someone Like You” on Essentials (Best of) is amazing. It also appears on Super Discount 2 as “Fast Track.” Other tracks that I adore are Vitalic’s “Poison Lips,” “On a Train” by Yuksek and Simian Mobile Disco’s “I Believe.”
4. What was the first LP or CD you bought? The first album that I picked out on my own was Shaun Cassidy’s second studio album Born Late. I was kind of obsessed with Shaun Cassidy in elementary school. I swooned over him as little brother Joe in The Hardy Boys. I remember bringing the album to my 3rd-grade class’s show and tell. I sat up front and held the album cover open while the teacher played the record for the class. I couldn’t have been prouder.
5. What hobbies and interests do you have outside of music? I love hiking and snowshoeing, which I get to do a lot of living in Orland. Besides conveniently living very close to the station, I also live very close to the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust trail system and a short drive from Acadia National Park. I love nature photography, and I take a lot of photos on my hikes. I have two rescue dogs who are my hiking partners and frequent subjects of my photography. This doesn't mean I'm especially outdoorsy. I'm not the person you want with you on a mountaineering expedition.  I wouldn't last a hot minute. I have a romantic notion of nature and am fascinated with natural history and anthropology. I’m a voracious reader, and I love to browse the library or used bookstores on Saturdays. I love all things vintage, so flea markets and antiquing are fun for me too. I value learning new things. I’ve dabbled in acting and working with clay, and I’ve continued to take writing classes over the years.
6. If you could hang out with anyone, alive or dead, who would you pick and why? I would love to meet Gary Numan, who is one of the pioneers of electronic music. I’ve seen him in concert a couple of times, which was great fun. He smiled at me when I yelled for him to sing “Down in the Park.” I’d especially love it though if I could hang out with Josh Gates for an Expedition Unknown adventure or two. He’s kind of cute (and very married), true, but I’m also exceedingly envious of his job. Something that combines travel, adventure, history, archeology, and anthropology? Sign me up! Just don’t sign me up for a spelunking adventure because the movie The Descent scarred me for life.
7. If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why? I would want to be an owl. Owls symbolize intuition and have highly evolved senses - seeing what other can’t. They seem wise and cerebral, but they are also stealthy and can use those talons pretty effectively when they need to.
8. Favorite food? I could probably live a long, long time on pizza and cheesecake. I won’t. But I could.
9. Favorite book? Honestly, I could probably expound more on books than on music. Music I like specifically. Books I like generally. Though I’ve come to prefer reading nonfiction. I think everyone has a story to tell, and real life is often more interesting than fiction. Devil in the White City is a great example of compelling historical nonfiction. I read a lot of adventure books where people overcome – or don’t – seemingly insurmountable obstacles like Touching the Void, Into Thin Air and Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage. I love satirical memoirists like Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris too. Laugh out loud hysterical!
10. Favorite movie? Henry and June, 1984, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Children, The Shining, and Out of the Blue.
11. If you could have any super power, what would it be? To know the unknowable and solve life’s mysteries. Like where did the settlers from the Roanoke Colony go? What happened to Amelia Earhart? What’s up with the Bermuda Triangle? That kind of omniscient knowing.
12. If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be? New Zealand is at the very top of my bucket list. Amazing flora and fauna sans large land predators or snakes. Perfect! Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to summit Everest, was a Kiwi!
13. What would people be surprised to know about you? I have two teenage sons who are amazing. They spend their school year in Massachusetts. They’ve co hosted The Knix Mix a few times. Keston, my youngest, has a boy band aesthetic, plays piano and prefers dance pop. Keegan, my oldest, looks like he could have been a Seattle rocker circa 1990, plays guitar and is into progressive rock.  They both love WERU but neither are into electronic music, and they are spectacularly unimpressed that their mom has a radio show.
14. What three words would best describe you? Complicated, introspective, sentimental.
15. What three words would your friends use to describe you? Honest, loyal, intelligent.

Knix Picks for Best Albums of 2015

The albums that represent the top picks for The Knix Mix for 2015 are a mix of treasures that have been overlooked by most media outlets and some heavy hitters, like Arca and Jamie xx, who seem to have gotten nods on every list I've seen. Of course, I'm more electro pop than experimental electronic on The Knix Mix as a rule. I'm also ridiculously sentimental, so music that is evocative of the alternative music of the '80s and '90s gets my attention. If it's danceable, even better. It's curious to see Leftfield and The Chemical Brothers - both formed in 1989 and a big deal in the '90s - appearing on a 2015 list. Welcome back, guys! New Order is on the list as well, and I dare you to listen to Motorama and not be reminded of New Order's first incarnation before Ian Curtis's death - Joy Division. So check it out and let me know what you think!  

Arca Mutant
Mutant is Venezuelan Alejandro Ghersi's second studio album. The album is unsettling and corporeal in its experimentation with sound and subject matter.

Big Data 2.0

American producer Alan Wilkis's project, Big Data, offers danceable hooks for the Internet age. Dangerous features New York-based quintet Joywave.

Björk Vulnicura
Vulnicura is the 9th studio album of the accomplished Icelandic songstress Björk. The album follows the arc of a relationship through a breakup. 

Bob Moses Days Gone By
Deep house meets live instrumentation in this debut album from the New York-based duo.

The Chemical Brothers Born in the Echoes
The duo's 8th studio album features guest vocals by St.Vincent and Cate Le Bon, among others. The title track, Born in the Echoes, has been on repeat play on The Knix Mix since the disc arrived in the studio. These old pros still have it going on.

Empress Of Me
This is Lorely Rodriguez's debut album using her "Empress Of" alter ego. The album is full of introspection and melodic vocals. With Rodriguez handling everything from songwriting to production, it really is the expression of "Me."

Étienne de Crécy Super Discount 3
The third installation of the Super Discount series from the French producer and DJ arrived a good ten years after the second installment. Well worth the wait.

FKA Twigs M3LL155X EP
The "Melissa" EP builds on British FKA Twig's earlier work replete with haunting vocals and commentary about femininity.

Grimes Art Angels
Grimes is the alter ego of Vancouver native Claire Boucher, who defies female pop vocalist convention by doing it her way.

Holly Herndon Platform
American Herndon is not only accomplished musically - she also happens to be a doctoral student in composition at Stanford. Herndon uses technology as a means of self-expression without being cold or impersonal.

Humans Noontide
Humans is the Vancouver duo of Peter Ricq and Bobbie Slade. The album is full of auditory twists and turns. Peter, who I had the pleasure of interview on The Knix Mix, brings a gift for the visual arts to Humans, which makes their videos well worth checking out.

Jamie xx In Colour
In Colour is English producer Jamie Smith first full-length album. Influenced by vintage club culture, it has elements of everything that has shaped Smith's sound.

Kate Tempest Everybody Down
The debut album from the English poet and spoken word artist. Tempest weaves a gritty narrative with hip hop influenced beats and a South East London accent honed by battle-rap practice.

Leftfield Alternative Light Source
I couldn't be more excited about the first Leftfield album released since 1999's Rhythm and Stealth. As innovative and relevant as ever.

Le Galaxie Le Club
This '80s influenced Irish electro-pop band's sophomore album features upbeat tracks that make you want to move your body and an album cover that screams Miami Vice. I kind of love it.

Motorama Poverty

This Russian band is a throwback to the post-punk era. Their cold wave sound is evocative of Joy Division. Motorama is a well kept secret worth a listen.

New Order Music Complete
Music Complete is New Order's 10th studio album. Despite the departure of Peter Hook and the ensuing drama, this album is a return to form for the reconfigured New Order.

Panda Bear Panda Meets the Grim Reaper
The fifth studio album for American producer Panda Bear. A contemplative and somewhat doom-laden album where electronic meets psychedelia.

Purity Ring Another Eternity

This is the sophomore album for the Canadian duo. Sweeping pop sound with emotive lyrics.  

Superhumanoids Do You Feel Okay?
This LA trio's sophomore album is '80s synthpop inspired electro-dance. Do YOU feel okay?

 

Best wishes for an amazing and music-filled New Year! DJ Knix

If You Want to Turn It Up Knix Mix Style, You'll Need to Play These!

I have a dream club playlist in my head.  Too bad I don't have a club to play in, no?  There are more where these came from, but if you want to turn it up with music that makes DJ Knix want to go dancing, add these to your playlist!

Vitalic - Poison Lips

Pascal Arbez, otherwise known as Vitalic, is a French producer who has been at this electronic music thing since the late 90's.  He also happens to be friends with The Hacker.  As in Miss Kittin & the Hacker.  "Poison Lips" is from the 2009 album Flashmob.

Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Life on MTV

Speaking of Miss Kittin & The Hacker, the debut album of the electronic music duo is appropriately called First Album.  The French Miss Kittin began her career as a DJ before working with The Hacker.  The album version of "Life on MTV" is the one I prefer.  The vocals on the video version are just different enough to off my groove, but I still like it.  Will it date me if I tell you that I remember the first video played on MTV?  "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles in case you were curious.

Étienne de Crécy - Someone Like You

French music pioneer Étienne de Crécy's "Someone Like You" is the anti-love song and really fun to dance to!  You can pick it up on Super Discount 2 or Essentials (Best of), which has some of his other must own tracks.

Ascii.Disko - Einfach

Ascii.Disko is the project of German-born Daniel Holc who now resides in Madrid, Spain.  Before becoming an electronic music producer and DJ, he played guitar for a rock band.  Who knew? The eponymously titled album Ascii.Disko is deliriously fun to dance to.

Club 8 - Stop Taking My Time

Swedish Club 8 is the only indie pop group that made the (abbreviated) playlist, but everything in Sweden is better. "Stop Taking My Time," which could be the theme song for my life, came from one of my favorite albums of 2013, Above the City.

MSTRKRFT - Street Justice

MSTRKRFT (pronounced "master craft") is an electronic duo out of Toronto, Canada.  "Street Justice" is from their debut album The Looks, which came out in 2006, and the video as homage to 70's era Soul Train.

What I've Been Listening to Lately

There has been a bounty of good music coming in to the station lately, and I have to share a few of the tracks I've been crushing on.  Here are a few cherry picked tracks I've had in heavy rotation on The Knix Mix.  There are three Canadian acts featured - two out of Vancouver, British Columbia. So "Go Canada!" I say!

Mother Mother - Very Good Bad Thing

This is the fifth album by the indie band based out of Vancouver. They have an art pop aesthetic - though vocalist Ryan Guldemond's hair is very Front 242.  I'm into "Modern Love."  No, it's not a Bowie cover.

Purity Ring - Another Eternity

The Canadian electronic duo released their second studio album this year. There are a few tracks I like on the album.  I'm particularly keen on the tracks "Flood on the Floor" and the third single "Bodyache."

Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper

Panda Bear, a founding member of the band Animal Collective, has the experimental sound we've come to expect with a little psychedelia thrown in the mix.  Check out "Boys Latin."

Corners - Maxed Out on Distractions

This Los Angeles based four piece does post punk proud with this October 2014 release.  I'm smitten with the song "Love Letters." Though reminiscent of Joy Division or early The Cure, Corners stands apart.

Kasper Bjørke - After Forever

The Danish producer takes a melancholic synth driven direction on this album, which takes its name from a piece by the Brooklyn based visual artist John Copeland.  The track "Sylvia" is lush with a bit of a dark wave vibe.  

Brooke Fraser - Brutal Romantic

The popular New Zealand singer songwriter moves to a more electronic sound than her previous work.  "Thunder" is a gorgeous track that showcases Fraser's equally gorgeous voice.

Humans - Noontide

This is Vancouver based indie electronic duo of Peter Ricq and Robbie Slade's first full length album.  Ricq, interestingly, is also an artist and illustrator known for co-creating the Canadian animated TV series League of Super Evil.  His input makes Humans' official videos very much worth watching.  Check out the trippy "Tell Me" and the short-film-as-music-video "Follow."

What I've been playing lately on The Knix Mix!

The 2 Bears - The Night is Young

Those cheeky Brits are at it again, albeit without the bear suits this time.  The Night is Young is the sophomore album of The 2 Bears duo of Joe Goddard and Raf Rundell.  Goddard is, of course, also part of the electronic staple, Hot Chip, and Rundell is a UK DJ and producer.  This album has the nod to 90's house with pop hooks from The 2 Bears' first album Be Strong but with a bit of an Afrikaans influence from their travels to South Africa.  Check out the tracks "See You," "Run Run" and "My Queen."

Banks - Goddess

American Jillian Banks' debut album Goddess has been out since September, and the track "Waiting Game" grabbed me in the fall. Recently I've taken a liking to another single from the album, "Beggin for Thread."  Something about the plaintive lyrics against the hum of a synth driven beat is compelling.  Banks' soul laid bare songwriting is a friend to those who have experienced a broken heart and most of us can certainly relate!

Ben Wash - Snob Rock

Snob Rock is the debut album by Ben Wash and the first full length LP that his collective, King's Head Records, has released.  It's like a dance party with an attitude!  Bridget Barkan, the former vocalist for Scissor Sisters, contributes vocals to three tracks. Some of the tracks on the album are brand new and some are previously recorded.  "Give Me" is the single I've been playing a ton, and it handily gives you a sense of the edginess you can expect from the album.

Röyksopp - The Inevitable End

The Norwegian duo Röyksopp have released The Inevitable End as a declaration of their inevitable end.  Making full length studio albums, that is.  If you've ever listened to The Knix Mix, you know that Röyksopp's brand of Scandinavian electro pop is my thing, so I have to pay homage.  And anything they do in collaboration with Robyn is going to make my playlist.  "Monument (The Inevitable End Version)" has been splitting time on my show with "SayIt" from the Do It Again EP.

The Presets - No Fun (Remixes)

The Presets' No Fun (Remixes) is actually pretty fun!  I've been playing the original mix (the radio friendly edit) since I discovered it tucked away in singles section of the music library at the station. The Aussie electronic duo is known for their dance friendly tracks, and "No Fun" is no exception. House party anyone?

Anna Lunoe - All Out EP

Anna Lunoe is another Aussie who reestablished herself in Los Angeles a couple of years ago.  Her Bass Drum Dealer EP and All Out EP go all out!  I read that she said she wants to write lyrics that are raw, honest and come from a real place, but she really just wants to dance.  I feel you sister!  Check out the remixes of the tracks "B.D.D." and "All Out" too.

Oh Land - Earth Sick

Former Danish ballet dancer gone pop singer-songwriter Oh Land's new album Earth Sick is meant to conjure up what it might feel like to be an astronaut longing for home.  Oh Land's given name is Nanna Oland Frabricius.  Now based in Brooklyn, she explored the idea by looking at her own world and thinking of what she might change were she far away and dreaming of home.  "Head Up High" is a stand out track from the album.

Mansions on the Moon - Mansions on the Moon

Mansions on the Moon is a Los Angeles quartet with roots in Virginia Beach.  Their eponymous album features a blend of styles for a sound uniquely their own - synthpop and dreamy vocal harmony.  They're the kind of band that finds fans across genres.  Check out the track "Somewhere Else Tonight."

The Sexbots Do Japan

In December of last year I had the pleasure of interviewing The Sexbots' Ilima Considine on The Knix Mix.  (Check out the December 15, 2013 blog post here.)  Big things have been happening in her life since we last spoke, including a tour in Japan, a break up and a new album inspired by the breakup.  The new album drops soon, and Ilima has plans underway for a supporting tour in the Northeast.  
Ilima says that the new album was meant to be a concept album of light and life, and some songs were already written.  That changed three week after her return from Japan, when she broke up with the person she describes as "the love of her life."  She found herself grieving and unable to work. After a couple of months, she dusted herself off, dyed her hair red and turned her sorrow into an EP of songs about the relationship.  The working title for the album has been "Songs for Jamil," but she says that it's not a diss album.  She maintains that, while they didn't always bring out the best in each other, this man still remains the love of her life.
Our chat covers such varied topics as what does a person with severe food allergies find to eat in Japan, the difficulty of navigating your hometown when you could run into your ex anywhere you go, going on the road when you're a single mom of two and planning a tour on the other side of the country.  You know you want to know the answers to these and many other questions!

Listen to The Knix Mix Interview Here
The Sexbots Website
Support The Sexbots on Patreon
The Sexbots on YouTube

The Knix Mix Interview with Ki:Theory

Ki:Theory (pronounced "key"), Virginia native Joel Burleson, is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, producer and recording artist.  And since someone is likely to ask, Joel explains that the name Ki:Theory came about from having lived abroad in Japan.  It's the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese word "chi," which - in simplified terms - means "energy."  Even if you don't yet know Ki:Theory by name, you have likely appreciated his artistry in one medium or another.  He has remixed tracks for artists as diverse as Kings of Leon, Queens of the Stone Age, UNKLE, Daft Punk and Ladytron, among others.  His original music has been featured on TV shows, commercials, films and video games.  His remix of Daft Punk's "The Son of Flynn" for Tron:  Legacy was featured on the official remix album, Tron:  Legacy R3CONF1GUR3D.  I mean, how cool is that?

I've been playing the 2 disc deluxe edition of Kitty Hawk, which dropped in April, on The Knix Mix since it arrived at the station. It's crazy good!  The album, which you can download on the Ki:Theory website, features 6 unreleased Ki:Theory tracks and some amazing remixes.  I was curious to interview the maestro behind the music, but what impressed me the most in chatting with Ki:Theory is that, despite his achievements, he is both genuine and modest.

Kitty Hawk is at times haunting and moody; at other times pounding and danceable. His rendition of "Stand by Me" is uniquely dark and moving. The vocals supplied by Maura Davis (of indie band Denali fame) add an engaging feminine energy to the tracks "I Wanna Run" and "Needles."  While Ki:Theory's origins are alt rock, there are electronic elements to his music, which stands out on banging tracks like the Break Science remix of "Kitty Hawk" and "Lay Our Body Down."  "Open Wound," both the original and the Odesza remix, and "Holiday Heart" are a couple of my personal favorite tracks off the album. 

The Ki:Theory mini tour in support of the album had just begun when The Knix Mix live interview took place, but as of this blog post, the tour has come to a noteworthy conclusion.  Ki:Theory played at Great Scott in Allston, Massachusetts on June 21st, so I hope local Knix Mix fans were able to make the trip!  I wish I'd been in the audience for his hometown appearance in Richmond, Virginia on June 28th at Strange Matter.  Maura Davis was scheduled to appear, and I imagine that had to be an epic event!  

There are official videos for "Stand by Me" and "Venin," which you can find in links below.  Give a listen to the complete Knix Mix interview with Ki:Theory here!  Find out answers to questions you didn't even know you had.  Like who would Ki:Theory choose, living or not, to sit down with for a meal and talk?  I know, but you'll have to listen to find out!

Ki:Theory Website

Ki:Theory on Facebook

Ki:Theory on YouTube

Ki:Theory on Twitter

Danny Blu

I recently had the opportunity to interview artist Danny Blu on The Knix Mix in support of his album "Do Your Worst."  Danny calls his combination of the industrial sound he grew up with and danceable electronic beats "Industrial Pop." He blends the theatrical make up and costumes of glam rock with the intentionally provocative flair of shock rock for an overall effect he describes as musical theater.  Danny Blu, the character, was created in 2010 during the writing stage of the album.  "Big Blue" was a childhood nickname that Danny modified to "Blu" to denote a loss of innocence.  Danny's rallying cry is "Remember to live life without hate or regret and without fear of the Freak within."
In exploring Danny's website and online videos, it is apparent he is multi talented.  In fact, Danny has experience as an actor and attended the NYU Tisch School of The Arts in 2009.  The Danny Blu team includes an artistic director and a creative director in addition to the band and sound director, which serves him well in an era where the Internet makes having a consistent and visually appealing web presence a necessity for music acts.  It also doesn't hurt that most of the actors and dancers in his music videos are beautiful people in various states of undress.  Check out his video for the song "Sebastian" to understand what I mean.
Danny is very visible in the LGBT community and is a strong advocate for LGBT rights.  Danny has also given tremendous support to anti-bullying, a topic that has repeatedly been in the headlines in recent years. High school can be a place where a bullying culture flourishes, and we have seen tragic consequences in the proliferation of school shootings and teen suicides.  There is an increased risk of being the target of bullying for LGBT teens.
Danny describes the track "Set Me on Fire" as an anthem against oppression.  The video for the track is a visually stunning short film that forces viewers to confront the issue of bullying by using religious imagery and theatrics.  "Set Me on Fire" takes the story of the betrayal of Jesus, and the role of Pontius Pilate, who sentenced Jesus to be crucified, as a metaphor for the misfits who are persecuted as outsiders in high school. Danny experienced the ultimate revenge fantasy of the left of center kids by returning to the scene of the actual New Jersey high school he once attended to make the video.  Danny was happy to have gained the support of the school administration in his efforts.
I grew up in homogenized Brewer, Maine; the sister city of Bangor, the second largest city in Maine and hometown of Stephen King.  High school in the late 80's was very much like The Breakfast Club without the kumbaya Hollywood ending.  Groups were separate but not equal, and the jocks and cheerleaders ruled the school with relish.  Teen suicide and school shootings were not yet de rigueur on the evening news and the word "bullying" wasn't on our radar, but misfits (which I was) were not well tolerated and homophobia was prevalent.  In 1984, the year I was 14, Bangor was the scene of a dark moment in history that galvanized the community to begin to take a stand against intolerance.
Charlie Howard was a 23 year old Portsmouth, NH native who was bullied in high school for his sexual orientation.  In 1984 he was living in Bangor and was harassed by three teens as he was walking downtown with a companion.  The teens chased the pair and threw Charlie off the State Street Bridge into the water below, even as he pleaded that he couldn't swim.  He drowned.  The incident didn't have the national attention that the death of Matthew Shepard would have, but in Maine there was a strong reaction. EqualityMaine grew out of the aftermath of the incident.
Things have improved since the time that I was in high school, but there is far more work to be done.  Danny Blu is exactly the kind of unconventional role model that LGBT teens are apt to look to for navigating the angst of self discovery, and he takes the role seriously albeit in a very Danny Blu way.  Danny responds to fans personally, and he recently heard from a teen who credited Danny with being an inspiration in broaching the subject of sexuality with family and friends.  Danny described that exchange as the best Christmas present he could have gotten.
Danny's eleven track debut album "Do Your Worst" was originally released on a smaller scale in 2011 and is in wider release now with a second album, "Saint," planned for a spring 2014 release.  Danny Blu performs in the NYC area frequently and is hoping to plan a tour in Japan.  Check The Factory Blu website frequently for updates.  In the meantime, take a cue from Danny Blu and let your freak flag fly!

The Factory Blu
Danny Blu Facebook
Danny Blu YouTube Channel

The Sexbots

If you ran in to Ilima Considine at the grocery store, you might not recognize this petite mom of two as the dynamic force behind The Sexbots, a provocative experimental electronic/art pop act based in Portland, Oregon.  The Sexbots have a strong performance art component and never shy away from issues of sexuality and relationships.  Ilima provides vocals, songwriting and all around art direction while guest beatmakers like DJ Ceez and Qmulus contribute to the music production.
Ilima says "In some ways I'm a desperate housewife.  I have these two kids, and I have to sneak away to do this.  I spend most of my time at home in an apron, trying to take care of these kids."  This may be hard to believe if your experience of Ilima is the persona she portrays as the front woman of The Sexbots, who is a confidently sexual though sometimes androgynous woman with a vaguely exotic ethnicity, which belies her Irish/Chinese heritage.  Yet in speaking to Ilima about the release of The Sexbots new album, Junk Sick, I found her to be disarmingly soft spoken and genuine.  A track from Junk Sick, "The Only Thing," made Knix Picks for Best New Tracks in October, so I was curious to learn more about the maestro behind the music.
On becoming The Sexbots:
Ilima originally comes from a conservative Catholic family, the second oldest of 11 kids.  Before moving to San Diego from Massachusetts at age 15, she attended Catholic school and worked in a library as a teen.  A self-described sheltered child, she was "going to do what I was supposed to do, which is like work 80 hours a week, and retire early and then paint in your dotage."  Ilima says she decided to become a visual artist when she decided not to go to law school.  "On the morning of the LSAT, I decided I couldn't do it.  I couldn't follow that life track."
When she first moved to Portland, Oregon at age 19, Ilima was doing installations with a performance component to them.  Then she started playing in bands which "took over her life.  I still have elements of being a visual artist and thinking of my body that way, so that never went away."  Classically trained as a violinist, Ilima says she wanted to play in bands for years but didn't because "I didn't know anyone in bands and those are people on TV, and how can anyone end up like that?"
Ilima describes going to an all ages festival because she could take her then three year old daughter and seeing a band called We're From Japan.  "They were amazing.  They all looked like they worked at a gas station, and I realized if they could do it, if they can make those sounds, then I could do it too, and I went out and bought a bass and that was that.  I've been in bands ever since."  Ilima says, "Electronic music was something I'd stayed away from for years because people in Portland have this kind of indie snobbishness.  I kind of got ambushed into it, but it felt very natural when it happened."
After a band breakup, Ilima says "People started approaching me and saying I want you to sing for me, but I can't be in a band.  I was like, well, there are enough of you guys that instead of having ten bands that never play shows and never go anywhere, if you're willing to let me call it by the same name, and I'll do everything else, I think we can do this.  And that's how it became The Sexbots."  Some of the people she collaborates with, she has never met.  Ilima says they are E-mail pen pals, sending MP3's back and forth until it becomes a song.  "The miracle of the Internet is I can work with anyone on the planet and make beautiful music.  Weird connections end up being some really long lasting friendships and musical collaborations."
On low budget music videos:
Out of all of The Sexbots music videos, Ilima has directed all but two or three herself on a minimal budget.  She says the most she ever spent was $100 for the first video and that was for vodka for all the extras.  Besides that video, she's never spent more than $10, including parking.  She says making videos is "like making dinner.  You see what's in the cupboards, and then you use it.  Half the time it's like, 'Well, we have all these stuffed tigers lying around.'"  Which is why you see her children's stuffed tigers featured in one video, and you can often see her kids running around in the background.
On having kids and being a performer:
"I won't say it's easy.  It's not easy.  Sometimes it's very hard.  I couldn't give up either of them, and if I wasn't doing music, I'd be a discontented and grumpy mother.  I wouldn't be much good to my kids.  Portland is a great place where you see other women who aren't letting age or kids slow them down.  I look at them and think 'Gosh, I'm an underachiever.  Why am I not living like these women?'  I wanted to play in bands for years, and I didn't.  Portland is just an amazing place to be in, and seeing other people and realizing the possibilities."  In support of her work, Ilima has received grants from both the Oregon Arts Commission and the Regional Arts and Culture Council.
On describing The Sexbots as art pop:
Ilima herself is described as a trans-disciplinary artist, but the term art pop to describe The Sexbots "is actually a term I started using as of this album."  There is a strong electronic element to her music, but Ilima feels that "electronica is a wastebasket that can encompass anything from Kraftwerk to Lady Gaga.  It's not a useful term.  The Sexbots would get booked for electronic music festivals but electronic dance music is not really what we are.  Indie labels would say we were too electronic.  I was trying to market us as song and dance music, but the whole time we were really like we're artsy fartsy depressing, but we have cool beats.  I came out of denial that we are artsy fartsy, and that's never going to go away even though it's completely uncool in Portland to make pop.  We're art pop.  It is what it is.  I sing about relationships and domesticity and the way you get torn when you've been with someone a long time and have a crazy history."
On the name The Sexbots:
Ilima says she wanted a name that implies that it's electronic and sexy.  "Sexbots is a Blade Runner reference even though it's not a term used in the movie or the novella, but everyone knows that it means these replicants.  The replicants, they look good.  They look like they know what's going on.  They can fake it.  But as soon as you ask them any question, they're completely clueless.  I was like I haven't had a boyfriend in three years.  I look like I know what's going on, but I have no idea.  Plus, it's easy to remember, so it works.  At the time, in Portland, there were all these bands with like seventeen vowels and punctuation, and you had to Google them because you couldn't remember how to say them.  I wanted something you could say and remember and spell."
On the inspiration for Junk Sick:
"There's a neighborhood just outside of Portland that's super cheap and a little sketchy.  Not sketchy like you're going to get jumped, but sketchy like it's where hipsters go to die from OD'ing on heroin.  I was visiting this photographer there, and he says to me 'What's wrong with me?  If I don't drink every day I feel junk sick.'  I had never heard the term before, but as soon as I heard it, I knew what he meant.  And the thing was, my boyfriend, we'd break up and I'd be so upset, I would literally throw up.  And so, when he said junk sick, I was like that's how he makes me feel.  Junk sick.  Like wanting something so bad you want to throw up, which is ridiculous.  I've never felt that way about anyone, and most of the album is about him."  For the record, Ilima's favorite track on the album is Magic Eyes.  "Every album is personal, but this album took it to a new level of very personal without the schtick - that character I play on stage who expresses what she really thinks, making it easier to say things.  People have been responding well.  It's been crazy and good."
On her public persona:
Ilima is openly bisexual, but while she is monogamous in a relationship, she says she does a lot of shows in drag and sometimes plays up that side to feel safer traveling.  "If people assume I don't screw men, they don't try so hard."  Of the strange things that have happened to her at shows, she said sometimes she gets weird presents.  "One time some guy gave me a baby Jesus, and I kept it to prove it happened because otherwise it's completely unbelievable."
Final thoughts:
"There are times when I feel like you practically need an engineering degree to be a musician.  You can't just pick up a guitar and go.  Everything is digital, and the game is changing constantly.  You're figuring out, okay, we're not doing Myspace anymore.  What are we doing?  So much is online.  Imagine a musician trying to do anything without a website and an online presence."  Even so, Ilima is still a DIY artist.  "I have a little help managing it now, but 95% of everything is me.  When you E-mail directly it is me answering.  I still have a day job, but it's getting better. What could maybe support one starving musician who couch crashes a lot is not enough for a home and two kids, so I'm still plugging at it, but it's definitely getting better."
As Ilima wisely says, "If anybody feels like the things I do are things they can't do, I mean you can.  You're never too old or too awkward.  I mean, I'm a midget with glasses and if I can do it, you can too."
Connecting with The Sexbots:
Plans are in the works for a tour with upcoming dates booked in Japan and other locales beginning probably in April 2014.  The Sexbots are very open to both new collaborations and bookings.  "If someone wants The Sexbots to come out and do a show, it's not too hard to make it feasible with presales.  Anyplace that has a PA, we can plug and play."   Ilima can be contacted directly either by her website http://www.ilimaconsidine.com or her personal E-mail at ilimaconsidine@gmailcom, and Ilima herself will reply to inquiries.

Knix Picks for Twenty Best Electronic Albums of 2013

The year 2013 is quickly coming to a close, which is good enough reason to take a look back over the broad spectrum of what constitutes electronic music and pick my personal top 20 new releases.  I have a penchant for music that smacks of the Second British Invasion, which dominated the airwaves in the 1980's, so I was pleased that 2013 saw new releases from some of the most influential bands of that era including New Order, Depeche Mode, The Pet Shop Boys, Berlin, Visage and Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark. Gary Numan, one of the founding fathers of synthpop whose career has spanned over three decades, added a new album to his extensive discography.  It took Daft Punk eight years to produce a follow up to Human After All, and the resulting slick 1970's French disco sounding album was not quite what I expected, though it grew on me. The trend this year seems to be looking back to move forward with bands emulating the disco, post-punk, New Wave, Brit pop, alternative dance and electro-industrial sounds of earlier decades.
At the same time, the proliferation of electronic music festivals has made DJ's and producers like Deadmau5 household names. I kid you not, there was an article in Seventeen Magazine declaring neon as an absolute must in music festival fashion for the teen girl crowd.  I'm not so much a techno/electronica/EDM (or whatever they're calling it this year) gal myself, though I have my moments, but it seems to me that when underground music is no longer underground, something new will inevitably come along to fill the gap for those who don't want to "follow" the trend but "be" the trend.  So here are Knix Picks (in alphabetical order) for the new electronic albums I loved listening to in 2013.  I look forward to hearing what's new in 2014! (And don't forget to tune in to The Knix Mix on WERU and request what you want to hear in electronic music!)

Austra Olympia
Austra, a band from Toronto, released their sophomore album, a follow up to the successful 2011 debut album Feel It Break.  Katie Stelmanis's passionate vocals and the emotional lyrics paired with a synthpop backdrop make for a compelling album.  "Painful Like" was a heartrending standout track.

Boards of Canada Tomorrow's Harvest
The Scottish duo last released an EP seven years ago and a full length album eight years ago, but Tomorrow's Harvest is still recognizably their well crafted style.

Braids Flourish//Perish
This is Braids' second album and their first after losing their guitarist.  Experimental pop with a shoegaze feel, this is the softer side of electronic music.  "Amends" is undoubtedly my favorite song on the album.

CHVRCHES The Bones of What You Believe
This album can be found on many a "Best of 2013" chart and with good reason.  This Scottish trio crosses music genres with their infectious electropop songs, and there isn't a throwaway track on the album.

Cut Copy Free Your Mind
This is the Australian group's fourth album, and I never get sick of hearing any one of them.  This is probably why Cut Copy has enjoyed a bit of commercial success despite their indie roots.

Daft Punk Random Access Memories
Daft Punk's Homework, Discovery and Human After All were staples in my music diet for many years, so I was particularly interested to see what they would do next.  Random Access Memories is a bit more slick and polished than previous work.  That said, there are a few songs on the album that will become dance club staples.

Deptford Goth Life After Defo
Moody and spare, there is nothing "goth" about Deptford Goth, but this art school graduate has produced some beautifully ethereal songs.  Listen to "Feel Real," and you'll know why this album made the cut.

Disclosure Settle
Another album that has made it's way onto many "Best of 2013" charts, Settle is probably the consummate dance album of the year, even if the British Garage sound is not usually my thing.

Gesaffelstein Aleph
I can't stop talking about this album, and I'm not usually hyped about all instrumental tracks.  I like emotive lyrics. I just do. But this French producer has taken techno and shaken it up a bit with a heavier industrial sound that has me listening to the album on repeat play.

Goldfrapp Tales of Us
I had to give a nod to English duo, Allison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, who have delivered infectious disco inspired dance floor hits like "Number 1" and "Ooh La La" for years.  This, their sixth album, is a complete departure.  Each song is inspired by a person, and the result is a haunting, melodic, ballad driven album that will not inspire you on the dance floor but will inspire you to stop and listen.

House of Blondes Clean Cuts
This album is more minimal ambient electro than I typically go for, but I found myself playing it again and again.  "Shadows" has to be one of my favorite tracks of the year.

The Knife Shaking the Habitual
In my mind, nothing bad ever comes from Sweden, and The Knife is no exception.  Their fourth album is a bit more raw and avant-garde than previous releases.

Lightning Dust Fantasy
An indie folk act from Vancouver, I am surprised at how much I like this album.  They took what they were doing well before and added synthesizers and rhythm boxes.  The result is an album that is a step above their previous releases with "Loaded Gun" being one of my favorite tracks ever.

Mat Zo Damage Control
Damage Control was only recently released, but it quickly made my favorite picks list for the year.  This London born producer looked to old Chemical Brothers for inspiration, which might be why I like it so much.

Moderat II
The German trio includes Apparat, who definitely makes his unique style a part of the collaboration.  It's more experimental than I typically like, but I can't get enough of "Bad Kingdom," one of the best tracks of the year.

Juana Molina Wed 21
Molina is an Argentinian singer/songwriter.  Her work is Latin folk meets electronic, and her melodies are amazing.

Neon Neon Praxis Makes Perfect
A second concept album from Neon Neon.  The first being Stainless Style, which was a musical portrait of John DeLorean.  This time the subject is Italian communist publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli.

Gary Numan Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind)
Numan is always changing up his game.  This time he takes his cues from a dark time in his family life and perhaps hanging out with Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails (who also had a new album this year).  Splinter is a bit darker and a more industrial than some of the early synthpop he is well known for, though true Numanoids will be reminded of the more aggressive vocals and guitar work of Pure, the follow up album to Exile.  As a devoted fan, I had to give a nod to one of the most influential artists in the electronic genre.

Sonen Inside the Sun
Atlanta based Sonen created a home grown album that attempts to embody their impressive live shows with tracks with strong hooks that will make you want to hit the dance floor.

V.V. Brown Samson & Delilah
Brown is an English singer/songwriter with an R&B vibe.  This album is a stylistic change for her.  The backdrop is more synthpop than prior work, but the vocals are pure V.V. Brown.

There are a ton of other albums that could have made the cut.  I loved the new releases from Tricky, Her Royal Harness, Ikonika, Rudimental, Club 8, Sigur Ros, Rudimental, Still Corners, Small Black, MS MR, Morcheeba and The Naked and Famous - though a couple of those albums rated more highly with me than with music critics.  And let's give a shout out to the ladies of 2013.  Lorde, Icona Pop, Charli XCX, Sandra Kolstad, AlunaGeorge and Maya Jane Coles had some of the best club hits of the year.  There are also albums that are forward thinking critical successes in the electronic music category, making the cut on many "Best of 2013" charts, which I haven't chosen for my Top 20 list.  Albums by Autechre, Oneohtrix Point Never, Kaskade, Jon Hopkins and James Holden come to mind.  I've only been hosting The Knix Mix for the last half of the year so a few of these passed me by, and I promise to give them a proper listen.  What constitutes a critical success is not necessarily the same thing as what constitutes a Knix Pick, but if I want to hear an album again and again, it rates highly in my book.  Extra points if you can dance to it!