Whittling down the gigs for this edition of the Party Blotter was difficult. There's no shortage of fantastic parties to attend this weekend and next, but a handful of them feature artists and DJs that have long been approaching "Holy Grail" status for me–and they all seem to be coming to San Francisco at the same time. Rest assured that every party featured below is going to be an extremely good time. See you on the dancefloor!
HONEY SOUNDSYSTEM, THE BUNKER, ICEE HOT, GAFFTA & PUBLIC WORKS present PROSUMER, MURAT TEPELI, and VEREKER at Public Works, Friday 4/26
Mark your calendars. Friday's party at Public Works is going to be a special one. It's a multi-room, full-club-blowout affair, featuring fantastic talent: Prosumer, the former Panoramabar resident and one of the world's best and most extremely enjoyable house DJs is headlining the main room, bringing his melodic-but-heady style to SF. Prosumer's no stranger to our city, but it's not too often that you get to hear him on a soundsystem as large as Public Works', and he's coming with incredible support: His partner-in-crime Murat Tepeli is making his West Coast debut, with Mike Servito from The Bunker in NYC and local presence from the Honey Soundsystem DJs. If for some reason that isn't enough for you, the Icee Hot crew is taking over the Public Works Loft, and they're bringing with them the sharp-edged industrial techno of SF local Vereker alongside the gauzy experimental techno weirdness of Huerco S., all the way from Kansas City. Listen to Prosumer's stellar Boiler Room mix and RSVP on Facebook for more details. 10 pm - 4 am, $10-15 presale, $20 at the door
PROJECT ONE presents: TURBOSOUND at Project One, Friday 4/26
Your other option this Friday is celebrating the installation of the TurboSound soundsystem at Project One, reincarnated from the ashes of 222 Hyde (RIP). As any regular to 222 Hyde knew, their soundsystem was top-notch–powerful, perfectly balanced, and crystal clear. Their soundsystem has found a new home at Project One, and they're throwing a killer party with some of SF's best producers and DJs to christen it. Conor (of No Way Back) and C.L.A.W.S. (of OK Hole & the Electro Basement Series) are joined by 222 mainstays EO (the former owner of 222 Hyde) and Jonah Sharp (one of SF's oldest-school producers, a.k.a. Spacetime Continuum by his lonesome, Reagenz with Move D, and Polk & Hyde with EO). This will be an all-locals affair, and is guaranteed to be a rollicking good time. For an idea of the kind of sounds you can expect to hear, check out the retro-tinged techno grooves of C.L.A.W.S.' "That Magik" and this fantastic improvised live set by Reagenz. RSVP on Facebook for more details. 10 pm - 2 am, FREE before 11 pm - $5 after
Pearson Sound
PUBLIC WORKS presents PEARSON SOUND + GRENIER at Public Works, Thursday 5/2
This is one I've been waiting for. To the best of my knowledge, this appearance by Pearson Sound, a.k.a. Ramadanman a.k.a. David Kennedy is his first in SF. He, along with compatriots like Shackleton, Pangaea, Appleblim, Pinch and Blawan, took dubstep out the gritty streets of south London and into the far reaches of outer space, and in so doing laid the blueprint for an entire array of copycats and wannabes. As of late, his sound has taken a turn more towards the classic Chicago house side of things, but there's still an intrinsic, bouncy quality, a debt owed to the stuttered half-step of grime and dubstep, that runs throughout his work. He'll be supported by SF producer Grenier, a force to be reckoned with in his own right, along with a B2B DJ set from Icee Hot selectors Ghosts on Tape and Rollie Fingers. To hear exactly why I'm so excited about this gig, listen to the 30-minute promo mix he recorded for his Fabriclive disc (which remains one of the best mixes in the entire series). Do not miss out on this one, because who knows when he'll be coming back! RSVP on Facebook. for more details. 9:30 pm - 2:30 am, $10 presale, $10-15 at the door
ACID TEST presents CONVEXTION, POLK & HYDE, S/H/A/P/E/S, CLE ACKLIN at F8, Friday 5/3
Convextion is a fairly reclusive producer from (of all places) Dallas, Texas, whose releases are infrequent but simply essential, every time. His sound lies somewhere on the techno spectrum, sounding much like the dubbed-out depth charge of Basic Channel and other Berlin producers, but with a unique emotional quality that sets him apart from the rest of the pack. Polk & Hyde (the aforementioned combo of EO and Jonah Sharp) will perform wonderful improv acid jams, and S/H/A/P/E/S (a mysterious Bay Area outfit who performed a killer live acid set at Haçeteria recently) will do their thing, too. Finally, Dallas-to-SF transplant Cle Acklin will DJ along with Acid Test residents Tyrel Williams, Bai-ee, and Miguel Solari. Listen to one of my favorite techno tracks ever, Convextion's "Oil On Metal" to get an idea of why this is a can't-miss party, and RSVP on Facebook for more details. 10 pm - 4 am, $8-12 presale, $15 at the door
PLAY presents DANIEL BELL, ARIL BRIKHA, and RICH KORACH at The Endup, Saturday 5/4
And finally, here's another artist I've been waiting ages to see perform live, Aril Brikha. After discovering his stellar track "Berghain" several years ago, I quickly added Brikha to my list of "producers I must keep an eye on." Headlining is Daniel Bell, a world-class DJ who got his chops in Detroit, spinning top-class house and techno. "Play" is a new party at the Endup occurring the first Saturday of every month, which seeks to fill the void left by [KONTROL], which, when it was operating, was the spot to see the freshest house and techno DJs from Europe. With a Brikha live set and a Bell headlining set, they're off to a very good start. RSVP on Facebook for more details. 10 pm - 6 am, $15 presale, free before 11 Ppm, $20 at the door
