Blam City | Philadelphia, Tokyo, Worldwide | Steady Mobbin'

Emynd & Bo Bliz Mixtape Release @ PYT

2010-09-02T14:54:00.003-04:00

I'm teaming up with Emynd & Bo Bliz along with Uristocrat.com this Sunday at PYT in Philly for their summer mixtape release. Plenty of generous drink specials and dope music all day. Free mixtapes too. Word.

Cee-Lo x Emynd "Fuck You" (Baltimore Club Edit) by Emynd

Facebook Event Page
Crossfaded Bacon
Uristocrat.com

Nargiz Returns

2010-08-05T08:43:00.009-04:00

Nargiz is back in Tokyo and is wasting no time. Last weekend she played with Skream, this week she's hanging with Hudson Mohawke. But if you miss all that, make sure to head to Module in Shibuya on August 26th for the first edition of her brand new monthly, Laguna Bass.

Good Bye Korea

2010-08-01T08:19:00.002-04:00

This Saturday, Blam City Korea will be closing down and relocating back to Philadelphia. Big shouts for everyone who came and packed out Rush for Gangneung Summer Jam despite the Kanye West concert further up the beach!

Gangneung Summer Jam, South Korea

2010-07-19T00:44:00.003-04:00

Woolfy vs. Projections - Absynth (Corporate Edit)

2010-07-04T07:35:00.004-04:00

No Arms sent me this great chill track a few days ago and suggested I have a go at it. This one is for those of you who, like me, prefer lingering somewhere between dance-party mode and spaced-out deep-thinking mode.

Download | Absynth (Corporate Edit) | 320kbps

Bricks & Mortar 2

2010-06-23T07:49:00.010-04:00

The second edit in the Bricks & Mortar series is the electro classic "Don't Stop the Rock." The B&M edit brings a new arrangement, eliminating some of the jankier melodies, adding in loads of bongo and cowbell, and hi-lighting the main synth hook.

Freestyle-Don't Stop the Rock {Bricks & Mortar arrangement}

Also, the Blam City Korea office will be closing down in about one month. But, not without throwing a couple parties first! This past Saturday I played out at a local club called "The Warehouse," tag teaming alongside fellow DJ Vro. The place filled out, and a mixed crowd of Koreans and westerners got down to exclusive joints like this. Peep some video below...

DJ Image & Ed Blammo @ PYT

2010-06-18T12:02:00.005-04:00

I'm teaming up with Blam City extended fam DJ Image tonight at PYT in Philly for a night of funky breaks and club classics. DJ Image recently put up some nice mixes on his SoundCloud page. One's a bunch of dusty 45s from his flooded basement, and the other's a live house set from Gusto's Lounge. Check the flavor that he's bringing. DJ Image keeps their motherfunkin' heads ringing!

Image's Basement Flooded 45 Mix 2010 by Vincent Smaldone/Dj Image

The Retro Cocktail @ Gusto's by Vincent Smaldone/Dj Image

Party antics, promo shwag and photos will be provided by the homies Tucker & Bloom. Also, you can donate to the Sabina Rose O'Donnell fund at pytphilly.com See you tonight!

Holy Ghost - I Know I Hear (Ed Blammo DJ Edit)

2010-05-26T17:11:00.004-04:00

Download | I Know I Hear (Ed Blammo DJ Edit).mp3 | 320kbps

L.A. News

2010-05-24T22:21:00.005-04:00

This Saturday, May 29 I'm extremely psyched to be putting on a show with L.A. News from (you guessed it) Los Angeles.

LA News is a DJ/Producing duo formed in Los Angeles in 2008 consisting of long time friends Mike Venneri and Dustin Torres. Originally formed as a means to bring their favorite up and coming Los Angeles dance music to the masses, LA News has gone on to play out live and produce original songs and remixes. Their debut mix entitled "Rolls Royce'n" was a big hit in the local LA scene and their follow up mix albums "10 & 12 O'clock" have gone on to receive critical acclaim by some big names, enabling them to play sets with Binary records at some high profile gigs in LA. In 2010 LA News plan to concentrate more on original songs and remixes and continue to rock more crowds with their dynamic live sets.

Here's a little preview of what's to come. Do not sleep.

Download | Debra Harry - Rush Rush (LA News Edit).mp3 | 320kbps

Download | L.A. News - 12 O'Clock (DJ Mix).mp3 | 320kbps (40min)

WINK - Samishii Nettaigyo (Corporate Remix)

2010-05-24T11:12:00.004-04:00

I never heard of this group until my friend posted a link to one of their music videos on Facebook last night. Wink might epitomize everything that is 1989. When I saw the video I couldn't resist taking the digital scissors to this classic Oricon chart-topper.

By the way, "Samishii Nettaigyo" means something along the lines of "Lonely Tropical Fish", but the common English title for this track is "Heart on Wave".

Download | Samishii Nettaigyo (Corporate Remix) | 320kbps

Nargiz @ Tokyo Indie May 15

2010-05-07T09:01:00.005-04:00

Blam City Japan's premier DJ, Nargiz, joins our friends from Tokyo Indie at M (Daikanyama) on Saturday, May 15th.

Tokyo DJ Watch #1 - Kanariii

2010-05-04T02:48:00.001-04:00

The Tokyo party scene is a strange animal. As with any big city, as soon as you start crawling around the music underground, hitting local events, and generally trying to have a good time, 3 out of every 4 people you meet is either a DJ, producer, promoter, artist, or some combination of the above (myself included, of course). Generally speaking, I think this is a good thing. With so many people getting out there and doing work, there’s sure to be a vibrant and lively scene, over-flowing with lush diversity in ideas, styles, skills, approaches, and implementation... right? Nope.

Really it’s a big mess of indecisiveness. DJs aren’t sure what they want to play or who they want to play it for. Fans aren’t sure what they want to hear or what they want to do with what they hear. As a result, promoters aren’t sure who they should book or who they should promote too, and ultimately just book everyone and promote to no one. In the end you get a random assortment of typically unskilled DJs playing burned CDs of anything that might be “indie” on CDJ 1000s like a backyard stereo system for your typical “friends of the DJ” crowd.

It’s partly Japan’s fault for being so Japanese. In a culture where business meetings can drag on for hours because no one wants to clearly voice their own opinions in fear of being rude, sounding silly, or being outcasted, it’s only natural that the music scene is crippled by similar reservations. It’s a delicate balance between fronting the image of individuality while making sure to fit in perfectly with the rest of the crowd.

Admittedly, I’m over simplifying a little bit. Obviously there's tons of talent on the major club circuits, and bigger promoters bring in amazing acts from around the world all the time. What I'm talking about is the small party culture, and it's broken. But there may be hope for it yet. In this segment I’ll report on the difference makers, the diamonds in the rough, the flowers among weeds, or whatever you want to call them, that have what it takes to bring this city to it’s knees and unite the party people under the Blam City ethos. So keep your eyes out for fliers with these names, Tokyo.

Subject #1: Kanariii

At a typical small event in Aoyama, where the DJs tend to be skinny dudes rocking late 90s emo-punk fashion who play one generic indie rock song after another, this girl walks in wearing a grey body suit with a bag full of Italians Do It Better LPs and rare Norwegian electro cuts over her shoulder. While our ears are being blasted with Lady Gaga, she wants to talk about Beautiful Swimmers and CFCF, pausing occasionally to hand out fliers and stickers promoting the upcoming Tokyo tour dates for The XX. And when she finally gets her 45 minutes on the decks she wastes no time proving that she is on a completely different level than everyone else on the roster.

It’s rare to find a Japanese person who even knows music like this exists, let alone has a keen interest in it, so this was an exciting surprise. But more than that I was relieved to find someone who understood concepts of mixing, transitioning, and... well, DJing. Also, a DJ who only works with vinyl is always aesthetically pleasing. Combining her great taste with refined technical skill, she puts together sets that are lucid, natural, funky, and, most importantly, interesting. She brings that sense individualism to a nightlife culture that's saturated in sameness.

The current crowd, idling around in the confused state I mentioned before, is fundamentally unworkable. People here have as much trouble expressing themselves on the dance floor as they do everywhere else, so I have yet to witness this girl's ability to manipulate a hyped crowed to her every whim. But with a little time and consolidation of efforts by Kanariii and other like-minded music heads, I’m convinced we’ll see an invigorated crowd start emerge and give her the chance to really throw down.

Aside from being a promising DJ, Kanariii is also a talented graphic designer and fledgling producer / vocalist. You can stalk her at the following places, but you better brush up on your Japanese first cause she doesn’t speak English.

Kanariii Artwork | Twitter | My Space

Block Shock 2010

2010-05-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Block Shock 2010
Saturday May 8
12pm-8pm
12th & Green, Philly

Schedule:
12-1 / No Arms & Paulie D
1-1:30 / PJCool7
1:30-2 / Fat Garden
2-3 / Swift Technique (Live Band)
3-3:30 / BHB
3:30-4 / CapnHarry
4-4:30 / Gnarwhal
4:30-5 / Post Post (Live Band)
5-5:30 / Matpat
5:30-6 / Flufftronix
6-7 / Instamatic (Live Band)
7-8 / Snitchfork (Shawn Ryan & Ed Blammo)

Facebook Info

Bricks & Mortar Edit Series

2010-04-30T02:11:00.014-04:00

While the Blam City Philly and Tokyo divisions have, of course, been holding it down, the temporary offices of Blam City Korea have also been busy as of late. In the beginning of 2010, I began work on Bricks & Mortar. As Bricks & Mortar, I'll be bringing the edits and rearrangements of older classics, as well as some cuts that may have fallen through the cracks.

Bricks & Mortar #1 is by the group First Choice, who are probably best known for the legendary classic "Let No Man Put Asunder." "Love Thang" definitely brings more of the funk/R&B flavor, but it really shines during the more disco-y (and short) chorus sections. Dig this higher energy 120 bpm version.

Download | Love Thang (Bricks & Mortar Edit) | 320kbps

Perfume - Kiss and Music (Corporate Edit)

2010-04-27T10:21:00.004-04:00

Download | Kiss and Music (Corporate Edit) | 320kbps

Get Bent vs. Blam City

2010-04-26T13:26:00.002-04:00

Heavy bass action happening this Saturday in Philly. I cooked up a new edit special for the occasion.

Download | Rampage - Loving You Is Easy (Ed Blammo DJ Edit) | 320kbps

Blam City Japan Gets Down

2010-04-25T22:21:00.011-04:00

Blam City Japan's flagship DJ and token Philly jawn, Nora Alekperova, had her first gigs in Tokyo this weekend, officially setting the wheels of our East Asian warmachine in motion. Friday we hit Ever in Aoyama with Daichi Tada's Mighty Pop crew, and Saturday we chilled VIP status at Curtain Call in Roppongi Hills for Tokyo Global. Nora killed both sets the only way Blam City approved DJs know how, bringing that east coast USA vibe down hard on an unsuspecting international crowd. Official after-party took place 12 hours later in Philly at the relaunch of Solid Good Times.

It's gonna be a good summer.

Work

2010-04-20T12:26:00.001-04:00

Perfume - Night Flight (Corporate Remix)

2010-04-19T09:44:00.008-04:00

Lately I've been obsessed with trying to turn JPOP into something more accessible by a western audience. It's a somewhat difficult process, as I can usually only find one or two songs by a given artist with any sort of potential for such an undertaking. Still, when I find that track that resonates with hidden funkiness, it makes for a more interesting remix project than the usual DJ edit of a song that's already totally sweet.

If you know anything about popular music here (in Japan, that is), then you've heard of this band. This song, while saturated with flamboyant and over-the-top vocals that are a JPOP standard, has some seriously slaying synth lines and pretty impressive production value. I usually try take the edge off by cutting out almost all the vocals in projects like this, but this time I let it retain a good bit of it's pop identity. Sometimes the crowd can get hype to the cheese.

Download | Night Flight (Corporate Remix).mp3 | 320kpbs

Solid Good Times Returns!

2010-04-17T00:00:00.001-04:00

Blammo On Billboard #1

2010-04-15T22:34:00.005-04:00

Welcome to the first edition of my new column "Blammo on Billboard" where once a month I wax poetic on a top 40 jam.

First Edition: Over by Drake

Drake is a former Disney channel TV star (Degrassi: The Next Generation) turned pop star rapper, but the irony if it all is that he's really good at making music and has managed to completely outshine his acting career with his new one.

This song in particular appeals to me personally because when pop songs like this resonate with my life, its kinda weird. Take the opening lines/chorus, at first listen it sounds straight dumb, but after hearing it a few times, I realize that I think the same thing as him all the time. I don't know if I'm becoming like a pop star, or pop stars are becoming like me. Not that I'm getting famous or anything, but the lines sure are getting a little blurry.

"I know way too many people here right now that i didn't know last year. Who the fuck are y'all? I swear it feels like the last few nights we've been everywhere and back, but i just can't remember it all."

And when the beat drops in its pretty much irresistible.

"What am i doing? What am i doing? Oh yeah, That's right, I'm doing me. I'm doing me. I'm living life right now man, and this is what I'ma do till its over, till its over, but its far from over."

Mantra status right there.

It helps that the beat is fire and the first verse is filled with catchy punchlines and the second is an interpolation of "Hip-Hop" by Dead Prez.

But getting back to the beginning, you could play this for anyone and they will dance. It came on at Silk City in Philadelphia, and a packed club went ape shit. It came on the radio while I was driving the school van the other day and the 2nd graders in my class knew it.

Some things to think about. Keep riding Blam City. I see you.

Capsule - I Wish You (Corporate Remix)

2010-04-13T01:36:00.012-04:00

Download | I Wish You (Corporate Remix).mp3 | 320kbps

Spoon - Back To The Life (Ed Blammo Edit)

2010-04-12T22:31:00.004-04:00

Download | Back To The Life (Ed Blammo Edit).mp3 | 320kbps

Bodyshine Presents: DJ Spun

2010-04-12T21:00:00.001-04:00

Gorillaz - Empire Ants (Corporate Edit)

2010-03-19T19:11:00.003-04:00

I put together a simple edit of this new Gorillaz track earlier this month, and thanks to Shawn Ryan and Dollar Bin Jams it's been getting some play. If you haven't heard the original, it starts downbeat and relaxed and then breaks into a spacey dance groove at the end. Vocals compliments of Little Dragon. This edit isolates and extends that end segment to make it more DJ friendly.

Empire Ants (Corporate Edit) by Blam City Japan