What has gotten into you lately, San Francisco? Are you LA or New York? With the amount of top-notch world-class bookings we've been having lately, one could easily mistake SF for a global party hotspot. This edition of the Party Blotter features a Detroit legend, gritty minimal-synth electronics, groovy "slow house," some fantastic new-school tech-house and one of the best techno DJs in Berlin. In other words, no matter who you are or what you like, there's something guaranteed to rouse you from your terpsichorean torpor. See you on the dancefloor!
JACKHAMMER DISCO & DEEP BLUE present DERRICK MAY, Public Works, Friday May 10
Derrick May. Derrick May. Derrick May. What more is there to say? (I only rhyme like that on special occasions, so take note.) If you have been on a dancefloor in the the past 20 years, you probably know his name, and if you don't, you've jammed to one of his productions. Mr. May makes a rare appearance in SF this weekend to perform an extended peak-time DJ set at Public Works. Considering he's been in the game for just shy of 30 years now, it's going to be one for the ages. Have a listen to May's "Strings of Life" which, despite being released 26 years ago, is better than most of what's coming out today–the very definition of timeless. RSVP on Facebook and buy pre-sale tickets on Ticketfly. $12 presale, $15-20 at door, 9:30 pm–3:30 am
WARM LEATHERETTE featuring BOAN, STACIAN and SAMANTHA GLASS, Sub/Mission, Friday May 10
If you want something a little grittier and grimier this Friday evening, go to Warm Leatherette. For this iteration they'll bring a selection of new minimal-synth and electronic post-punk artists, including Boan, a new group featuring a former member of //TENSE// (who, although now sadly defunct, were one of my favorite neu-EBM-industrial acts) and Stacian, a one-woman DIY synth-pop act from the Midwest whose hypnotic debut 7-inch I picked up several years ago on a whim; said record remains one of my favorite sight-unseen (or sound-unheard?) purchases (you can listen to the A-side here). After the performances wrap, expect killer sets from the resident DJs of icy-cold minimal wave, synth pop and EBM designed to get your body twitching all over the place. RSVP on Facebook for more details. $7, 10 pm - 2 am
Wolf + Lamb
LIGHTS DOWN LOW presents CREW LOVE featuring WOLF + LAMB, SOUL CLAP, PILLOWTALK and more, Mezzanine, Saturday May 11
Every time I've been to a Lights Down Low party, I'm amazed at how packed, sweaty, and bumpin' it is. Of all of SF's recurring nighttime extravaganzas, Lights Down Low parties are the most party. Know what I'm saying? If you've been to one before, you definitely do, and if you haven't, now is an excellent time to learn. LDL will herald the coming of summer by bringing Wolf + Lamb, Soul Clap, and Pillowtalk–three distinct crews who all share a very similar mellowed-out, easy-going house music vibe. It'll take place at Mezzanine and you can pretty much rest assured it's going to sell out. To get an idea of what you'll hear at this night, listen to Soul Clap's jaw-droppingly good edit of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams."RSVP on Facebook for more details and buy pre-sale tickets on Ticketfly. $15 presales, $20 at door, 9 pm–4 am
AS YOU LIKE IT present MATHEW JONSON and KONRAD BLACK, Mighty, Friday May 17
As You Like It's latest party shows no sign of letting up on their ability to consistently book awesome shows. Mathew Jonson is a DJ I am particularly excited to see–his productions straddle all sorts of lines and blur all kinds of barriers, built on a foundation of hard-driving house beats while still having the spaced-out atmospheric and melodic quality you usually expect to hear from minimal techno. Konrad Black produces in a similar style, but brings a darker edge, with otherworldly vocals. As You Like It residents will be providing support in Mighty's front and back rooms, and because Mighty recently renovated its soundsystem, you can expect world-class, crystal-clear sound all night. Listen to Mathew Jonson's melodic masterpiece "Marionette" and Konrad Black's dark and dreary "Draconian" to get yourself in the mood. RSVP on Facebook and buy presale tix online. $15 presales, $20 at the door, 9 pm–5 am
Objekt
ICEE HOT presents OBJEKT and GERD JANSON at Public Works Loft, Saturday May 18
When I first listened Objekt’s first record a couple years back, my jaw pretty much hit the floor. It was the dubstep record I had always dreamed of. Shortly thereafter, he put out his second 12” with one of the best techno tracks I’ve ever heard on it, and at that point I knew that Objekt was pretty much operating on a higher level than anyone else in the game. I’ve been eagerly awaiting his SF debut ever since, and the Icee Hot crew is making it happen– plus, they’re bringing Gerd Janson, the owner of Running Back, one of the best deep house labels in the biz, and a masterful house DJ in his own right. Basically, if you have any interest in techno at all, and if the sounds of Detroit and Berlin get you frothing at the mouth, you absolutely cannot miss this night. RSVP on Facebook for more details. $10-15 at the door, 10 pm – 3 am
