Submitted By: 2fjeff

Genre: Electronic

Date of Set: Nov 28th, 2004

Filesize: 197.69 MB

Total Downloads: 14

BLACK STROBE The dark side of disco, frozen-balearic, gay biker-house, boogie-trance, heavy-electronica and soft-goth. No, these aren't compilations from a record shop on Mars but some of the mutant genres Black Strobe have written on the wall of their studio, musical monsters they hope to bring to life. 'Electronic music that is not afraid to scare people,' Parisiens Arnaud Rebotini and Ivan Smagghe have declared is their intent. They have many talents but when it comes to dark disco this deviant duo are peerless. Smagghe, a wire-thin, wired DJ and Rebotini, a tall 'metal goth' producer can't quite remember exactly where they met but both presume it was in the 'Front Row'. This was the name of a collective of similarly spirited music fans who would spot each other down the front of gigs from the mid-eighties onwards. They furthered their friendship when they both worked in the 'dance' section of Rough Trade in the mid-nineties. It was at the height of the French house boom that they formed Black Strobe to make a record for the Sourcelab 3 (1996) album. Their contribution was a reaction to the bright filtered disco sound the city had become reknowned for. 'Paris Acid City' was dance but infused with the spirit of the bands they would watch with the Front Row (Cabaret Voltaire, My Bloody Valentine, The Swans etc), it's title a sly dig at their cities then listless club scene. All the Black Strobe elements were there at the time. The name and sound reflected their passion for disco-noir and flip-side 'Funk Is Not Always Where You Think' was infused with ebm. Initially conceived as a one-off release Black Strobe was left dormant for several years as the duo busied themselves with other projects. Rebotini was raised on funk and disco by his father though he rebelled and formed death metal and noise grunge bands. A student in computer science, he was soon seduced by technology, bought a 303 and began crafting skewed electronica and techno. In 2000 he released an album 'Organique' under the moniker Zend Avesta, an experimental pop project. A classical buff he also works for the GRM, a state institution created by veteran innovators Pierre Henry and Pierre Schaeffer devoted to contemporary music. As a DJ Rebotini indulges his gothic tendencies at his regular night, the aptly named, Sometimes Funky People Are Dressed In Black. Smagghe, the son of hippy parents, hated nightclubs as a teen. The ardent gig-goer viewed them with suspicion and malice. Ironic that he is now one of the cities most acclaimed DJ's, a nocturnal animal and resident at the capital's most cutting edge club 'Kill The DJ', at Le Pulp. He also hosted 'Test' a cutting-edge music show on Radio Nova for years where he interviewed the likes of Andrew Weatherall and Coldcut. He has also recently compiled 'Kill The DJ' for Tiger Sushi (2003) 'Death Disco' for Eskimo and 'Suck My Deck' for Bugged Out (2004) and was Jockey Slut magazines DJ of 2003. As they put it, 'If more people heard Ivan Smagghe play less clubs would close.' In 2000 Smagghe and Rebotini revived Black Strobe harnessing lightning to its neck bolts. 'Innerstrings' was the result which they released on their label 'Black in Black'. It was heard by Trevor Jackson who promptly signed it to his Output label. It garnered heavyweight support from Weatherall, Laurent Garnier and DJ Hell and predated the neo-electro scene from which the duo would find a like-minded band of friends like James Murphy of The DFA, Berlin-based producer Ewan Pearson, Canadian dandy Tiga and Belgian siblings Soulwax. In 2002 Black Strobe released a double a-side: 'Me and Madonna', which featured Parisien DJ Jennifer on vocals and Rebotini lowering his bass to his thigh like Peter Hook, and 'Fitting Together', a sinister electro-beast revealing their fascination with bleep-house. They have since remixed, for the darker dancefloors, Dave Clarke, Royksopp, The Rapture, Tiefschwarz and Playgroup amongst others. Their next single, 'Chemical Sweet Girl', which Smagghe describes as 'raw techno rock', features Rebotini on vocals. They are currently working on their debut album and have been performing deck/fx sets together with notable performances at 2003's Sonar by Night and at the Output/DFA party at the Miami Winter Music Conference. Smagghe sums their recordings up as 'rock'n'roll with synths' which is apt as they are also planning an unusual, incendiary live show to support its release, which, after spending most of their lives looking up from the mosh pit, should be very special indeed. It's time for Black Strobe to leave the front row and take centre stage. BLACK STROBE DISCOGRAPHY OPR 37 BLACK STROBE INNERSTRINGS 12” 2002 OPR 51 BLACK STROBE ME & MADONNA 12” 2002 OPR71 BLACK STROBE CHEMICAL SWEET GIRL 12” 2004 OPRCDE71 BLACK STROBE MINI ALBUM LP/CD 2004 BS01 BLACK STROBE DECEIVE / PLAY 12” 2005 REMIX DISCOGRAPHY WHITE ROSE MOVEMENT – Love is a Number (Independiente) THE HACKER – Flesh and Bone (Goodlife) FISHER SPOONER - Never Win (Capital) BLOC PARTY - Like Eating Glass (Witchita) RAMMSTEIN - Keine Lust (Universal) DEPECHE MODE – Something To Do (Mute) DAVE CLARKE – What Was Her Name (skint) THE RAPTURE – Sister Saviour (Output) ROYKSOPP – Eple (Wall of Sound) PLAYGROUP - Number One (Virgin) TIEFSCHWARTZ – Ghost Track (Four Music/Classic) THE WIT - Hold Me (Mogul Electro) MARTINI BROS - The Bigtest Fan (Turbo) SIR DREW - She Male (King Size) COSMO VITTELI - Robot Soul (Virgin) ALEX KID – Pick It Up (F.Com) THE HACKER, DAVID CARETTA & MILLIMETRIC (Moscow Reisen) (Good Life) DO
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