Franz and Shape Remixed II

It is not easy to explain to someone what my DJ set sounds like these days.  I can play french house, throw down banging electro, or go into a classic italo disco set.  With our monthly, Front 312, there is often the temptation to go into an all-out Wax Trax retrospective.  This is something I want to avoid, since DJs Jenamax, Greg Haus, and Peter Propaganda regularly throw classic Wax Trax nights around Chicago.

I have been struggling to find a sound that defines our night.  Recently, I have found a new compilation of remixes of material by Franz and Shape.  It is available on Beatport now, and I think it really defines the sound of Front 312.  Since so many party goers have asked about this track, I feel that I should finally let everyone in on my little secret.  Check out this remix of Franz and Shape by producers Joe and Will Ask? and I think you will find yourself unable to stay in your seat.

Franz and Shape- Lump feat. Shrubbn!! (Joe and Will Ask? Remix)

Remember, if you like this and are playing it out, buy the whole comp on Beatport, and support good music!

BLACK XMAS Presented By Elevate Chicago Thursday – December 17th, 2009

Join us for an unholy night of Holiday Debauchery and Cheer at BLACK XMAS!

We’ll be playing horror themed holiday movies on the flat screens and offering ridiculous food and drink specials in addition to FREE admission to the event all night long!

Amazing music will be provided by Adam Black’s legendary group of industrial DJs so make sure you wear your dancing shoes and if you dare, wear an ugly holiday sweater and enter our contest to win exclusive prizes!

As always, Mistresses Lilith and Lydia will have all of their favorite bondage toys with them and will exclusively be deciding who has been naughty and who has been nice this year!

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

EVENT DETAILS:

DJ PERFORMANCES BY:

:: ANIMAL X ::
:: PETER PROPAGANDA ::
:: LE SPRITE ::
:: BRINKMAN vs. SKUBA K - Special Live PA Set ::

DOMINATRIX GIRLS:

:: MISTRESS LILITH ::
:: MISTRESS LYDIA ::

SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY:

:: KITTY ZOMBIE (A.K.A. KITTY CLAUS) ::

HOSTED BY:

:: ADAM BLACK ::
http://www.front312.com

- AND -

:: THE HORROR SOCIETY ::
http://www.horrorsociety.com

:: FREE ADMISSION ALL NIGHT ::
:: RELAXED DRESS CODE, COME AS YOU ARE! ::
:: KITCHEN OPEN ALL NIGHT FOR THE HUNGRY! ::
:: $4.00 IMPORT BEERS ::
:: $5.00 EFFEN VODKA COCKTAILS ::

:: VICTOR HOTEL ::
:: 311 N. Sangamon Street ::
:: 9pm – 2am | 21+ ::

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:: Live Visuals by: BRINKMAN ::
:: Photo Booth by: Rose Mountain ::

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http://www.elevatechicago.com
http://www.victorhotelchicago.com

Monthly Dance Party FRONT 312 is back on December 11th.

FRONT 312 is back and better than ever for the the month of December.  Stay warm with cheap drinks, cold music, and hot people.  Every month we bring some of our favorite local talent to spin the music that made them want to DJ in the first place.  Our Djs bring out an arsenal of amazing music, both new and old, 12 inches and remixes, digital and analog, music for the industry pioneers and young fans alike.  This is a party not to be missed.

Front 312 is a monthly dance party featuring local and national talent that occurs every second Friday at Liar's Club in Chicago. The night features DJs playing 80's new wave and synthpop, electro, classic EBM and industrial, punk rock, and straight up rock remixes. Expect anything from New Order, to the Presets, to Nitzer Ebb.

This month features local music favorites Clique Talk. Last time they performed for Front 312, the house was packed and the crowd was out of control. This time, they have returned to Front 312 with a collection of their favorite dance floor tracks.

Kamar, one of the co-founders of the weekly Atomic new wave parties at NEO, will be playing anything from 80's new wave 12" extended mixes to classic and new industrial.

Joe Vortech, one part of the BBK, is a versatile seasoned veteran of the DJ scene in Chicago. His record collection ranges from classic synthpop and new wave to the hardest Banger Electro this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

FRONT 312 is hosted by Black Automatic

$4 Well Drinks, $3 Bell's Christmas Ale, $2 PBR

No Cover until 11pm with RSVP to Front312@gmail.com

Liar's Club is located at 1665 W. Fullerton. at the intersection of Ashland and Fullerton.

GARAGELAND!

Garageland is a night that keeps things a little more conventional (though somehow we can't find another night in Chicago like it, and believe me, we've tried).

Every Tuesday night, FRONT312's Adam Black and Dj Dirty Jesus (proprietor and CEO of Worthy Chicago) Take over one of our favorite clubs every week.

They play the best in Classic Rock, Blues, Mod, Soul, Glam, Punk, and Detroit Garage.

Canadian Club Whiskey shots are 3 bucks
Drinks are $4
Pabst Blue Ribbon is 2 bucks.
and for a limited time only, try the Bell's Christmas Ale, it's on special this month, and is DELICIOUS! (they will be dirt cheap at this month's FRONT312)

Check out GARAGELAND! every Tuesday @ Liar's Club from 9pm - 2am.

Liar's Club
1665 w. Fullerton Ave.
Chicago, Ill

Re-Purposing Your Industrial Stomping Boots

Almost every goth has a pair of trusty, reliable platform industrial boots. These boots typically only see the light of the night when worn to a good EBM party. Luckily for us, Rumi at Fashion Toast has shown us how we can wear our boots casually during the day. Platform buckled boots are especially trendy right now. She's created a nice contrast by pairing them with soft knits and neutral colors. In order to rock this daytime look, be sure to tone down the colors, but stay away from all-black as that look is more suitable for nighttime. Keep the accessories and makeup to a minimum. You want the focal point of the outfit to be these boots, so everything else should stay relatively bare.

(image via fashiontoast)

Black Wednesday @ Rock Box

Featuring Performances by: Skank, The Infected, and Boomslang.
Djing will be FRONT312's very own Adam Black, playing the best in punk, rock, metal, and industrial.
Also Performing: Mistress Xena & The Pain Kurst Girls who are part of the party upstairs, and in the newly furnished DUNGEON:


Featuring Dj Peter Propaganda (dark sounds society and FRONT312 ally) playing goth, industrial, new wave, electro, and dance.

Hello My Pretties.

 Hello all. My name is Meagan and I will be contributing to Front312.com about fashion. Fashion is something that, for a long time, I paid absolutely no attention to. I can't afford $900 shoes, and my interest in the goth scene necessitated that I shun any interest in sartorial design and high fashion. We all know that all goths at the goth bar tend to look the same. I had no idea that taking cues from runways and street style could evolve my goth look into something more unique, while staying true to a darker aesthetic. I hope to help you all realize that 'goth' is bigger than you think it is, and there are so many ways to express yourself through your dress. You can be gothy and still be fashionable, you can like industrial music and still appreciate a groundbreaking runway show.

I'll be posting street style, images from runways and luxury designer collections, get-the-look-for-less posts, and pictures of my own outfits for inspirations. I look forward to treating you all with lovely dark sartorial goodies.

Meagan
Lattershed Photography

Nitzer Ebb plays Double Door Saturday, November 28th

(from the double door website)
Before the majority of industrial acts added guitars and became the heavy metal of the 1990s, Nitzer Ebb produced hard-hitting electronic music with the Teutonic bent and abrasive edge of early industrial music, plus the vocal chanting and beat-heavy flavor of the late-'80s alternative and Balearic dance scene. Formed in Chelmsford, Essex, in 1982 by vocalist Douglas McCarthy, drummer Bon Harris, and keyboard player David Gooday, the group began experimenting with synthesizers and drum pads, fusing their affinity for dark goth and punk rock with the emerging technology. After several popular shows around London during 1984, PWL producer Phil Harding began working with Nitzer Ebb and recorded their first single, "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works," which appeared on the band's Power of Voice Communications label in 1985. Three more singles followed during 1985-1986 before Nitzer Ebb signed to Mute in late 1986; the first Mute recordings were the singles "Murderous" and "Let Your Body Learn" in early 1987, just before the release of their debut album, That Total Age. After the single "Join in the Chant" was remixed by producer Flood (Nick Cave, Erasure), it became one of the crucial tracks in the growing alternative/Balearic dance scene, played out alongside Chicago house, Detroit techno, and Northern soul.

Nitzer Ebb @ Kinetik last year:

Kill Memory Crash (FRONT allies)
The Glide
Polyfuse (a FRONT ally)
and DJ Taco Punch open

To get a feel for Nitzer Ebb, check out this killer Black Strobe remix

Nitzer Ebb-Getting Closer (Black Strobe EBM Homage)


...and, just for fun, I'm posting the George Clinton remix of "Fun to Be Had".  This is a great example of how electro and hip-hop had a massive influence on industrial music.  If you like what you hear, please go on our Amazon store and purchase the artist's album.  Your dollars will go to support the music you love, and keep your favorite artists making music.

Nitzer Ebb- Fun to Be Had (George Clinton Long Mix)

A Plea For Sanity

hi folks, its adam black, the counter culture advocate to you pretend to love, or actively love to hate.

we are at a crossroads here in chicago.  our once great scene, whether it be house music, underground rave, industrial, techno, or electro, is dying.  we have little to claim for ourselves in this once great city of dance, performance, and production.

i've known many of you since the death of underground/rave (and it is dead)

however, being the zombie enthusiast i am, things can and will be revived.

there is much drama and infighting, nearly all of in unnecessary, be it drum and bass becoming dubstep, house music continuing to fail as a unifying force within chicago (our heroes have to make a living in europe for chrissakes)

electro going from the amazing underground parties @ the jerkstore, or darkwave disco, or the pilsen scene degenerating into a bastardization of a recent Vice magazine nightmare, or LA or Canadian knob turning hipster douche-baggery completely devoid of any soul, beat, heart, or substantial roots.

our loft party scene turning into hipster hop, bad dj's playing even worse tunes on protools or abelton

or completely forgetting what vinyl is, or means.

friends become enemies, enemies become promoters, scrubs and junkies become successful.  and us, the legitimate artists, creators, and passionistas, are left in the dark, infighting and failing to rebuild what we once had as a  city, and what many of us cut our teeth on in becoming the successful, narccisistic, socialites we all are.

this is my call to sanity:

music sucks.
clubs suck.
club owners suck.
djs get away with mediocrity too much (myself very much included, but dont tell the people that pay me)

many of us were once friends.
we all congretated together at our favorite loft parties on lake street.
the the newest clubs in wicker park.
or dirty house parties in logan square or pilsen.

and now?  we snipe eachother for teenage house parties in obscure neighborhoods.
or we battle for club spots and places, that really do nothing for any sort of local scene whatsoever.

we are local artists my children.  my peers.  my adversaries. my friends.

chicago is our motherland.

we have the greatest soapbox in the world to stand on.

house music, industrial.
melodic hardcore like Steve albini and big black. Naked Raygun.

our heroes live here.
Martin Atkins, Jake Burns, Jerry Only, Jeff Pezzati, Jeff Mills and an innumerable amount of house djs and techo producers.

yet so many have left us for the coasts, because we are too cool to acknowledge our own accomplishments.

so this is an open call:
All djs, artists, dancers, producers, musicians, degenerates, castaways and hooligans -

lets get together to form the greatest collective that chicago has ever known.
reclaim music from mediocrity.
loft parties from teenage hipsters.
clubs from douchebags in ed hardy gear.
neighborhoods from the suburban ruins of what was once wicker park.

lets work together, start making music, throwing parties that are thoroughly chicago.

and get some fucking pride back to survive us during the awful winter that is sure to come.

an open call to djs:
we currently have several events on our roster:

Front312 2nd fridays @ Liars Club
Garageland Tuesdays @ Liars Club
Grindhouse Wednesdays @ Rock Box
Creepy Country Select Wednesdays @ Delilahs
Bomb Shelter 2nd Fridays @ Debonair Social Club
Black Christmas December 17th @ Victor Hotel
and numerous events @ Lucky Number Grill.

we should all unify, and commit, to making things better, and fun, for all of us.

black out.

Cabaret Voltaire Gets a Techno Tuneup From Andi Müller

Cabaret Voltaire gets pretty regular play in my DJ sets these days, be it in the slow, pulsing beat of "Just Fascination" or the evangelist sampling of "I Want You".  I often get in arguments with music connoisseurs about whether Cab Voltaire is Industrial or New Wave.  For me, Cabaret Voltaire are one of those groups that manage to defy and redefine genre barriers.

At the beginning of their career they pushed the boundaries of what you could do with a reel to reel.  Moving away from experimental noise work, they moved into a sort of gritty electronic garage band style of music with classic tracks like, "Mussolini Headkick" and "Nag, Nag, Nag".  In the early eighties, albums like Crackdown and Microphonies became electronic music milestones, with the latter pushing their sound into an even darker direction.

Even though most of the album is full of catchy electro beats, a quick viewing of the "Sensoria" music video shows the darker side that was prevalent on works like Red Mecca, but that would mature on albums like The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord and Code.  The video features a very industrial aesthetic, albeit the obvious influence of post-punk and new wave.





Later on in the group's career, they would find themselves heavily influenced by Chicago house, even shooting a video for Magic in Chicago.  To top that off, Marshall Jefferson actually produced the track with them.


Since I am always trying to find an excuse as of late to throw down classic industrial and proto-industrial tracks in my DJ sets, it is only fitting that I have hunted down several Cabaret Voltaire remixes.  One of my recent favorites is from techno producer Andi Müller.  Andi was kind enough to give me permission to post his remix of 'Sex, Money, Freaks' from the album Code.  The remix serves the track well, and acts as the perfect gateway drug to the world of Cabaret Voltaire.

Cabaret Voltaire- Sex, Money, Freaks (Andi Müllers Techno Tuneup)

Friday, November, 13th is Front 312 with Polyfuse Live and Peter Propaganda

People often refer to Front 312 as an industrial night.  I want to set the record straight on this.  It is not really an industrial night, although we do play industrial music.  The whole concept centers around the late-eighties club scene in Chicago.  We had wanted to do something in line with that time period for a while, but we also wanted to incorporate elements of new music that would make it relevant to a younger generation of club-goers.

While the regular industrial night attendee might be tired of hearing old Ministry or Revolting Cocks, most of us need to remember that the average college kid who goes out on Friday night has probably never heard these classics.  The whole point of Front 312 is to make this music accessible to a wider group of people, and pull it out of the niche event nights and venues that are marketed specifically to the goth/industrial crowd.

An interesting recent review of MSTRKRFT's "Fist of God" in Filter actually complained about the current electro phenomenon, and cited "Godlike" and "No Name, No Slogan" as classic dance tracks that were better than the current banger anthems.  Instead of allowing ourselves to become bitter and jaded about the scene, however, we elected to move forward and start mixing MSTRKRFT, The Presets, and Motor with Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, and Throbbing Gristle.  Some call it blasphemy.  We like to think of it as getting people excited about this music.  Let us prevent this music from falling into the grimy hands of genre purism, and bring it back to the people where it belongs.

-Mr. Automatic

Download Tracks From Polyfuse now!


POLYFUSE- Dagger Hero 
http://www.polyfuse.net/mp3s/Dagger%20Hero.mp3

(there's a video for this one too, here: http://vimeo.com/1687918)

POLYFUSE: We Will Make Sure You Disappear
http://www.polyfuse.net/mp3s/We%20Will%20Make%20Sure%20You%20Disappear.mp3

Friday, November 13th,

Polyfuse, the alias of local sound designer and composer Justin McGrath, is an audio/visual experience that must be witnessed in person. Taking inspiration from classic industrial and EBM by way of Ambient music and IDM, Polyfuse creates an unforgettable live performance.

DJ Peter Propaganda has established himself in the Chicago scene with his band JILT, and the monthly "Naughty" Parties that he throws with the infamous Mistress Xena (going on 3 years strong!) He also runs Corrosive MusicK Media, is part of The Secret Society of Djs and of Gothic Art ChicagoNot For Profit Corporation.
Mr. Automatic will be playing classic Razormaid tracks, 80's new wave, classic industrial, techno, and new electro tracks prior to the headliners. Expect anything from Meat Beat Manifesto to The Presets to Motor. DJ Adam Black will open the night with punk rock, new wave, and alternative rock.

Doors open at 9pm. Admission is Free before 11pm with RSVP to Front312@gmail.com and $5 without RSVP or after 11.

Drink specials include $2 PBR and $4 well drinks, and plenty of other reasonably priced options are available at the bar.

Liars club is located at 1665 W. Fullerton in Chicago, Ilinois. at the intersection of Fullerton and Ashland.

Looking for a Good Halloween Party?

This Thursday, October 22nd, Adam Black and I are playing with Peter Propaganda and Animal X at Vision for the Art and Sound Halloween party.  There will be a Zombie Army, a zombie pin-up contest with great prizes, on site horror makeup done by professionals, a magician, a photo booth, and a torture chamber for those so inclined.

This should be a blast of a Halloween party, at one of Chicago's largest venues located in River North. 

Vision is located at 632 N. Dearborn St., Chicago IL 60654.

To get in the mood for Thursday's festivities, I leave you with a Slayer remix:
Slayer- Raining Blood (Sexistalk Re-edit)

Front 312 Goes Live Just in Time For Halloween with Bit Shifter Live!

Welcome to Front 312, a website dedicated to exploring new musicians, artists, videographers, and animators with a focus on the Midwest.  Currently, the blog operates out of Chicago, Illinois and is an offshoot of The Compass Points to M blog.  For my first post, I am going to be a little self-serving, and talk about an upcoming show Front 312 is collaborating on with Liz Revision of subVariant.

     "One of the premiere Game Boy-wielding 8Bit electronic musicians in the world is Josh Davis aka Bit Shifter, and subVariant and Front 312 are excited to have him perform at Ai Lounge on Halloween. Having played over 100 live shows armed with only two Nintendo Game Boys, and two home-brew aftermarket music programs, he has a dedicated following and has been known to ignite dance floors with his high energy live performances.

Tom Loftus of MSNBC.com says of Bit Shifter’s performance,“[B]y the time Davis jumped to his rave-up 'Parapersona Crash,' the walls started to shake and what little hesitation the audience may have had over dancing to a kiddy toy's 'bleeps' and 'bloops' vanished.”

“We booked him ...and I still think it's the most people that have been in the Tank at one time--hundreds and hundreds of people…” says Mike Rosenthal, Artistic Director of The Tank in NYC. “ Bitshifter just rocked the place--just blew us all away.”
Josh Davis says of the 8bit sound, “This is a really distinctive sound-set that anyone of our generation will have most likely been exposed to during childhood and as a consequence of that it became hardwired into our aesthetic sensibilities….but it was always off-limits creatively. So, people who grew up with 8bit and 16bit video game consoles--if they were musicians, they were able to dabble in just about *anything* else….”

Liz Revision of subVariant will open by digitally spinning minimal tech-house, glitch, and IDM; Mr. Automatic from Front 312 brings electro, new wave, and acid house; and Onefiftyone from Chicago Workgroup plays nudisco.

Bit Shifter explores high-energy, low-bit music composed and performed on a Nintendo Game Boy. The result is an unapologetically fun foray into an evocative and distinctive sound-set, executed on a console generally misperceived as being technically limited. Made possibly by two home-brew Game Boy music-making programs, Nanoloop and Little Sound DJ, Bit Shifter's music adopts and subverts the playfulness inherent in the familiar Game Boy sound-set, repurposing it into the service of novel idioms. Based in New York City, Bit Shifter has performed over one hundred shows worldwide, having recently circumnavigated the planet in a 20-date world tour with fellow chiptune compatriot Nullsleep."

Check out Bitshifter's latest:The World Has Turned And Left Me Here