Blockhead (born Anthony "Tony" Simon) is an American Hip hop producer based in Manhattan, New York. Aside from his solo efforts released on the Ninja Tune label, he is most associated with producing for Aesop Rock, a rapper for the Definitive Jux independent hip hop label. He has also previously worked with rappers C-Rayz Walz, iCON the Mic King, Mac Lethal, S.A. Smash, Slug, and MURS, and is also a member of the hip hop/comedy group Party Fun Action Committee. He is the son of the late Sidney Simon, a well known sculptor in New York City.
Drawing from a wide range of tropical riddims and urban electro, the power of Montreal-based DJ/producer Poirier's bass blasts through any flimsy attempt to classify his music. Pinpointing the bits and pieces of dancehall beats, soca energy and electronic intensity is futile in the face of Poirier's dance-driven creativity and air-horn worthy excitement. Signed to Ninja Tune, this is a man who just understands what works in the dance.
Poirier is constantly evolving. Landscapes of vibrant drums lead to pulsating, pitch-shifting, and infectious bass and synth patterns. He tears through new genres constantly, leaving a trail of packed, chaotic dancefloors in his wake. From his legendary Bounce Le Gros parties in Montreal (sell out events for two years running) to his new party, the bigger, better, bass-ier Karnival, Poirier has been unstoppable in his ability to mash styles, expand minds, and move asses.
Although based in Montreal, Poirier is also always moving — in just the past few years he has been invited to virtually every continent. Poirier on the bill equals a sure fire jam, so it's no surprise that he's shared the stage with Modeselektor, Diplo, Kode9, Amon Tobin and Toddla T, as well as taken SXSW, Fabric London, Australia's Big Day Out, the Montreux Jazz Festival, and Mexico's Cervantino Festival by storm.
Poirier's signature skill of effortlessly linking disparate genres has led to worldwide collaborations with MCs and DJs from global hip hop, soca, grime, dancehall, booty bass, and much more. Electro sensations Crookers, dancehall veteran Burro Banton, the ever-eclectic DJ/rupture, London's tough gyal Warrior Queen, and Trinidadian soca master Mr. Slaughter have all connected with Poirier, as well as longtime collaborators Face-T and MC Zulu.
Remixes are part of Poirier's powerful repertoire, and he knows just how to pick apart a song and put it back together bigger and heavier than before. Tracks by Gotan Project, Tommie Sunshine, Pole, Bassnectar and Yoav have all been given the Poirier treatment, garnering him attention from publications such as the Independent, the London Telegraph, Pitchfork, the New Yorker, the Wire and XLR8R.
Every Poirier release presents a new, yet equally slammin', perspective. The critically acclaimed 'Breakupdown' (2005) and 'No Ground Under' (2008) were warm ups for 2009's cavalcade of dancehall-soca-electro EPs, culminating in the latest collection of bangers, 'Running High'.
Giving the massive what it wants, yet providing a musical education in what it needs, Poirier is a producer and DJ who has no boundaries except, perhaps, the rule that it's gotta have bass, and it's got to bounce. With this philosophy, Poirier will keep the dance rammed.
QUADRATIC - chris widman + colin harris from chicago, illinois
[la folia recordings, sleazetone records, abstract science]
QUADRATIC crafts dance floor oddities that skirt the boundaries of dubstep, techno and detroit electro. since their first ep release in 2008, the long-simmering collaboration of CHRIS WIDMAN and COLIN HARRIS of abstract science has impressed chicago crowds with dynamic live performances opening for RUSKO, DAEDELUS, HUDSON MOHAWKE, KODE9, DISTANCE, KING CANNIBAL, OTT, LORN and BLOCKHEAD. WIDMAN is best known as a dj, promoter and long-time host of the chicago radio program abstract science on WLUW 88.7fm. over the years, he has shared the bill with a diverse cast of underground luminaries -- including AMON TOBIN, CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA, MODESELEKTROR, M83, MEATBEAT MANIFESTO, MONOLAKE, PLAID, THE ORB, SKREAM, UNKLE and ULRICH SCHNAUSS-- played every type of event imaginable, from raves to operas
MC ZULU does not make reggae in the traditional sense.
His unique blend of electro bass grooves and Caribbean style dancehall vocals creates a new form of dancehall reggae from the outer reaches of space.
-URB Magazine-
MC ZULU is an artist at the forefront of the emerging Electro-Reggae genre. Electro-Reggae is dance music infused with Caribbean vocal delivery.
It differs from dancehall, in that it incorporates the instrumentals of every form of dance music worldwide.
DJ Demchuk is a FreeForm DJ whose music selection runs the genre gamut, grabbing Brazilian Funk, Baltimore Booty Beats, classic Soul breaks, and Electro cuts to create the perfect party atmosphere wherever he performs.
For a Full Schedule of DJ Demchuk sets, visit his blog at
http://djdemchuk.blogspot.com
The Art of Circuit Bending has been taught by DJ Demchuk throughout the US and featured in The Chicago Reader and Chicago Magazine. He has conducted workshops at universities and galleries such as The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Contemporary Arts Center in Columbus, OH, and The In Gallery, Minneapolis, MN.
He is currently booking dates for Circuit Bending 101 workshops. If you would like to know more, contact via email at djdemchuk@yahoo.com or visit http://www.myspace.com/soundshappy
broadcast every thursday night on listener-supported community radio
station WLUW at 88.7 FM in chicago and wluw.org , abstract science is a
highly entertaining and educational exploration of what we like to
call "future music" - the constant evolution of modern electronic music
in its varied forms on a global level, from roots in funk, jazz, dub
and soul. In a time when the majority of electronic music is becoming
mass-produced and highly disposable, we engage and excite our audience
with genuinely innovative and relevant programming. abstract science
is mandatory listening for those who realize that popular culture is
neither.
2007 marks the tenth anniversary of our show being on the airwaves,
boasting a history of over 2,000 hours of airtime as well as many
successful club residencies and special events. our current format is
a four-hour combination of traditional radio programming and live DJ
mixes, with interludes by our hosts offering details such as track
names, artists' history and how and where to find the music we play.
along with tuning in live locally, web visitors can listen to archived
shows at abstractscience.net, where we archive roughly 150 hours of
past radio programs.
we also routinely work with innovative and influential artists to
record their performances for re-broadcast on air and streaming
online. artists such as monolake, dj krush, luke vibert, meat beat manifesto,
jaga jazzist, funkstorung, mr. velcro fastener, paradox, sleeparchive
ryuichi sakamoto are but a few whose astonishing performances have
been showcased on abstract science. The decibel festival in seattle
gave us special permission to record and broadcast many of the live
performances at their 2005 event.