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Flyers for events photographed in May 2004 appear below. A link to the associated photo album appears beneath that. 05.01.2004 20th Annual Polski Day Frank's Place (and other nearby locations) Kansas City, KS 05.08.2004 Setting of the Sun II - Sungasm featuring DJ Keoki with Daniel Ash, Solange, Cypher, Stacy Sounds, Odyssey, Nolo, and Melee Midwest Rec Center St Louis, MO photos by todd & joe 05.10.2004 Evolution featuring J.Phoenix Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club Kansas City, MO 05.14.2004 Frisky featuring Derrick Carter, Luke Sardello, Pat Nice Kabal Restaurant & Nightclub Kansas City, MO 05.14.2004 Liquid Buzz Appreciation Party featuring cVaughn and others Madrid Theater Kansas City, MO 05.15.2004 Velvin & Shanthrax Going Away featuring Malcolm816, Velvin, Shanthrax, The Professor ATM Kansas City, MO 05.17.2004 BLO:  Because Mondays Don't Have ...

by Brent Crampton ~ photo by Lady Crisis ~ Lady Espina is an energetic dj based out of Iowa City, IA. Behind the decks, you can find her bringing an unparalleled stage presence. There is only one word to describe the sound of her music - eclectic. She'll bump things ranging from breaks, electro, afro-broken beats and 4-to-the-floor stompers. When she's not representing her sound for the dance floors, you can find her playing electronic and hip-hop tracks on her weekly radio show, every Sunday from 9pm-11pm on KRUI. She is also an affiliate DJ with SheJay and Hip Step Sistaz. It was rather hard for me to get Lady Espina to cough up only ten tracks since she has such an attraction to all types of music, but here is what she dished out. Anthony Rother presents: In Electro We Trust 3*12" Database Compilation Ltd - Wow. Anthony Rother is a household name for your finest in raw electro beats. This compilation features tracks by artists such as Larry McCormick, Billy Nasty, D...

by Brent Crampton ~ photo by Jerome Montalto ~ Garrick Michael is the man behind the scenes of Nebraska's top electronic club, Bricktop. Holding a residency and managing the bookings at Bricktop, Garrick is very familiar with the crowd that frequents the hard-wood dance floor. Garrick has been a staple to the Nebraska scene for years having played at Club Joy during the notorious Blue Production events, Bar 415, Velvet Lounge, Shark Club and Bada Bings to name a few. When Garrick finds a track he likes, he's rather secretive about letting other people know what he's bumpin', but I've talked him into giving phocas an exclusive look at what he's moving the dance floors with at the moment. Jurgen Vries-The Theme :: (trance) Ultimate end of the night track. Ferry Corsten- Rock Your Body Rock :: (trance) If you don't know this track by now, hand me your headphones, you are no longer a dj. Paul Van Dyk featuring Vega 4-Time of Our Lives (PVD club mix) :: (...

by Brent Crampton ~ photo by Don Edmundson ~ Don Tinsley is a man in the midwest scene that needs no introduction. Whether it be promotion, dj'ing, producing, or playing in his live house band - Urban Jazz Naturals - Don has all the aspects of the industry covered. Don holds a residency at the weekly event, Sweet Spot at the Pepper Lounge bringing in headlining house acts. He currently has a mix being hosted on the infamous UndergroundHouse.net . His band, Urban Jazz Naturals will be playing alongside Demarkus Lewis and JT Donaldson in Chicago on May 7th, and they have an upcoming release on Gallery Music Group from their track entitled "How Can I" which has received reviews from URB and BPM magazine. Don has given us the inside tip on his top 10 rockers of the dance floor at the moment. Don't get to anxious though, you'll have to wait for a bit before you can buy some of these tracks. He's got the promo hook up, and he's been nice enough to provide us w...

Interview by Brent Crampton ~ Photos by Misha & DEP, courtesy of Ultra Musique ~ Flashback to 2001, it’s a Thursday night and you have nothing to do. The big one-off event isn’t until the weekend, but you want to go out and dance now. If you live in Omaha, you’ll just have to wait until 2004 before you can go out and enjoy posh clubbing on any given week night. Musique has been the catalyst in Omaha that has taken the underground sound into the clubs of Omaha. Having hosted weeklies and the occasional one-off event, Musique has brought in regional talent such as Josh the Funky 1, Mars Cruiser and Simply Soul Syndicate to name a few. Musique has booked nearly every dj in the Omaha and Lincoln area and has given rise to the club culture in Omaha. The one-year anniversary of the company is approaching this month so I’ve taken some time out to talk to the owner, Ethan Bondelid, to see where Musique has been, and where they are going. What's the story on how Musique got starte...

Interview by Brent Crampton ~ photo by Moonfire ~ Shawn New is a dj and rookie producer based out of Iowa City, Ia. I have had the pleasure of seeing Shawn New perform at a couple of Iowa parties recently, and I can attest that he has a driving and emotional passion for deep and dark progressive house. He’s the type of dj that gets very personal and connected to his crowd when he is playing out. When it comes to his ethics behind the decks, he’s an all around purist. There is nothing posh about this dj - just clean mixes, interactive stage presence and love for the music. Shawn is very active in the scene in Iowa. I often see him on Ubersonic.org and he always seems to find his way to the dj roster for the parties in the Iowa City area. So here’s the low down from an Iowa head about his experience with life lived in music. Alright Shawn, let’s start with the basics. How long have you been doing your thang and how did you get into it? Well, I went to my first party back in ’94 and...

Review by Joe Hensen ~ photos by todd & Joe Hensen ~ The kids were pumped for this party and the night was looking to be filled with good times and good people. The venue was not too hard to find if you could follow the directions from the info line and was at the Knights of Columbus hall, another bingo hall somewhat like Knights of the Pythius only smaller with bad air circulation. The entire room was well lit unlike most venues where darkness reigns, but there were still a few spots where the spotlight setup could not reach. First up on the decks was the Professor spinning some interesting mixes noticeably the Doors remix of Riders of the Storm. Even though he was the first in the lineup, the Professor put a excellent show. I know I danced a bit myself. Second to whip out some vinyl was local favorite, Frooky. People were steadily streaming through the door and finding themselves mesmerized by some retro remixes of "I Want My MTV." I know I started jumping when I he...

by Kourtney Anderson ~ To make a name as a DJ is difficult in a market that is flooded with talent. In the beginning one thing is crucial to success, the demo. Before the CD ever hits a player it is evaluated on its appearance. A DJ name scribbled on top of a CD-R with marker is not the first impression aspiring DJ’s want. A demo should look professional; it should stand out from the numerous others in circulation. Eye catching graphics on your demo is a good way to increase the chances it won’t end up a coaster. A sticky label is the most common way to produce catchy CD’s. Labels can be found all over the place and are printed on any ink-jet printer. Relatively low in cost, they are great for the high number of duplicating needed when circulating a demo. 100 matte labels run about $20 and if you hit re-bates right you can get a 100 spindle of CD-R’s for around that price too. Although the odds of becoming a coaster have decreased by slapping that label on top it still might never ...

Electro-Clash Stakes it's Claim to KC ~ Story and Photos by Michael Bradshaw ~ Among heaps of cellophane-wrapped records that make up a collection of more than 3,000 pieces of vinyl, DJ Christopher Landis Shively balances on the hind legs of his desk chair and smiles wickedly under a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. Behind him, twin computer monitors glow next to an imposing stack of samplers, sequencers and drum machines. A pair of turntables flank the pile of flickering machines and are covered, like the rest of the rig, in hundreds of tiny stickers featuring Japanese cartoon characters. Shively, 21, knows a lot about electronic music. At age sixteen, Shively entered the rave circuit DJing retro break beat and hardcore records to dance floors ten years his senior. Since then, he’s participated in a number of electronica-based club nights in Kansas City and recently put on a fashion show/ electro party in Lawrence called, “Robolust.” Presently, he’s the music director at KJHK, th...

A Few Thoughts on the Spring Saunas ~ Story and Photos by todd ~ Spring in the MidWest is one of those times of the year that literally screams for an outdoor party because it usually brings with it a welcome break from the extreme cold temperatures predominant in this part of the country. Few promoters dare to risk an outdoor party however, because those milder temperatures are typically accompanied by unpredictable weather events. There are always the bizarre temperature changes, rom 20°s F to 80°s F, that can take place in as little as 24 hours. And, as if that was not bad enough, there is lightening, thunderstorms, tornadoes and other extreme weather conditions that pretty much dictate that promoters stick to indoor venues or face the possibility of losing on their investment. There is nothing wrong with these indoor venues. They are great venues and have provided shelter and warmth throughout the bitter winter months to everyone with the need to "get their groove on...

More traveling this month, though not to very far off places. This month, I made a trip to Manhattan for the party "Up!" and to hang out with some of my friends (photo) stuck down in that little college town. The venue that they use there is very cool. You can even play a little basketball if the beat moves you in that direction. The cover this month comes from the party "Life... As We Know It". That party, as well as a couple of others proved to be a catalyst for this month's main article, "It's Getting Hot in Here: A Few Thoughts on the Spring Saunas". Sometimes it's hot because you're dancing hard and sometimes it's hot because there isn't as much planning going in to ventilation as there should be. Read up and let me know what you think. I made a couple of trips to Frisky at Kabal for Miss Honey Dijon and to join DeepFix Records in celebrating their Fourth Anniversary with Rob Mello, as well as an interesting little 420...

may 2004 editor note its getting hot in here artificial irrelevance first impressions get labeled life as we know it shawn new musique don tinsley charts garrick michael charts lady espina charts event photos