It’s well known that arts organizations across the country have been struggling financially. In New York State alone, funding has been drastically cut for NYSCA supported arts organizations.
Which is why UnionDocs is presenting the “We All Benefit Loft Party Series”, featuring monthly installments of benefit loft jams with both live performances and DJ’s. All proceeds from the parties will go to support the UnionDocs space and the artist residency programs it supports.
The first benefit will feature a lineup of artists from NYC indie dance label Plant Music. Plant Music was founded in 1997 by Dominique Keegan and Marcus Lambkin as a New York dance label that later evolved into their infamous Plant parties and then Plant Bar on East 3rd Street. When the bar was shut down for Cabaret violations (and Marcus moved to Germany where he know records as DFA’s Shit Robot) Dominique began releasing compilations (The Sound of Young New York vol. I, II & III) and 12”s until he teamed up with NY DJ legend Armstrong with the goal of building Plant into a multi-artist and album based label with a broader musical appeal.
With little resources, Dominique and Stretch managed to sign over a half dozen up-and-coming artists and released 3 albums and over 12 singles in the past 2 years. Their biggest release of 2008 was Baltimore Club producer Tittsworth’s debut ‘Twelve Steps’. As a result, Plant has built an excellent reputation within the industry, press and among fans (especially on the blogosphere) as a savvy small indie label that consistently releases music of the highest caliber. More info on Plant Music.
Here’s the lineup for Saturday, April 11th, 2009:
Dominique (The Glass/All Dom Wrong)
Somewhere in the urban chaos of the East Village, New York City’s hipster-area, lives Kap10kurt, programmer and musician. Originally from Switzerland, he has been making music with a 4-Track cassette recorder and an Atari computer for many years before ending up with a proper studio set-up. Kap10kurt’s music spans a number of genres including electro, gameBoy noise, 80’s new wave and 70’s synthesizer funk. Conceptualizing and building his trademark sound, the vintage synthesizer collector focuses on extremely rhythmic and muscular basslines and strong drumbeats that fly straight into your ears like blazing starfighters.
Dominique (The Glass/All Dom Wrong)
The Glass are Dominique Keegan and Glen Brady. They are currently recording their new album between Berlin and New York (Glen lives in Berlin, Dom in NYC) and the first single ‘Wanna Be Dancin’ (with remixes by Nadastrom, Eli Escobar and In Flagranti) comes out in May on Plant Music. The Glass have been releasing 12″s and EPs since 2004, mostly on Plant and have recently had music in CSI NY, The Unit, Eleventh Hour and The Hills. They are both DJs (Dom founded Plant in the 90s) with Glen Djing in around Germany as Dj Wool and Dominique under his new remixer moniker All Dom Wrong (with West Coast dates in late April).
http://www.myspace.com/theglass
A native New Yorker, and a fixture of the New York club scene since the late 80’s, Stretch Armstrong is just old enough to have been able to dj at legendarily influential and storied venues such as Nell’s and Mars. Immersed himself in the 80’s and 90’s hip-hop, house and reggae scenes. Responsible for the wildly influential radio Stretch Armstrong Show radio program on WKCR, the station run by Columbia University, where he went to college. Stretch, with his ear for talent, was responsible giving a slew of artists their first ever spot on radio, including The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Fat Joe, Big Punisher, Big L, Redman, Capone-N-Noreaga, and Large Professor. The list goes on. He currently runs Plant Music with Dominique and DJs internationally (mostly dance music but with a hip hop presence).
http://www.myspace.com/djstretcharmstrong
Holmar Filipsson is a Brooklyn based producer and dj (Originally from Reykjavik, Iceland) who has for the past decade or so has released his own productions and remixes under various guides/collaborations (Mr.Negative, Spencer Filipsson Experience and Thugfucker ) on labels like Fine, Music For Freaks,Great Stuff, Global Underground, Plant, Dirt Crew and Pokerflat, to name a few. In 2001 he started the infamous Crack&Speed label with Jef K from Paris and in 2006 Filipsson teamed up with Greg Oreck and launched Thugfucker Recordings. (Holmar and Greg also form the Thugfucker artist outfit.) This year Holmar has signed an E.P to U.K’s “Bearfunk” with Dj Ulysses, completed an album with Sasse aka Freestyle Man and has new ” Thugfucker ” singles out this spring and summer on Moodmusic and T.F.R..
http://www.myspace.com/electricscrewdriver
Bradley D
“The king of Brooklyn party jock jams-infused anthems, Bradley D (resident for Famous Friends and pretty much the nicest laptop-wielding DJ we’ve ever met), has put together a 20-odd minute master mix. It’s yet another giant leap forward in the throwback pop genre that the kids these days seem to not want to stop dancing to. “-TheCultureOfMe. From Bradley D: “Bringing back the party jamz to a dance floor near you. I love the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s 80’s, and even the fucking 90’s. Pretty soon VH1 is just going to start a show called ‘I Love Bradley D.’
Don’t be afraid to sing along to top 40 hits with hot dance beats layered underneath.
