PDF Version

I’ve been thinking about starting something like this for a long time. My ‘hood, or San Diego’s Downtown area lacks a quality-written and edgy neighborhood-focused newsletter/publication. SO given the fact I know far too much about this city for my own damn good, I figured it was time to share my insidery experience and knowledge of what’s what in 92101, in a weekly webzine/print format.

“What’s Good in The ‘Hood” features exactly that: A simple yet thoughtful rundown of everything in the Gaslamp/East Village/Little Italy that’s relevant and particularly awesome for that week. All collected and easily printed to be the size of just ONE 8×11 sheet of paper. It’s the perfect guide for established locals looking for a heads-up on ‘Hood news and under-the-radar specials around town; and it’s convenient for tourists to fold up and carry with them in their back-pocket for the best experience they won’t find on the first 5 pages of Google.

I wanted to create something that was just plain cool. Nothing fancy or over-saturated with coupons and bullshit. Just something that’s informative and extremely effective. Without the frills.

Simply Put: “What’s Good in The ‘Hood”: is everything you need, and nothing you don’t.

To be completely honest, I don’t know how to hyperlink on the PDF itself yet and I still have a lot to learn in terms of making this as accessible as possible. But hey, this is only Volume One. And I can guarantee you, it’s only going to get better from here on out.

So get out there, and enjoy everything about this wonderful city.

If you have any cool tidbits and announcements you’d like to contribute to next week’s edition, feel free to contact me here.

By: TD

Links to stuff above
Smashburger
Stingaree
LED Presents

The video for Digitalism’s single “2 Hearts” off their forth-coming album “I Love You Dude” set to drop on June 21st, 2011, was released today on Youtube. Yes, I think this is quite a cute song. And sure I love quirky space-themed videos with evil creatures who shoot lazers out of their eyes as much as the next person. But the sound quality they chose to use in their OFFICIAL video, is absolute shit.

If people are going to rip your songs off the web they will find a way to do it, either way. (Case in point) Don’t ruin a presumably costly production and a potentially effective promotional tool just to deter jackers. Where there’s an internet connection, there’s a way to find ANYTHING.

In my opinion this video below is 100% more effective in promoting Digitalism’s quality production — and quite possibly ensuring that “2 Hearts” becomes the official “Summer Love Anthem of 2011″. (Swoon being 2010′s, obviously).

If I were an artist, and I was spending lots of money, time, and energy on my videos, WITHOUT A DOUBT I would put my music video, essentially the culmination of all my hard work, on Vimeo. It’s free and allows for one HD video upload per week. Everyone at Mad Decent, Ed Banger, and Dim Mak and artists like The Ashton Shuffle, and Moby get it…

Just my 2 cents.

By: TD

THOMAS GANDEY will be taking a break from touring with FATBOY SLIM to make his debut at SPIN Nightclub this Friday May 27th!!

Best known for his trademark disco and addictive dance floor beats under his guise “Cagedbaby“, Thomas Gandey is no stranger to pushing technological boundaries during his live performances, intermingling a captivating mix of tech-house, deep techno, and yes, disco floor-fillers into his sets.

Bordeaux & Brighton- based producer THOMAS GANDEY has released several highly successful EPs through Southern Fried Records (whose label mates include Crookers, Armand Van Helden, Shinichi Osawa) including a real dark jungle tech tingler that Pete Tong named as “BBC Radio 1s Essential New Tune” – “Mercy Hump” – and the across the sonic board dance club-ready track “Trucks” that integrates a wild mix of techno, funk, disco synths, and even Dutch house influences all rolled into one tight ball of good times. (Listen to WAV files of “Mercy Hump” & “Trucks” on his site here!)

I like to think of his track, “Rio Rock” as Ibiza-beach-party, 80s-disco-tech-boogie; not to mention Gandey samples one of my very favorite heart-fluttering songs of all time!! #win!

Thomas Gandey – Rio Rock

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Just in the last week, Gandey unleashed this sneaky little mixtape on us, gearing up for his tour with Fatboy Slim in Sin City, and of course, for his anticipated arrival in sunny San Diego as well. Rinse this mix clean while you rev yourself up with a pregame party cocktail for the dancing all-night-long into the wee hours of the morning to shortly follow!!

Thomas Gandey – Las Vegas Promo Mix – May 2011 – FREE DOWNLOAD by Thomas Gandey

When it comes time for his studio lockdown, Gandey is a jack of all applied sonic trades. He’s a classically trained pianist, multi-instrumentalist, and a “self-confessed analogue synth head”. The result of his sole-executed instrumental tactics, are genuinely unique and moreover, totally, aurally-encompassing: his productions are impeccably multi-dimensional, with each layer thoughtfully calculated to be rich in sound. You’ll be able to experience and embrace all those rich nuances and special timbres in Gandey’s productions through SPIN Nightclub‘s unbelievably powerful capacity for audio-amazingness and top-notch state-of-art quality.

Along with Gandey in the mainroom will be DJ IDeal (Creator Entertainment/Jagermeister/Ultra Music Festival), Kid Wonder of SQZMYLMNS, Stillwell (Zero Digital Records), and SF-based Daniel Furth.

The Infusion Project will also be locking down a sector of the massive club, for your visual pleasure as you feast your eyes on their latest art installations and colorful and style-forward “experimentations”.

There’s a limited number of guest list spots available. Your very best bet is to AVOID THOSE PESKY LINES and snatch up some cheap $10 PRESALES HERE. Otherwise it’s $20 at the door!

RSVP on the FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE HERE for more info!!

SPIN Nightclub
2028 Hancock St.
San Diego, 92110

Thomas Gandey Website
Thomas Facebook

By: TD

The name Victor Klyuchnikov may not mean much to you, so we need to sort things out. You see, Victor is also known as Cosmonaut Grechko, a 20-year-old producer hailing from Russia (although he claims Space Station 2098 as his home on his [AMAZING] SoundCloud page, and his Twitter). While he is super unknown, his newly released Alaska 2100 EP caught my attention last night, and I started digging through some of his older songs. Wow?! I mean this guy has remixed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Daft Punk, Ellie Goulding, Shinichi Osawa, Metric, and many others, establishing quite the repertoire. With a style perfectly suited to his name, one that makes you feel like you’re sitting right beside him in the Space Station (unearthly), his music is perfect for late night chill-moments. Simplistic, yet pleasing. Energetic, yet mellow. To date, he’s only released two EP’s, but we can’t forget the slew of remixes he’s been producing. So sit back, maybe even turn the volume down a notch, and soar away with Cosmonaut Grechko.

“All I Hear” is a song directly off his new EP, Alaska 2100 which is DEFINITELY worth checking out. Also be sure to check out the Blue Foundation remix of “Singin’”, another track from the new EP.

Cosmonaut Grechko – All I Hear (feat. She’s The Queen)

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Here are two tracks selected from his multitude of remixes:

Metric – Collect Call (Cosmonaut Grechko Version)

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Druma Kina – Walking Away (Cosmonaut Grechko Version)

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By: Spencer Handly

I’m back home in Nor-Cal, kinda sad to leave San Diego behind for a couple months, but it’s good to be home. So let’s kick off this summer right! This week’s selection is inspired by many things. The sun. Lack of stress. Carefree attitudes. Drinking by the pool. Hot-tubbing. Attending festivals. #winning in general. I think this summer will be one for the books, can we agree and make this happen??

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North County San Diego natives, under their stage pseudos, Jackson Glass and Liam Le Gold, don’t like talking about themselves. However their music on the other hand, speaks for itself.

Together Glass & Gold are All Black Everything: 23-year-old BFFs who sent me a super vague email last week — that happened to contain some seriously corrupt, dark techno productions. God only knows how these boys, apparently only after starting to write music JUST ONE MONTH AGO, created these unbelievably clean percussion lines and these impeccable multi-faceted atmospheric layers. And were able to kept it all a secret. That is, until now.

All Black Everything’s single name “Everything is All Black” may be deliberately presumptuous, however, in all fairness, it’s actually a pretty accurate title. Combine halting hard-hitting German Boys Noize-minded techno with Digitalism‘s rhythmic synth lines, and with Zombie Nation‘s space-warped Robotech-ish samples, and you’ll have a vivid idea of this track’s room-reverberating, industrial tech-house sound.

It’s a relatively familiar sound in the global scheme of things, however All Black Everything assures me this is “only the beginning” and that they will have “many more songs by the summer’s end.” Although they have demonstrated that their production expertise and sonic aptitude are already quite on point, I’m looking forward to hearing the development of their own unique brand of sound in their said upcoming releases. I think the boys of All Black Everything are very capable of taking their original productions to the next level. And thus I believe in doing so, these boys will have the opportunity to facilitate the growth of San Diego’s EDM culture as well.

Stay tuned.

Stream or swoop up the track for free below, and be sure to keep you’re eyes peeled and your ears on alert for ABE’s forth-coming sounds.

All Black Everything – “Everything is All Black”

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ALL BLACK EVERYTHING ON SOUNDCLOUD
ALL BLACK EVERYTHING ON FACEBOOK

By: TD

Russ Chimes popped onto my radar about a year ago, and has been killing it ever since. After the release of his Midnight Club EP (which seems like ages ago), he collaborated with cinematographer/director Saman Keshavarz to create a three-part video masterpiece which I’ve probably watched over 100 times. If you’ve seen them, you know what I’m talking about; Keshavarz and Chimes both have styles that work absolutely hand in hand. Also taking on remixes of artists including Ellie Goulding and Skrillex, Chimes has a unique disco-synth style that seems like nobody else will ever quite master.

Onto more important things! Russ Chimes has finally released his long anticipated Tonic/Helix EP!!! YES! Chimes retains his same style, including the random vocal samples here and there, and that beat that just makes you want to get-up and work hard. However, it is tough for Chimes to follow up his Midnight Club EP, with epics such as “Targa” and “Tertre Rouge”. Fortunately, I think the saving grace of his new releases is that the tracks take on a heavier and more steady beat, making them more suited towards a club atmosphere, more so than any of his previous releases. Who knows, maybe we’ll even see someone turn “Tonic” into a club banger within the next couple weeks? (Yes that is a challenge). Keep your fingers crossed that he’ll work with Keshavarz again for a two part music video.

Here’s a little teaser that Chimes released on his Soundcloud a couple days ago:
Tonic/Helix EP – *TEASER* by Russ Chimes

The full release is available right here through Beatport!

Bonus Gem

Chimes also released his new mix, Expressway Mix Pt. 3 about a week ago. He definitely holds a spot in my books as one of the top mix artists (alongside Nero and others); his mixes always have a feel-good aura surrounding them, and are always a joy to listen to. This new creation helped get me through the drive from San Diego to LA in what seemed like no time at all. Sabroso.

Expressway Mix Pt.3 by Russ Chimes

By: Spencer Handly

You’ve all seen the pictures we’ve been featuring on the Facebook page, but what goes into making each shot? A picture is worth a thousand words, but there is so much that you miss from a festival or a concert by sitting at your desk and scrolling through a photo album. That’s why I’m starting something new on the site. Behind the Lens gives you, our beloved readers, an inside look at what happened before, during, and after a show. From the pre-party to the after-party. From the moment you tilt your head back to take a shot to the hours you spend bent over the porcelain god. The ultimate goal is a more comprehensive festival coverage, with nothing but honest opinions and stories of things that were either hidden from the camera, pictures that were just too crazy to post on Facebook, or snapshots that just need a little further extra explanation.

Sun God Festival at UCSD

A couple weeks ago was my first trip to the Sun God Festival at UCSD. With a sick lineup (HUGE for a college campus in San Diego), some nice cool weather, a press pass in hand, and no shortage of Asian students, I knew it would be a day worth remembering. Damn was that an understatement. Sun God was the BEST festival I’ve ever been to! I can’t thank UCSD’s ASCE enough for throwing one of the most massive college events to end the year with a bang. With three huge stages hosting a wide-range of genres and out-of-this-world talent, I will NOT miss this festival next year. The most amazing thing was how massive the festival was, yet how intimate it felt. You’d think that hundreds to thousands of college students from local colleges would just jumble together, but I couldn’t stop running into people I knew. And when you’re meeting tons of new people your age, but hanging out with your old friends at the same time, you can’t not have a good time.

Before the music came on and the dancing began, we had to pre-game of course (we are college students after all). This is where the dirty girl scouts and a gorilla come in. A “Dirty Girl Scout” is a shot; first you get on your knees and have someone fill your mouth with chocolate syrup, then you have someone pour peppermint schnapps in your mouth, then you swish. Voilá, the taste of a Thin Mint! The only hard part is staying sober enough to take pictures…

More “too weird for Facebook” photos and post-mayhem commentary after the jump!
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PRESENTED BY BOYS & GIRLS, Light Year, off Bang Gang 12s Record label, will be touching down May 21st at El Dorado Cocktail Lounge, and they plan to make the dance floor go techno-galactic! When I was first asked to host this show, I wanted to start hunting down info about these battlers, as this will be there first tour in the States. However, Google made it an absolute mission finding any information or even one effing photo of these mysterious dudes; until about 4 weeks ago when they absolutely EXPLODED like a comet across the blogosphere! Thanks in good part to our friends at Gotta Dance Dirty who decided to rinse Light Year, not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES IN ONE WEEK!!! It was very clear from that point onward, Light Year are very relevant and have demonstrated time and time again across the globe that they are capable of creating a cosmic aural meteor-shower of bruising basslines and scorching space synth squeals!!

Sydney-based duo LIGHT YEAR are made up of Jordan Feller and Mikey Melas, both of whom are 25 years young. Aside from the massive support from a host of tastemaking Aussie mates, Light Year’s tracks have been supported by Mr. Oizo, Strip Steve, and TIGA; and 2ManyDJs/Soulwax has been supporting Light Year’s original track “Sex Education” in their sets over the past year! Although I would categorize their music as essentially Aussie dance club Techno, their sound certainly falls into a number of sonic classes yet to be officially defined.

Check out this super funny promo video below of Light Year’s mates describing their sound in terms like, “Futuristic Spastic Dance Funk” and their peers hyping up the duo in typical wacky down-under fashion.

Boys & Girls Resident Adam Salter and Nite Vision‘s Erick Diaz will be opening up the night with key indie dance gems in indisputably good style. San Diego’s OG nightlife photographer James Norton will be stylishly capturing evidence of the evening and imminent salacious dance floor mischief, all-night-long. TheMixster.com is co-hosting along with a dear friend of ours, the unabashedly sexy Leila Aman, and let me just warn say: When Leila & I get together in the same room, it’s always a sure-thing, time-and-time again-tested recipe for a ridiculously wild night! (There are certainly no lack of photos on the interwebs to prove it… ;)

Check out their USA Tour Mix, that Light Year themselves describe as a “a big bag of cali green and some fake titties in our faces”. LOL or in other words just really awesome techno.
USA Vacation Mix by Light Year

The title track off their 5 Girls EP, is a staple across the nightclub techno sphere!!
Five Girls by Light Year

This serious bootytech track just dropped about a month ago, and it is sinister!!
ZZT – ZZafrika (Light Year & The Finger Prince Remix) by THE-FINGER-PRINCE-YEAH

Check out the 2MANYDJs supported track “Sex Education” here!

RSVP for our guest list and get in the door for FREE before 10:30pm!!! And only $7 thereafter!!

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

By: TD

When college students, excessive alcohol consumption, and great music come together, something wonderful is created. UCSD’s annual Sun God Festival was this past week  and it was AMAZING!!!! 9 hours of dancing, running around taking pictures, and trying to find everyone left me exhausted and (not-so) ready for finals, but now that I’m ALMOST out of school, I was finally able to put some of the shots together and throw ‘em on Facebook. Fortunately, you guys were so crazy that I had to create 2 whole albums of photos. Voilá. (Album 1) (Album 2)

Kill the Noise dropped one of his new songs, not sure what it’s called. If any of you know, be sure to leave a comment and give me a heads up!

By: Spencer Handly
All photography and videos by Spencer Handly