Max Bell went to high school in the valley. He never forgets. For those of you who hated the Daft Punk album, or just felt okay about it, there is Classixx—the Oak Park duo of Michael David and Tyler Blake who’ve moved from more than solid DJs/remixers to truly solid artists in their own right (see also: […]

While the entire world is already preparing their Daft Punk robot costumes for October, Classixx are low-key about to drop a dazzling blend of disco, early 90s house, and a little Prince on Innovative Leisure next month. Hanging Gardens has that same equipoise of groove, pop sensibilities and nostalgia, just on a balanced budget. So […]

You say no to videos with orgy-loving Asian motorcycle gangs, Hanni El Khatib can’t. There are no pretensions to the San Francisco-bred, LA-based rock and roller. You might think it is a preposterous gimmick to film a video with Spider, Snoopy and the rest of the crew. But if you know Hanni, this was an […]

Few names come as fitting as Classixx. Their latest single “Holding On” would be as dance-floor detonating in ’91 as it would in ’78 as it would in 2013. House music has staged a resurgence since dubstep drowned in a mound of molly and Classixx is one of the leaders of LA’s scene — alongside […]

Nosaj Thing: fixing to get that Bjork in Dancer in the Dark/high-art MOMA money in 2013. This song remains vaporous and haunting and a bunch of other adjectives vaguely reminiscent of UFO abduction.  Now with 24 percent more dancing. Previously: I’m Blue The New Nosaj Thing Single.  

In 2010, Travis Stewart, the man behind Machinedrum gave you two options. There was Rooms, his juke-inspired chop-shop of a record that inspired raves from Son Raw and his diss of “Moombahton malarkey.”  Biden was rumored to have stolen this phrase for use in his debate against Paul Ryan, but sources revealed at the last […]

I know Rhye’s identity, but I’m not talking. The reason for the anonymity isn’t mere self-conceit, it’s savvy. Once the faces get revealed, the game will get real. They’re slotted as soul, but you won’t conflate them with their Innovative Leisure labelmate, Nick Waterhouse. This is pop music, so commercially viable that the recordings from […]

Nosaj Thing’s music is never an accident. You can’t imagine that his songs could bond any other way, but they never feel calculated. Pianos recall his classical education. Codas never dissolve into chaos. Everything is meticulous and properly alphabetized. Between that and his obviously singular ear, he might be the best pure songwriter of the […]