Show Review: The Magic 8-Ball Tour/A-trak @ BRANX (Portland, OR)

This past Friday the 13th was a great night in Portland. That is of course, if you decided to spend it at the BRANX. At some point I would have been skeptical of seeing a show I knew would be crowded at the BRANX, however, the newly remodeled and expanded venue was perfect, with new lights and sound systems, and an extra bar. I definitely see myself going back there and I also see more good artists choosing this over other larger venues in Portland. The Magic 8-Ball tour headlining A-TRAK came through PDX that night and it rocked the rose city.The tour is over now and I am sure that everybody raged in every city, but PDX must be a close contender for the top, with people in the dance floor past 3 a.m dancing to an extra long set courtesy of A-Trak.

We got there just in time to catch The Gaslamp Killer's set, which was one of the most energetic performances I have see in the Pacific North West. With two tables, a mic, and an iPad on stage the LA based DJ/Producer gave a performance that got the audience rowdy and ready to push agains the stage all night. Check out some pics taken during his set, this guy has some crazy eyes going some times which go perfectly with his stage persona (that is a compliment in this pages by the way).

Right after The Gaslamp Killer's intense performance Kid Sister cam on stage.

Even though it was surprisingly short and some people that went out for a cigarette or back to the bar to get proper refreshments might have missed more than half, we got to see the set and we can truly say that Melisa Young might just have as much energy, if not more than Gaslamp Killer. For the relief of those that missed her performance Kid Sister jumped right back on stage to perform Do! Do! Do! with A-Trak on the tables (Orignal Carte Blanche track), needless to say it was phenomenal.







Finally, it was the time for A-Trak, who opened with one of the BEST remixes I have ever heard, I am talking of course of Boys Noize's Oh! (A-Trak Remix). Of course his playlist included some Duck Sauce as well as his killer Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Heads Will Roll' Remix. Obviously throughout his set A-Trak showcased his mixing and scratching skills, which always make for a more interesting DJ set.  Like I mentioned earlier the set went over 3 hours, so I can't really give you a detailed playlist, but I can tell you that it was a diverse/engaging/provocative set that had me on my feet the whole night.

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We even got to see the Gaslamp Killer get up on stage and DJ next to A-Trak!

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Props to Cornerstone Promotions for doing a great job promoting this event and letting us help cover the Portland date of the tour, we hope this opportunity repeats itself!  It was definitely a memorable night and we look forward to see more shows like this in Portland.

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All pictures, unless otherwise specified, by Nathaniel Wynn (Copyright 2011).
* Pictures by MNUEL.

Introducing Flammenwerfer

Flammenwerfer, a.k.a. Ethan Young, is a fresh new producer from LA we highly recommend you check out. He has recently finished his first two original tracks and they are true bangers. It is always nice to hear a new talented artist put out great tracks that reminds us that it is not all about dubstep and that there is a reason why we love labels like Mako Records.

Flammenwerfer is not signed yet, but that is sure to change if he his producing music of this quality. In the mean time, we get to post the 320s and share them with all the music junkies out there.

Turn up the bass, hit play and go to the link below to download:

  Fiber (Original Mix) - FREE DOWNLOAD: http://bit.ly/eQ5BiY by Flammenwerfer
(Great builds, it brings Ado to mind)

  Amino (Original Mix) - FREE DOWNLOAD: http://bit.ly/eQ5BiY by Flammenwerfer

Download tracks HERE.

BONUS BONUS BONUS BONUS BONUS BONUS BONUS BONUS

  Lambs Anger (Flammenwerfer Never-Finished Remix) - Mr. Oizo by Flammenwerfer

A-Trak Returns to Portland

by Terry Richardson

Despite its size Portland has seen some of the biggest names in Electro; the Beetroots, MSTRKRFT, Justice, and the list goes on. This Friday the 13th Portlanders will once again be treated to a performance by a heavy weight of electronic music: A-Trak. Everybody in Portland should be excited about this show, which as if it was not enough, will feature Kid Sister and The Gaslamp Killer. Portland has seen A-trak back in 2009, and this Friday he is coming to pretty much the same establishment: The Rotture/ Branx. I am sure Portlanders will make this date of the Magic 8-Ball Tour remarkable.

A 90's turntablism wiz kid, a tour DJ for Kanye, an acclaimed remixer, and recently the mastermind behind the Duck Sauce phenomenon, A-Trak's performance will be nothing short of incredible... not to mentioned that it comes with two huge acts I would pay to go to see individually.

If you haven't already, you should definitely click here to purchase your tickets. Not sure that you want to go yet? Well check out this recap of A-Trak's performance at Coachella and go to A-Trak's photo blog:

Not enough?

Then, listen to these killer tracks and make up your mind, trust me it is good for you:

  Boys Noize - Oh! (A-Trak Remix) by A-Trak

  Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix) club edit by A-Trak

There is no way you are not convinced by now, so I am just going to assume we will see you at the show, where we will be covering what we hope will be one of Portland's best nights of the year.