Interview: Burns

October 28, 2009

Burns is bringing mayhem to dance floors all over North America this fall while on a lengthy tour with Deadmau5. The UK native has been gaining international attention due to his diverse sounds. He’s currently working on his first full length album and is about to finish a 4 part EP series. He has done remix work for people like Calvin Harris, Empire of the Sun and Kasabian just to name a few; the list of remix work keeps growing and growing.

Burns let us peek into his world in between tour stops to find out what life is like nowadays for this talented Brit.

Hey Burns! What’s going on today?

Right now I’m preparing to leave for a short tour with Calvin Harris and then a long tour with Deadmau5.

How’s the tour with Deadmau5 going? What’s been memorable so far about this tour?

Well, as I said I’m back home now. The Canada leg of the tour is over and it was amazing, all the gigs were really good, and I can’t wait to get out to the US in a couple of weeks.

The “Teknique” track off of Burns 3 is what I like to call a “prime time dancefloor” track. It’s got loads of changeups and is quite different from “Turbo” on Burns 2, which seemed to stay on a more even keel throughout. Can you give us any insight on what Burns 4 is going to sound like? Is it in the works yet? Will Burns 4 be the end of the series?

Yes the 4th EP is in the works and is nearly finished, I’ll be putting the finishing touches on it whilst I’m on the road. All I can say is that hopefully it will surprise people again. I’m all about keeping it new and fresh so it will be a departure from the last two EP’s for sure. I think there’s more melody in this one, that’s all I’m willing to give away ;)

Word on the street is that you’re putting out an album in 2010. What can you tell us about that? And how’s the writing process going?

Yes, I plan on having it out by the summer. It’s been in the works for a while but I’m taking my time with it because it has to be right. Again it’s gonna totally surprise a lot of people I hope! It has a pop feel to it but in a good way I think, I’ve been writing with a few other artists and singers and it’s really taking shape, I’m really excited about it.

What’s in your studio? Do you have any rituals that help you get in the zone? Or does writing come naturally and easily for you? Can you just sit down and do it at any time?

No, not at all, I have to be in the right mood otherwise I will just sit there for hours making music that I think is funny rather than serious tracks. It’s good to just experiment though! Sometimes amazing things can come out of just trying stupid stuff with keyboards or guitars etc. One thing I’ve started doing is I will unplug my internet connection before I start writing that way I can’t get distracted by Youtube or Spotify etc.

What else are you working on for release before the end of the year?

I’m just gonna concentrate on getting the 4th EP done then move onto solidly working on the album so I can have it finished early 2010. If I have time I’d like to maybe fit in a collaboration with another producer if possible as I’m really intrigued by the idea of working on something with another likeminded artist…

Are there any artists out there that you’re hoping to work with in the future?

Ah, this question leads on nicely! Well, there are a few people that come to mind but I’m not going to name names just yet! I will approach them personally and see what they think of the idea so we’ll see…

What’ getting heavy rotation in the IPOD?

Anything by Bob Dylan, Old Kings of Leon albums (Youth and Young Manhood, Aha Shake Heartbreak) , Simon & Garfunkel, the Beatles, Buddy Holly, The Cure, The Smiths, electronic wise- Hudson Mohawke, Zombie Nation, Bullion…

Upcoming US Tour Dates:

10/28 - Roseland Theatre - Portland, OR
10/30 - LAX - Las Vegas, NV
10/31 - The Forum - Inglewood, CA
11/01 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
11/02 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
11/04 - The Ogden - Denver, CO
11/05 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK
11/06 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
11/07 - Stubbs - Austin, TX
11/08 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
11/10 - The Village - Little Rock, AR
11/11 - House of Blues - New Orleans - LA
11/12 - House of Blues - Orlando, FL
11/13 - Revolution - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
11/14 - Mansion Night Club - Miami, FL
11/15 - The Ritz - Tampa, FL
11/17 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
11/18 - Orange Peel - Asheville, NC
11/19 - Limelight - Nashville, TN
11/20 - Congress Theatre - Chicago, IL
11/21 - The Fillmore - Detroit, MI
11/22 - Theatre of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
11/23 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
11/24 - Roxy Boston, Boston, MA
11/25 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY

For more information on burns go to: http://www.myspace.com/thisisburns

Burns - Turbo (Jokers of The Scene Remix)

Burns - Teknique

Burns - In My Eyes (His Majesty Andre Remix)

Burns - Burns - First Move (Fred Falke Remix)

Burns - DISKO (Extended Version)

Passion Pit - The Reeling (Burns Remix)

— Nina K
Photo Credit: Leo Cackett

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Interview: Larry Tee

May 12, 2009

Larry Tee is a peculiar looking fellow hailing from Atlanta, Georgia where back in the late 80s he worked as a dj and ran with the drag crowd. Back then he was rubbing elbows with other local musicians like REM and The B-52s. Larry djed in the Atlanta area and got his feet wet as a producer, but he eventually ended up moving to New York with his friends, Ru Paul and Lady Bunny.

In New York, Larry’s career as a promoter bubbled over like champagne on New Years. His legendary parties like Love Machine and Disco 2000 made club kids go insane. He was instrumental in making that scene what it was – a giant, crazy mecca for personal expressionism. He also was producing and co-wrote Ru Paul’s hit, “Supermodel (You Better Work)”, which is now double-platinum. He then received much more notoriety which led to gigs all over the world including all the great NYC clubs like Palladium, Twilo and Roxy where he held a residency.

After the club kid heyday, Larry took some time off to regroup after a battle with drug addiction but remerged onto the scene in the late 90s. While hunting for a fresh sound to latch onto, he planted himself into the world of some newer bands like Scissor Sisters, Fischerspooner, Ladytron and Peaches. Larry, with his new found ambition and energy, created and hosted the Electroclash Festival and put those very bands front and center. Tee actually coined the term electroclash, which later landed in the Oxford dictionary. He also ran a successful label devoted to the genre called Mogul Electro. All in all, the electroclash movement was a package deal that came about because of Larry’s hard work and it has undeniably has made its mark in music history.

Since then, Larry has gone back into the studio again and put more focus on his production work. He just released his first full length album titled "Club Badd", which appears on Ultra Records. He’s collaborated on the album with so many people I can hardly name them all - Princess Superstar, Perez Hilton, Amanda Lepore, Roxy Cottontail, Sébastien Léger, and oddly enough, a 7 year old little girl named Amanita. The first single, “Licky” has literally been played all over the world by you name it – Justice, Armand Van Helden, Pete Tong, etc.

I got a chance to pick Larry’s brain about his current life and music career. Come to find out, he’s is a mix of hardworking, funny, and creative all rolled into one.

NYCELECTRO.NET: You have an impressive resume of remix work and production work, not to mention all the parties and festivals you’ve been responsible for as a promoter. But I must ask - why haven’t we seen a full length album from Larry Tee prior to this?

LT: I gotta say that as a music fan and supporter of interesting artists, I always preferred to hide behind exciting artists as opposed to being in the limelight. Even being dubbed Mr. Electroclash came with a real beating from the media AND hipsters. There is a tendency to destroy the artists we love after we tire of them. I have to admit, I am the same way though. I want NEW NEW NEW, and by being the brand…people expect you to stay the same…and sell the brand. If I had to play and produce house music like I played in the 90s, for example, I would slash my wrists. And I couldn’t stay sober for sure playing music I don’t believe in.

NYCELECTRO.NET: Does this album mark a shift in your career? Will we see a slow down on the promotions side and an increase in studio time from you? Or is everything still going to be in full force, just as before?

LT: Even doing the press and set-up for this album, because of the number of guests included, has prevented me from being the New York club promoter/festival producer. But I feel after having djed in NYC for decades and hosted the most parties, I need to get to travel and express myself in new ways. It DOES mean more writing and producing. In fact I have written a whole album for Mel Merio that has none of my normal trashy trademarks…it is all SONGS!! Eeegad!

NYCELECTRO.NET: Tell us about working with 7 year old Amanita on the “I Love You” single. What was she like?

LT: Amanita’s mother Mo is a friend of mine from way back in the clubkid days. Amanita was often hanging out with Pat Fields and being babysat by gorgeous transsexuals. The highlight of her recording was watching Amanita do a spot-on impression of Amanda LePore!

NYCELECTRO.NET: Licky is an insanely sexy song and the video is just as sexy. Will we ever see Larry Tee in heels again?

LT: Never again! I threw a temper fit at the shoot. Funny you asked because they wanted me to balance on a ball while I held my shoe up at the end of a grueling shoot! I leave the complicated job of cross-dressing to others who aren’t as handsome and macho as I am.

NYCELECTRO.NET: What’s on the horizon for you in 2009 besides the album release? Are there any new projects coming up?

LT: Well there’s the Mel Merio album project, writing songs for Fire and Reason and a few other projects that I can’t mention yet. I’ll be running my label and helping other remixers and artists that I can’t ignore put out their music. I did the electroclash thing because I thought if no one else championed this music, we might be stuck with another 5 years of boring trance and intelligent dance music…which is to me the definition of DEATH!!

NYCELECTRO.NET: Tell us about your label.

LT: Well I had Mogul Electro as my label for the electroclash era and stopped putting things out under that name. I have a new label now, So What? It’s associated with the DJs Are Not Rockstars label, run by Alexander Technique, my remix partner in Blogula. So my new label is just starting next month with releases from Mom and Dad and Jeff Doubleu, two hot new producers who made records I couldn’t refuse to put out!! My own recordings are now available exclusively through ULTRA.

NYCELECTRO.NET: What do you think of the NYC dance music scene now? How has it changed from when you first moved here?

LT: You know those people that say, “New York ain’t what it used to be?” I am never going to be one of those people. There is no Sound Factory or Roxy these days, but the amount of great music coming out of NYC and Brooklyn is unparalleled in the world right now. Maybe you have to close the after-hours sometimes for great music to be made…or maybe you have to have an after-hours to inspire great music. I don’t know.

NYCELECTRO.NET: What local DJs or producers would you recommend our readers check out?

LT: New York always has amazing new djs but the ones I like the best are the ones that produce too. I love the work of Alexander Technique, Christopher Just, Drop the Lime, Lauren Flax, Nita, Johnny Dynell, Tombstone/Kevin Graves…Wow! Long list! But these guys never fail to inspire me with their slamming tunes.

NYCELECTRO.NET: Since you’ve gigged around the world and back, how does NYC compare to all the other places you’ve played?

LT: New York will always have a special place in comparison to other cities…Yes, Panorama Bar might be the most exciting club in the world at this moment in time and there might be more radical experiments in dance music in Sao Paolo right now, but New York always seems to compete in the world of electronic music and will steal back the crown when everyone least expects it. For that reason, I will always be a New Yorker and will always honor New York as my spiritual home…and the spiritual home of dance music.

— Words by Nina K

http://www.myspace.com/nylarrytee
http://www.ultrarecords.com
http://www.electroclash.com

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Interview with The Golden Filter

March 31, 2009

Is it possible to be floored by a band that only plays a 20 minute set?

I’m here to tell you – YES.

The South By Southwest music conference in Austin was coming to a close. The time was 5pm and The Golden Filter was ready to play to a crowd of eager fans. Their task was to make these folks get into some kind of groove in broad daylight. And I don’t know how they did it, but they did it.

The band took over the room with their energy and in no time people were raising their drinks in the air and dancing around. They only played 4 or 5 songs but everyone walked out of the East Austin dive bar feeling a tad more entitled than the other music junkies on the streets. Why? Because they had seen a band that was about to have their scales tipped towards great success.

This is why you go to South By Southwest – to find the next big thing. And The Golden Filter is it.

Tracks like “Moonlight Fantasy” and “Solid Gold” put them on the map earlier in the year and led to remix work for artists like Cut Copy and Peter Bjorn and John. Their retro disco vibe is undeniable and the angelic, yet powerful vocals over their tracks take you to a warm, safe place full of analog synths and happier times. They have several shows lined up for spring 2009, including a tour with The Presets; but the elusive duo from New York City were able to spare some time to talk to us before they hit the road.

NYCElectro.net: You have a hefty tour schedule coming up. Are there any events that you are really looking forward to?
TGF: South By Southwest will be sunny and warm. We can’t wait to play Paris and Brazil. We really are looking forward to all of them.

NYCElectro.net: What remix projects do you have coming up?
TGF: Empire of the Sun is coming out soon, as is the Little Boots remix. And we just finished a Polly Scattergood remix.

NYCElectro.net: What else can your fans expect from you in 2009? Might there be an album in the works?
TGF: More shows, more singles, and yes an album is nearly done… We are hoping to have it out in 2009.

NYCElectro.net: The imagery associated with the band is all very dreamy and psychedelic. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
TGF: We are eternal dreamers. We are telling a little message in every photo, but vintage cameras sometimes give unexpected results. That’s how we like it.

NYCElectro.net: Who in the band is obsessed with foxes? :)
TGF: Both of us. They are sly and sleek and golden, like us.

NYCElectro.net: Name your top 3 artists…. musical or otherwise
TGF: Too many to mention… art is everywhere.

NYCElectro.net: There isn’t too much information online about the band members. Do you care to share any information about the folks who make up The Golden Filter?
TGF: We are just two camera-shy amateur photographers who make music, drink lots of coffee, and travel a lot; along with a good friend playing drums with us live.

— Words by Nina K

The Golden Filter tour with The Presets Dates:
30 March / Masquerade (Hell Stage) / Atlanta, Georgia
31 March / Cats Cradle / Carrboro, North Carolina
01 April / 9.30 Club / Washington DC
03 April / Webster Hall / NYC, New York
04 April / Paradise / Boston, Massachusetts
05 April / Studio Juste Pour Rire / Montreal, Qubec
06 April / The Mod Club / Toronto, Ontario
07 April / The Grog Shop / Cleveland, Ohio
08 April / Metro / Chicago, Illinois
10 April / Bluebird Theatre / Denver, Colorado
11 April / Murray Theatre / Murray, Utah
13 April / Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver, British Columbia
14 April / Neumos / Seattle, Washington
16 April / Mezzanine / San Francisco, California
20 April / The Glass House / Pomona, California

For more information on The Golden Filter please visit -
http://www.thegoldenfilter.com
http://www.myspace.com/thegoldenfilter

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