Team Up!

Variety Lab returns with its fantastic new record Team Up!

My first thoughts upon initially hearing it where flashes of a technicolor collage. The seamless blending of genres throughout the album is a masterpiece in it's own right. Variety Lab seems like the perfect name for a project so diverse, spanning tropicalia, electro, indie, acid jazz and disco.

"We Should Be Dancing," the first single off "Team Up" features vocals from David Bartholomé (lead singer of Belgian band Sharko) and is fully successful in creating a captivating track accompanied by a clever whimsical video.

Variety Lab, is the alias of Theirry Bellia. As in the past Bellia, alone, put Team Up! together, but he didn't forget to emphasize his friends' assistance in the process. His henchmen from the French band Orwell(Jérôme Didelot and Alexandre Longo, aka Cascadeur and winner of the 2008 Inrockuptibles CQFD prize) have made considerable contributions along with a host of instruments, weird objects and talented friends.



Team Up! is due out on December 15th, 2009. Just in time for the holidays! In the meantime, support Variety Lab by sending some love to the links below and downloading the free track off the Album!

Variety Lab-Soda Pop Confusion (ft. Kidsaredead)

Official Site
Myspace

Make Me Dance

Just in, a fresh new remix of a track recently released by Brooklyn bass king B.Rich. The Make Me Dance EP is now available on AC Slater's label Party Like Us Records. This is first remix produced by Las Vegas indie/dance outfit Jacuzzi Hi-Dive, and takes a more alternative approach to the track incorporating some groovy synth lines and nicely layered pads to create an atmosphere totally different than the original.

B.Rich - Make Me Dance ft. Reese (Jacuzzi Hi-Dive Remix)

The Return Of Nibiru

It's been over a year since Aily has graced us with a new track but low and behold! She's just finished up her new single Shoes that will be her forthcoming release, tentatively titled The Return Of Nibiru.

I think it's apparent her style has blossomed over the the past 5 years into something a little more experimental as far as her prior work is concerned. This is the first track that she has unveiled that has incorporated a more beat driven structure, with layers of analog synth, vocoders, and a lounge meets afterhours dance floor kind of vibe.

It's been a while since her first single "Comfortably Numb" came out back in 2005 while still based out of Orlando but has since then released a few tracks intermittently over the course of the following years. It hasn't been until recently that she has gotten back on the saddle and has been working with a few different musicians, producers and friends to join her in creating the rest of the songs that will make up her forthcoming release.

Shoes was a track that TL's very own Aram Blassingame (Bass & Treble) produced over a period of a few days back in late May/early June. More or less, it just sat for a while until getting revamped with Aily's vocal tracking with the addition of the backing vocoder tracks that was hammered out in less than 15 minutes, back on one of those late nights in June.

Aily - Shoes (Original Mix)

Weekend In Review

So this past weekend's Hard Summer Fest was a complete failure, getting shut down less than 2 hours in. Only being able to squeeze in opening performances by Ed Banger's Busy P and Crystal Castles. To me, the synopsis was fairly simple. In all reality, they basically just sold way too many tickets. With almost 20,000 people showing up to a venue that had a capacity of 17,800, it was complete mayhem. Kids were jumping over the railings from the second level twenty feet below to the VIP floor section, triggering the fire marshals to halt the show with the LAPD and SWAT eventfully showing up to send everyone home at midnight (after 2 hours of waiting). What garbage! With ticket sales summing up to at least $1.2 million, I'm sure every attendee feels like they were ripped off in a major way. But there's light at the end of the tunnel, refunds are available from Ticketmaster and Groovetickets and should be posted to the credit card they were purchased with.

Start the video from around 2 min


Sunday on the other hand, was a much better day. Started out the afternoon at the High Top Fade Binary Pool Party @ The Standard in downtown Los Angeles. It was the perfect place to hang on gorgeous Sunday afternoon, making me really wish there something like that in Vegas. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of pool parties at the hotel/casinos here but all lack character and subtle aesthetics. A great lineup including France's DATA. played from 2PM - 8PM, keeping the vibe fresh and upbeat.


Made it back to Hollywood just before 9pm to eat some food, nap, and make the 2 block jaunt from our hotel on Hollywood & Vine to Bardot, where Dim Mak was doing the Banana Split party. The place was packed but thanks to a certain someone, totally got to skip the line and the cover. DJ AM, Busy P blazed through really fun sets but I think Paul Devro stole the show as far as repetoire goes. He was holdin' it down heavy. Check him out on Mad Decent. Oh yea, Wil.I.Am showed up, a few ppl got pics with him but for the most part nobody paid him any attention. It was a fairly amusing moment.



Here's a mix to cool you down on this hot and sweaty Tuesday.

Bass & Treble - Sticky Summer Funk Mini Mix

Fat Freddy's Drop

I came across this 7 piece soul/dub outfit out of New Zealand a few days ago and cannot get "Boondigga" out of my head.

At first, I was convinced the vocalist for the track was Jamie Lidell but after a closer listen, found that Freddy's main vocalist has a much smoother tone. It really sets the perfect mood for nice chill day or a lazy evening, it's so easy to just listen to. Over the past few years they've secured a worldwide fanbase through sheer hard work and savy independent CD and Vinyl Releases. I feel so behind, I can't believe i've been missing out on them till now.

Nearly four years ago, the Freddy’s traveled to London in December 2005 and were on-hand to pick up the Worldwide Album Of The Year at the Radio 1 Gilles Peterson Worldwide Music Awards 2005, as voted by fans worldwide that tune in to the tastemakers show on the BBC.

Freddy’s dominated the 2005 New Zealand Music Awards, taking Best Group, Best Album, Best New Zealand Roots Group and the Peoples Choice Award. On December 18, 2005 the group were awarded the Worldwide “Album of the Year Award”, as voted for by over 20,000 listeners of Gilles Peterson’s BBC Radio 1 Worldwide show. Fat Freddy’s Drop have now released their second major studio album, Dr Boondigga & The Big BW - shipping GOLD on the first day of release on 26th May 2009. Featuring Art & Design by Otis Frizzell, the album features nine fresh phat tracks that span soul, dub, reggae, techno, blues flavors.

Fat Freddy's Drop - Boondigga