Sequential Circus

On Saturday, January 23rd 2010, Sequential Circus returns for the sixth iteration. Bring your dancing shoes for Vancouver's foremost live electronic performance showcase!

Sequential Circus is an ongoing music event series featuring an ever-changing lineup of live performance (live-pa) electronic music acts, both local and imported talent, with a focus on cutting edge sound and visual technologies.

Do not confuse this with a DJ event - the dancefloor will be jumping, but all the music at Sequential Circus is composed and performed live by the original artists!

VENUE: Open Studios, #200 - 252 East 1st Avenue
19+ w/ID ONLY - there's a bar
TICKETS: $20, available at the door only, arrive early to avoid disappointment
Doors at 10:00pm, first performance begins at 10:30pm sharp!

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE LINEUP: (alphabetical order)

DAEGA SOUND SYSTEM
Formant Recordings, Thoughtless, DPR, Lighta!

Born to composer and choreographer parent's not surprising to hear that brothers Ben and Josh Searles learned to read music before words. Growing up surrounded by performances, rehearsals, festivals and symphonies it's natural that they have continued the tradition in their own way - a path that has become a blend of their classical training and a passion for the sounds of the electronic world. Beginning their foray into the dubstep genre, Daega Sound has signed to one of London's original dubstep producers, Noodles (aka Groove Chronicles) new label project, DPR. Forthcoming and releases on DPR have seen play from some of the genres biggest players including BBC's Mary Anne Hobbs. 2010 will see new releases on DPR, a 12" release this February/March on Formant Recordings, a remix on Thoughtless Recordings and more 12" releases that are in the works. This edition of Sequential Circus will see DAEGA performing live a heavily techno influenced dubstep set, deep, heavy, rolling and psychedelic.

Style: Dubstep/Techno
Home City: Gibsons BC
http://www.myspace.com/daega

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Haagen

Since his unforgettable live debut at Sequential Circus 2 in 2008, Haagen has been evolving his signature high energy progressive sound by actively playing his heart out at many events over the past two years. His hypnotic shows have shaken and rocked many dance floors, and have driven the crowds into intense ecstasy. Haagen has continued to evolve his style and has been working with vocalist Theda Phoenix (www.thedaphoenix.com) to combine her angelic ethereal vocals with his intricate and progressive live sets resulting in a breathtaking mix of techno, trance and house. For Sequential Circus 6, Haagen is preparing a new live set (Odyssey) using new performance techniques and with even more live improvisation, taking his sound to new depths and heights. Haagen's website, www.haagen.ca, is due be launched in early 2010 and will provide you with all things Haagen. Stay tuned.

Style: Techno/Breaks
Home City: Vancouver BC
http://www.soundcloud.com/dasz

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Longwalkshortdock

A veteran of sound design and electronic music production for well over a decade, Dave King (Longwalkshortdock)'s music has stepped into a genre of its own. Playing songs and remixes from many genres that he wrote and produced, LWSD performs live PA with live vocals, synthesizers, drum machines, guitar, effects, toys, computers and even some of his own strobes and lighting. Know for his incredibly "enthusiastic" performances, longwalkshortdock creates an undeniable stage presence and visceral experience at a show. LWSD will be taking advantage of the openness of the artistic vision of Sequential Circus to bring you something new and exciting from him for this performance...

Style: Bigbeat Techno
Home City: Vancouver BC
http://www.longwalkshortdock.com

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noCore
r.i.p.theSystem / D-Trash Records

noCore is an electronic music producer and livePA artist. He is known for creating improvisational rhythmic noise music with a wide range of influences ranging from bare minimal ambient to extreme splatter breaks/digital grindcore.

Style: Heavy/Glitchy/Distorted
Home City: Vancouver BC
http://www.soundcloud.com/nocore

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Resonance

After five years experimenting with cutting edge synthesis technology, the experimental duo Resonance have emerged from the studio to bring you a ground breaking, ear quivering and earth shattering new sonic experience. Incorporating many different styles of electronic music, Resonance will use laptops, synthesizers and effects perform tracks from their upcoming album Phase Precision. Remixing every track live and on the fly, members Chaotic Grey (Julian Levy) and Neal Miskin use the crowd's energy to create a unique and new sonic landcape never encountered before.

Style: Techno
Home City: Vancouver BC
http://www.myspace.com/herbiecrimson

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xfive
Singularity, Iterativemusic

Having been absent from the Van party scene for the last 5 years, xfive hails from his new found home of LA. After spending some time in London with label partner Voidloss, and releasing on their label Singularity as Villain, xfive sheds his more experimental alter-ego, and returns to his roots with brand new material. Keeping a pulse on the future and an eye on the past, his new set is laced with traces of Detroit, Berlin, and everything in between. Get ready for stripped-down techno with deep and dark sensibilities. Oh, and bass.

Style: Techno
Home City: Los Angeles, CA
http://www.soundcloud.com/iterative

• 77 comments

On July 25th 2009, Sequential Circus returns for the fifth iteration! This time around the Circus will feature a heavy techno slant, so bring your dancing shoes and be ready for some of Vancouver's best live electronic performances.

Sequential Circus is an ongoing music event series featuring a lineup of live-performance electronic music acts, both local and imported talent, with a focus on cutting-edge sound and visual technologies.

VENUE: Open Studios, #200 - 252 East 1st Avenue
19+ w/ID ONLY - there's a bar!
TICKETS: $20, available at the door only

LIVE VISUALS by VJ MediaVictim and james deane!

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE LINEUP:

Andrew Martens

After too many years shackled behind a computer screen, Andrew Martens has finally left the computer behind to play his debut show in the Vancouver live PA scene. As comfortable behind a soldering iron as he is behind a synthesizer, he has built or modified many of the devices in his arsenal, including a MIDIbox SID, Roland Juno 6, and an E-mu ESI-2000. Andrew hopes to take you away from the everyday world with his deep kicks and pulsing basslines.

STYLE: trance
HOME CITY: Vancouver

Filip Gorecki [Spaceboots Records]

Filip Gorecki has been producing music in Vancouver for the past two years. Fascinated with song structures based around rhythm rather then drums, filip's focus on story telling through sound exploration have kept him busy. Performing livePA with only a few pieces of gear, filip has mastered the act of creating his own samples and reinventing them for your listening pleasure.

STYLE: Science Fiction Music
HOME CITY: Vancouver

JGarrett [Xynthetic / Super 6 / Säurebad]

JGarrett is the latest project from Xynthetic Netlabel co-founder Josh Garrett. JGarrett focuses on groove-driven Acid, Techno, and TechHouse with traces of Dub and Breakbeat elements. In the past Josh has worked with labels such as Component Records (which included remixing the mighty Mochipet), en:peg digital (the digital brother of n5MD), and Stratagem Musik. JGarrett's latest releases can be found on Germany's Super 6 and Säurebad Records as well as his own Xynthetic Netlabel.

STYLE: Acid, Techno
HOME CITY: San Francisco

Komega [LoveTechSF, Pod6]

Known for his pounding beats, warble-driven bass lines, glitchy tech-house, and, most of all, his completely self-built synths and control systems, Komega is one of San Francisco's most original yet reclusive livePA dance acts. Komega takes a systemic approach to live dance-floor electronic music by developing specifically tailored control systems and synthesizers that have allowed him to build a ground-up sound achieved by no one else. In Komega's return to Vancouver's Sequential Circus, he will be performing material from his upcoming album Auspices.

STYLE: Tech-house
HOME CITY: San Francisco

Konketsu [Pod6, LivePA.org]

Veteran live performer Rich Hamakawa returns to the stage for his first set in four years as his solo project Konketsu. Expect a dark retro-futuristic blend of classic and modern tonalities inspired by influences ranging from the Detroit/Berlin scenes to East Van crows and the colour blue. Jagged. Heady. Dancable. Techno.

STYLE: Techno
HOME CITY: Vancouver

Ragdoll [BluFin, Frequenza]

Grinding, Melodic, Dark and Driving. Ragdoll fuse spaced-out Berlin grooves with dynamic Minimal, delivering no-limit Techno with soul. With their very first release breaking the Top 100 on Beatport, Ragdoll have gone from strength to strength, remixing for Techno/House heavyweights Sandy Vee, John Acquaviva, and Andrea Doria. Signed to the trendsetting German label BluFin, Ragdoll’s success has snowballed this past year, as their club stormer “Soundwave” sold over 1000 vinyl copies in its first week.

When not pumping out tracks for the club, Ragdoll drink Bailey’s and get up to no good. With an absolutely explosive presence behind the decks, this madcap duo bludgeons the senses with their dirty, modern sound.

STYLE: Techno
HOME CITY: Vancouver

• 192 comments

On January 24th 2009, Sequential Circus returns for the fourth iteration! This time around acid/bassline music is heavily featured, so bring your dancing shoes and be ready for some Vancouver's craziest hard electronic party music.

VENUE: Open Studios, #200 - 252 East 1st Avenue
19+ w/ID ONLY - there's a bar!
TICKETS: $20, available at the door only

LINEUP (in alphabetical order):

coin gutter
Vanity Records / NoType / Objective-Subjective

Over the course of 9 years coin gutter has gone from a 4 car pile up at that dangerous corner (chaotic, messy and impossible not to stare at) to a much tighter, focused and mature live performance. But don't start thinking this is a night of sequenced tracks, all plan and no passion. The live show is a calm centre of a storm, always threatening to lose control.

STYLE: experimental audio art
HOME CITY: Vancouver, BC

Computer Controlled
Communique' / Acid Allstars / Acid Revolt Unit / Collective Intelligence

Long time Midwest Acid DJ/Producer now living in Seattle, Computer Controlled is a no holds barred no laptops, 100% hardware true Acid performance. Raised on the Midwest Acid sounds of ESP Woody McBride, Hyperactive, & Drop Bass Network. Pounding the dance floor with a combo of vintage and newer Analogue and Digital synths and drum machines, this is the sound of the Midwest. Hard, raw and in your face!

STYLE: Acid Techno
HOME CITY: Seattle, WA

Dialectic

Dialectic performs live electronic music that combines the euphoric melancholy of first generation Detroit Techno with the driving, modulating basslines of Acid House and the atmospherics of Ambient Dub. Originally from England, his musical influences, gleaned from clubs, festivals and raves in the 80's and 90's range from Jazz through Northern Soul, Reggae, Ska, Dub, Blues, Funk, Acid House, Drum & Bass and Techno.

STYLE: Techno
HOME CITY: Vancouver

NovaTRON
innerflight / space island

The sonic wizard that exists on this Earth as NovaTRON is a designer of musical experience that defies all categorization. An animal like no other, novaTRON creates completely original beats that are improvised on the fly on the Tron Box, a self-constructed constellation of audio hardware... The music born from the marriage of the mind of a mad scientist and the TRON Box is a unique symphony of breakbeats, a reality twisted into a science of experimentation that combines to form an aural experience that can only be lived in the present. NovaTRON's organic live sets capture the ephemeral nature of art and existence and strap it down with a thick layer of bass before letting it go on it's way out to the world and into your body. His beats take you on a trip through multiple realms of reality with a professor of phunk at the helm NovaTRON is a master of the moment who continues to push the limits of electronica with each and every new set.

STYLE: breaks/dubhop/glitch
HOME CITY: Seattle

MUX
Pod6 / BlackHoleClub / LivePA.org

Live-pa stalwart MUX is back with a brand new rig, new sound and new musical outlook. For nearly a decade, MUX has been dropping huge kicks, screaming leads and throbbing basslines on dancefloors in living rooms, clubs, warehouses and forests. After a techno hiatus lasting over a year, he's putting down the guitar and mandolin and picking up the synthesizers and drum machines again. Expect the signature high-energy MUX sound, reinvented and updated for what will hopefully be the first of many shows in 2009!

STYLE: rave techno
HOME CITY: Vancouver, BC

Taal Mala
[lighta!] / SUB-OSC

Killing sound since '97, Taal Mala's music encompasses a mashup of dubstep, dancehall, ragga jungle, and acid techno with wobbling basslines, glitched out ragga vibes, and wonky riddim changes that will warp your perception of dancefloor music. As a member of the SUB-OSC and Lighta! soundsystems, Taal Mala has buried an excess of tin pan soundboys alongside The Bug, Kode9, Loefah, Venetian Snares, Rusko, Benga, Skream, Hatcha, Youngsta, Martyn...etc. Keep your eyes open for lighta! and SUB-OSC releases in early 2009.

STYLE: ravestep glitchdub
HOME CITY: Vancouver, BC

• 79 comments

On July 12th 2008, Sequential Circus returns for the third iteration! This time around local acid/breakcore talent is heavily featured, so bring your dancing shoes and be ready for some Vancouver's craziest glitched-out hard electronic sounds.

VENUE: Open Studios, #200 - 252 East 1st Avenue
19+ w/ID ONLY - there's a bar!
TICKETS: $20, available at the door only

LINEUP (in alphabetical order):

Colby Sparks
Colby has been producing in Vancouver for the past two years. He tries to blend together the styles of acid breakcore and jungle, and adds in his own melodic twists to the whole deal. He also has been known to play saxophone every now and again.

style: ambientcore
home city: Vancouver

Jonnay
A one-man Acid Techno, Dark Jungle, and Atmospheric DnB Live PA located in Calgary Alberta. His music is not limited by genre, but rather by what sounds good and gets people dancing. Jonnay prefers to be performance centered rather then studio centered, with his Live PA kit being essentially the same as what he uses in the studio, and 100% laptop free. He, along with his wife, built an analog synthesizer for just "that sound". Jonnay has been performing at raves since 1997.

style: acid/jungle/d&b
home city: Calgary

noCore
noCore is an electronic music producer and livePA artist known for creating improvisational rhythmic noise music with a wide range of influences from minimal ambient music to extreme digital grindcore. In live settings, noCore relies on various hardware instruments and effects, such as a DSI Prophet 08, Clavia Nord Lead 2, Korg Electribe ES1, MFB Synth 2, Sherman Filterbank, Electro-Harmonix Small Stone, Pro Co Rat Deucetone, Boss DD-3, Boss RSD-10, Tech 21 Sans Amp TRI-AC and two Zoom TM-01's, among other things. The performances are usually improvised on the spot and rarely repeated unless recorded.

style: rhythmic/power noise, breakbeat, ambient
home city: Vancouver

Self Evident
Self Evident has been playing his own brand of dance music all over Vancouver with Lighta! and the SUB OSC crew. His tracks have been played by DJ Hatcha on Kiss FM London and by Kid Kameleon on his most recent XLR8R magazine podcast. Check out the next issue of XLR8R for an article about Sub Osc. Sub Osc which consists of Taal Mala, Phowa, Self Evident and Max Ulis will be launching their label this summer. The first 12 inch will feature the Dancehall and Dubstep stylings of Max Ulis and Self Evident with vocals by Warrior Queen, Rider Shafique and Ras Oney. Also coming out this summer will be remixes for DJ C and Don Goliath (Dubstep Division). Brrrra!

style: dubstep/??
home city: Vancouver

SPARK
After clearing dancehalls, artspaces, and record label execs out with sheer wall-of-noise breakcore and infections melodies buried beneath the fury, work-shopping the competition at international laptop battles, and releasing several seminal net releases as "Winnie The Shit" in 2005 and 2007. Dropping his latest NES masterpiece of 8-bit dubsteprockspacejamchillouts right here in 2008, Spark is set to take the stage, renewed, rejuvenated, armed with a laptop, a soul, a new version of ancient software, WindowsXP, a working screen, a gig of ram and a (somewhat) limitless supply of loops, noises, sequences, stretches and jittery dance moves. You gonna bump!

style: 8bit/dubstep
home city: Vancouver

The Automatic Message
The Automatic Message is an ongoing collaboration between experimental techno producer / dj / sound designer Trevor Jacobson and photographer Tanya Goehring. Trevor and Tanya's work explores the possibilities of what can happen when sound and imagery are brought together. They construct multimedia installations and perform live using still photographs, video, techno and sound design.

style: experimental techno
home city: Vancouver

• 88 comments

The lineup for the January 19th 2008 Sequential Circus is now finalized and published - these performers (listed alphabetically) will be throwing down 45-minute sets of original music for your listening pleasure:

God In The Machine

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A bass-heavy journey through the darker side of urban music, a sound that is all graffiti-inspired breakbeats, syncopated percussion, and snarling, gritty synth screams. It is the music of the concrete jungle brought kicking and screaming into the information age, juxtaposed against a collage of other genres, from jazz-infected turntablism to industrial noize, all grafted together without regard to musical tradition. The project is the brainwashed child of sole member J. Wells, who began producing electronica at age fifteen out of frustration with the vapid machismo of heavy metal.

STYLE: Breakbeat, darkcore, DnB
HOME CITY: Orcas Island, Washington

Haagen

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Haagen (aka Dasz) is a producer, Clavia Nord Modular G2 synthesizer factory sound designer, and inventor based out of Vancouver, BC. Inspired by old school, techno, trance, and electro; his massive and carefully sculpted grooves, intertwined with hard, slamming, progressive, bass & beats, and uplifting tunes are finally being taken from the studio and onto the live stage.

STYLE: minimal, hard, progressive
HOME CITY: Vancouver, British Columbia

John Tennant

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John Tennant has been involved the Vancouver live PA community for the past 8 years. He's released a few tracks on vinyl (Village, Rhythmic and Telegraph) and with the online record label Nishi. Combining forces with Ricardo Almeida in recent years, John is focused on delivering the most satisfying sound fidelity possible in a live PA performance. For SeqCirc2, John will be highlighting some recent work with generative sequencing techniques and on-the-fly audio loop layering techniques.

STYLE: tech house
HOME CITY: Vancouver, British Columbia

Komega

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Komega's custom control device looks like an alien space pod from the future. It pulses and throbs in time with his aural creations and it provides some wicked psychedelic eye candy to accompany his fusion of sound. Delivering a pounding repertoire of glitchy tech breaks, Komega aims to move minds and bodies.

STYLE: Tech Breaks
HOME CITY: San Francisco, California

Ricardo Almeida

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Ricardo Almeida has gained a reputation over the past 12 years as the dark horse of the Vancouver techno scene. A legendary recluse, it's unknown just how far his musical influence stretches. What is known is that he's constantly busy refining and perfecting his studio technique, securing releases with labels worldwide and remixing high profile artists. Combining forces with John Tennant, Ricardo's live PA style is to deliver intelligent, driving, and focussed composition, tailor mixed and arranged for the club, crowd, and vibe. For SeqCirc2, Ricardo will be showing off some of his startlingly funky techniques involving a Nintendo DS, Nord Modular, JXP-3P, and microphone.

STYLE: tech house
HOME CITY: Vancouver, British Columbia

Transgress

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Transgress is the solo Live PA project of Peter 'Fish' Fisera (also of the live improvised techno band Inject, see http://inject.org). Instead of the laptop that is commonly the heart of a Live PA setup these days, Fish uses Alesis MMT-8 hardware MIDI sequencers from circa 1989, along with a large array of both vintage and recent synths and drum machines. The result: techno, breaks, tech-trance, or downtempo; melodic and trippy, sometimes chaotic but rarely abrasive, and with an emphaasis on original synth sounds rather than the expected. Since 2002, Transgress has played in many venues and vibes, including the late night parties and smokey clubs where techno music is often found. See http://goatvirus.com/knapsack/music/transgress for more info.

STYLE: techno and breaks
HOME CITY: Vancouver, British Columbia

• 85 comments

Sorry for the massive delay; back on track now, and finally posting the excellent recordings from the first Sequential Circus show, back in July 2007.

The lineup details are posted here, and the individual sets are high-quality MP3's:

01. Minarovich - 192k, 39m34s, 54.3MB
02. Inkwell - 192k, 45m26s, 62.4MB
03. pica - 192k, 40m50s, 56.1MB
04. the DAEGA Sound System - 192k, 42m02s, 57.7MB
05. longwalkshortdock - 192k, 40m56s, 56.2MB
06. Devin Dirt - 192k, 41m41s, 57.MB
07. Taal Mala - 192k, 42m58s, 59.0MB

Share and enjoy! Thanks again to the artists for an amazing show.

• 77 comments

UPDATE: Tickets are now available! Watch this space for presale locations and times. Pricing is as follows:

Presale tickets: $15

Door tickets: $20

Door tickets after midnight: $25

Tickets will be available from any member of the SeqCirc crew, as well as a few easily-reached places around Vancouver. This posting and site will be updated as more information becomes available, so keep checking back...

TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT BOOMTOWN AND HIGHLIFE!

High Life Records: 1317 Commercial Drive
Boomtown Records: 1252 Burrard Street

• 155 comments

The inaugural SeqCirc show is shaping up to be an epic display of live-pa prowess. The doors will open at 10:30pm and the first performer will go on at 10:45pm SHARP, so please plan to come early!

The performers for this evening will be, in alphabetical order:

the DAEGA Sound System

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Inspired by the deep end of things brothers and production duo, Ben and Josh Searles aka DJ Sela and Deep Six are currently based in Vancouver BC working on their Daega Sound System project. Producing a wide variety of electronic music including drum and bass, dubstep, house, techno, downtempo, ambient and more they are now taking their sound out of the studio and onto the stage.

STYLE: Dubstep
AFFILIATIONS: Balance
HOME CITY: Vancouver

Devin Dirt

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Brooklyn based producer, Devin Dirt combines industrial techno with dirty house and serves it up with a hot cup of fuck you. Imagine Iggy Pop and Daft Punk kicking the shit out of each other at an after hours and you get the idea. Nasty bass lines, distorted leads, raw beats and tweaked out edits fuel Devin Dirt's in-your-face sound. Being one of the few electronic artists performing Live PA without a laptop, his sets are wildly charged and not to be missed.

STYLE: Machine Punk
AFFILIATIONS: Black Van Records
HOME CITY: Brooklyn, NY

Inkwell

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Inkwell is the product of two minds from vastly different backgrounds, coming together with entirely original material that slams the dancefloor and leaves the crowd wanting more. Rocking mostly homemade gear, their live performance centers around a battle ready PC built into a turntable flight case and a knob box that looks like it's from 1902. Minimal Techno is the backbone of the their set, but it often veers in other more diverse territory without warning. Also they're damn sexy.

STYLE: Thumpin Minimal Techno.
AFFILIATIONS: Danksoul Recordings
HOME CITY: Vancouver, BC

longwalkshortdock

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Heavily influnced by early 80s video game music, longwalkshortdock stacks layers of melody in his tracks until they implode and reform. Heavy drums and aggresive synths join forces with rolling grooves and melodic lead lines to create a wide variety of bangin dance floor originals. Did you know they found him in a cave on the moon? Thats what i heard...anyway, room filling sound!

STYLE: kick/snare, techno, electro, acid
AFFILIATIONS: black van records, new york
HOME CITY: Vancouver BC

Minarovich

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Combining protean AND technical hugger-mugger, minimal AND not so minimal, (and slightly progressive) Stomp-IN techno. Influenced by Speedy J, Alex Under, Yellow, Mathew Dear, Howard Jones, R. Hawtin, Genesis, Tom Waits.

STYLE: Minty Fresh Techno
AFFILIATIONS: BHC / LRC
HOME CITY: Vancouver, BC

pica

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pica's sound is rooted in the cavernous reverb soaked sounds of traditional dub and the structure and rhythms of modern minimal techno.

STYLE: minimal abstract dub techno
AFFILIATIONS: dub.ca & Infrequency
HOME CITY: Victoria, BC

Taal Mala

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Killing sound since '97, Taal Mala is tearing up the dancefloors and doin' it to ya in the earhole with warbling sub frequencies that have been known to rupture an internal organ or two. As a member of the Lighta! and SUB-OSC Soundsystems, Taal Mala has killed soundboys along side Loefah, The Bug, Kode 9, and Bassnectar, to name a few. Releases on Lighta! and SUB-OSC dubplates to come in 2007.

STYLE: ravestep glitchdub
AFFILIATIONS: [lighta!] / SUB-OSC
HOME CITY: Vancouver, BC

• 122 comments