First Floor #75 – Clean Scene Adds Up All Those DJ Flights
a.k.a. An interview with Darwin about her environmental initiative's new report.
Hello there. I’m Shawn Reynaldo, and welcome to First Floor, a weekly electronic music digest that includes news, my favorite new tracks and some of my thoughts on the issues affecting the larger scene / industry that surrounds the music. This is the free edition of the newsletter; access to all First Floor content (including the complete archive) requires a paid subscription. If you haven’t done so already, please consider signing up for a subscription (paid or unpaid) by clicking the button below. Alternately, you can also make a one-time donation here.
ON MY MIND
The dance music industry is bad for the environment. That’s not exactly groundbreaking news, and in the context of our modern world, it’s not even something that’s particularly unique, but it’s still cause for concern. Between vinyl production, the rapid growth of merch, global distribution networks (i.e. a whole lot of international shipping) and, most importantly, the countless flights taken by artists, industry professionals and fans alike, electronic music certainly seems like a very dirty business, ecologically speaking.
Darwin (a.k.a. Fallon MacWilliams) came to the same conclusion. Although the Berlin-based DJ (who lives in Mexico half the year) was already wearing many hats—aside from her own gigs, she also heads up the SPE:C label, promotes the acclaimed REEF party and runs the Dawn. creative publicity agency—she was moved to take action against the looming threat of climate change. A little less than two years ago, she announced the launch of a new environmental initiative, Clean Scene, and while the young collective has remained an active voice within electronic music circles since then, the pandemic derailed many of the organization’s initial plans.
Today, however, Clean Scene has taken a major step into the public arena with the publication of a new report, and though it’s been given a clever title (Last Night a DJ Took a Flight), its contents are deadly serious. Assembled over the course of a year, it tallies the carbon emissions caused by all of the flights taken in 2019 by all of the DJs on Resident Advisor’s Top 1000 DJs list. (Side note: that list now only exists in an archived form, as it wasn’t carried over during RA’s recent site redesign.)
Darwin sent me a copy of the report last week, and although I won’t go into all the numbers here, the aggregate statistics are alarmingly bad, and put DJs in some pretty awful company when it comes to carbon emissions. And though the overall tone isn’t about shaming—the report makes a clear effort to emphasize the bigger picture, and also spends a lot of time making suggestions of how people in the industry can take collective action and enact positive change—it does include an index that lists all 1000 DJs, along with their estimated individual flight totals, kilometers flown and carbon emitted. In short, Clean Scene elected to name names, and many of those names are widely respected and much-loved artists who regularly appear in the dance music press (and here in this newsletter).
Seeing that, and figuring that this report was bound to cause a stir, I asked Darwin if she’d be up for an interview. She agreed, we spoke on the phone for over an hour last Saturday. (The discussion then continued via email in the days that followed.) During the course of our conversation, we touched upon the beginnings of Clean Scene and what specifically inspired this new report, but also dove into some of the numbers and the many practical, ethical, social and economic questions they’re bound to raise in the days ahead. We also looked to the future, with Darwin providing some insights into where Clean Scene—and the larger environmental discussion within dance music—might head next.
The complete interview, which has been condensed into a single conversation and edited for length and clarity, can be found here.
(PLEASE NOTE: the link to the interview will be open to all for the next 48 hours, but after that, it will be available to paid subscribers only.)
REAL QUICK
A round-up of of the last week’s most interesting electronic music news, plus links to mixes, articles and other things I think are worth sharing.
Back in January, Gearslutz—a popular online pro-audio hub whose forums have become an invaluable resource for artists and producers around the globe—was met with a petition to change its name, and after a few days, founder Jules Standen agreed to the request, promising that the switch would occur within a few months. Yesterday, that new name was unveiled: Gearspace. A new URL has already been set up and the site will go live at that new address in mid-April.
Nathan Micay, who I interviewed late last year about his scoring work for the television series Industry, has launched a new radio show / podcast called Music Industry Lore, on which he invites “leading music industry figures [to] discuss their careers and their favorite fictional lore.” The first episode, which featured music supervisor Oliver White and sound editor Dan Elms (both of whom also worked on Industry) aired last Friday on Berlin radio station Refuge Worldwide, and is also slated to arrive on podcast platforms this week.
Speaking of podcasts, I’ve been meaning to point readers towards Relevant Parties, a Carhartt-sponsored series hosted by journalist Chal Ravens that features in-depth interviews with figures from some of electronic music’s most prominent independent labels. Past episodes have focused on imprints like PAN, Stones Throw, Ninja Tune, DFA and Ghostly International, and a link to find the series on your favorite podcast platform is here.
Mat Dryhurst is someone who’s name pops up rather frequently on First Floor, and the much-cited academic / theorist / artist was recently interviewed by George Howard for Forbes. Their wide-ranging conversation touched upon NFTs (of course) and the limits of the Patreon / Substack economy, along with the potential of Web3 and how it intersects with the idea of interdependence within creative communities.
As it happens, Dryhurst also makes an appearance in this lengthy article penned by Ray Philp for The Bridge (Pioneer’s editorial platform), which provides a detailed overview of the nascent intersection between NFTs and dance music while speaking with Telefon Tel Aviv and a number of people from the tech world.
In major festival news, Sónar has cancelled the 2021 edition its flagship Barcelona event, but plans to stage two new in-person events, Sónar CCCB and the AI and Music festival, in late October. That same month, the mammoth festival / conference known as the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) will reportedly be moving ahead in the Dutch capital.
Last Saturday in Barcelona, the terribly named Spanish band Love of Lesbian played a government-sanctioned concert for a crowd of 5000 people. The event was an experiment done with an eye toward reactivating the country’s cultural sector, and everyone in attendance was required to take an antigen test the morning before the concert. (Masks were also mandatory inside the venue.) In two weeks, attendees will be tested again, at which time the rate of positive tests will be compared against the wider population.
Hopping into the dance music time machine, T2’s “Heartbroken” was released all the way back in 2007, but it arguably still stands as the defining bassline track of all time. Writing for DJ Mag, Matt Anniss spoke to the song’s creator (and a variety of other figures), piecing together the story of its genesis, its subsequent rise to club dominance and its eventual appearance on the UK pop charts.
JUST ANNOUNCED
A round-up of noteworthy new and upcoming releases that were announced during the past week.
Anz has started up her own label, Otras Mitades, which the Manchester artist is set to launch on April 9 with a new, two-song EP called OTMI001. The first song, “Unravel in the Designated Zone,” can be heard here.
UK producer Andy Stott has a new album on the way. Scheduled to arrive on April 16 via Modern Love, Never the Right Time is said to close a decade-long cycle that began with 2011’s Passed Me By. Ahead of the LP’s release, one of its tracks, “The Beginning,” is streaming here.
Few artists have made a bigger impact on house music than Masters at Work, and the NYC duo of “Little” Louie Vega and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez has just relaunched their MAW label and will soon be issuing their first new single in more than 20 years. “Mattel” will be released on April 2, but in the meantime, a preview of the track is streaming here.
Modeselektor are about to release a new mixtape, Extended, that consists entirely of their own unreleased new music. April 9 is the release date, and the mixtape will be delivered by the Berlin duo’s own Monkeytown label, which has also planned a series of companion EPs that will follow in the months ahead. As a teaser for the project, this video preview has been made available. (Full disclosure: I was hired to put together the official promo text for this release.)
A new record from Overmono always seems to get folks excited, and the London pair has announced a forthcoming 12”, Pieces of 8 / Echo Rush, that will be released on April 9 through the XL label. Ahead of that, the lively “Pieces of 8” has already been shared.
As part of yesterday’s Piano Day festivities, composer / pianist / producer Nils Frahm dropped a surprise album. Entitled Graz and appearing via Erased Tapes, the LP was actually first recorded in 2009, but had never been given a proper release.
Another previously unannounced LP appeared yesterday courtesy of AceMo and MoMA Ready. The genre-hopping A Future, which is the second full-length credited to the NYC producers’ joint AceMoMA project, is available now on the HAUS of ALTR label.
MY WIFE HAS BETTER TASTE THAN I DO
My wife Dania is a wonderful person, but she has little regard for my taste in electronic music. Head of the Paralaxe Editions label, she often describes the music I like with words like “cheesy,” “simple,” “predictable,” “boring” and, worst of all (in her mind), “happy.” In contrast, I think she has a fantastic ear, and I’m constantly amazed by the obscure gems she unearths, both from record bins and the dark corners of the internet. Given that, I’ve asked Dania to share some of her finds with the First Floor audience. Each week, she highlights something that she’s currently digging, and adds some of her thoughts as to why it’s worth our attention.
Taylor Deupree Mur (Dauw)
This is a subtle and precious release that beckons you back to dreamland. I’d recommend finding a quiet place to drown yourself in its hypnotic tape hiss and meandering piano, or just taking it for a walk on a foggy morning. Taylor Deupree is a musician and mastering engineer from Portland, Oregon, and a former member of Prototype 909. Over the course of his career, he’s worked with Marcus Fischer, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Richard Chartier, amongst others, and he’s also the founder of the 12k label, which is now known for its minimalist acoustic ambient releases, but was originally started as an “anti-label” as a response to a record deal that Deupree had that went bad. Mur is his latest album, and just FYI, the digital version is available on a pay-what-you-want basis until April 8.
Follow Dania on Twitter, or check out her monthly radio show on dublab.es.
NEW THIS WEEK
The following are some of my favorite tracks from three releases that came out during the past week or so. (Click on the track titles to hear each song individually.) An extended list of recommendations is available to paid subscribers only.
Nammy Wams “Hannibal Hector” (AP Life)
Nammy Wams “Insides” (AP Life)
The name Bok Bok will likely forever be associated with Night Slugs, but the South London artist has started up a new label, AP Life, which officially debuted last week with Paradise South, an 11-track effort from UK producer Nammy Wams. The record takes heavy cues from both modern drill and classic grime, mixing in a bit of loping dubstep while sounding like a modern update on artists like Kromestar. There’s a late-night glow to tracks like “Hannibal Hector,” but the music never goes full neon—the song’s slithering subs do the heavy lifting as Nammy Wams’ melodies cooly twinkle and glisten in the background. The bass is even heavier on “Insides,” and its ominous vibe—a feeling which is only heightened by the fleeting presence of what sounds like a passing police siren—evokes the spooky feeling of walking alone through abandoned streets in the wee hours of the morning. As label debuts go, Paradise South is incredibly strong, and given that additional releases are already in the works, AP Life is off to what seems like an impressive start.
Azu Tiwaline “Berbeka (Flore Remix)” (I.O.T)
One of 2020’s breakout artists, Tunisian producer Azu Tiwaline turned a lot of heads with her feverishly chugging Draw Me a Silence LP, not to mention the subsequent Magnetic Service EP on Livity Sound. Following up on the former, she’s now curated a trio of Draw Me a Silence remixes, including this potent rework from Lyon-based producer and POLAAR label boss Flore. Building upon the crooked rhythms and North African sound palette of the original, the remix ups the drama significantly, its organic drum sounds insistently pounding as Flore rolls out thick basslines and towering, distortion-laced pads. Of all the words that could be used to describe the track, “imposing” is the one that continually comes to mind, and yet, the remix has an undeniable sort of hypnotic allure. Despite your better judgement, you’re bound to be drawn into its swirling maelstrom.
Christina Chatfield “Nameless Inlet” (Mysteries of the Deep)
Christina Chatfield “Drin” (Mysteries of the Deep)
Christina Chatfield is probably a new name for many First Floor readers, but for anyone who’s spent a significant amount of time in San Francisco’s electronic music scene during the past decade, she’s someone whose talents have long been something of an open secret. Back when I was living in the Bay Area, she was someone who generally performed live only a few times a year, but every time I caught one of her live PAs—which generally moved between lush ambient and thoughtful, melody-driven techno—I always came away impressed.
In the years since, her activity has picked up a bit—along with more frequent performances, she’s also put out a couple of EPs—but it’s only now that she’s releasing her long-awaited debut album, Sutro. A largely ambient affair, it’s full of floaty textures and lilting melodies, and “Nameless Inlet,” which blends in soft layers of reverb-laden female choirs, is a perfect example of Chatfield’s ability to casually (and compellingly) drape these gossamer sounds across the sonic horizon. “Drin” is a bit more morose—it’s easily the darkest track on the LP, and also contains what sounds like the very gentle gallop of a kick drum—but its pulsing expanse is no less grand. Though the song stretches on for more than 10 minutes, I doubt many people would complain if it went on even longer.
Once again, additional track recommendations are available to paid subscribers. This week’s selections include new music from artists like Tomaga, Lighght, DJML, Placid Angles and more, along with tracks from labels like Seilscheibenpfeiler, B4, Vista and Hot Concept.
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And with that, we’ve arrived at the end of this week’s newsletter. As always, thank you so much for reading First Floor, and I do hope you enjoyed the tunes.
Back next week.
Shawn
Shawn Reynaldo is a freelance writer, editor, presenter and project manager. Find him on LinkedIn or drop him an email to get in touch about projects, collaborations or potential work opportunities.