2014 has barely just begun, but our party calendar is already off to a very good start. One shocking bit about this Party Blotter is there’s no techno to be found–just house, synthpop, and disco, in fact. Nevertheless, there’s some seriously good local acts featured (DJs and bands included) as well as some phenomenal foreign talent who rarely come to San Francisco. Read on to get the scoop–see you on the dancefloor!
GALLERY CRAWL NIGHTLIFE featuring 100% SILK LABEL SHOWCASE, Thursday 1/23, California Academy of Sciences
For the latest iteration of the Academy of Sciences’ wildly popular Nightlife Thursday evening parties, they’re hosting a record label showcase for the first time: all of the DJs featured have released records on 100% Silk, the house-centric sister label to LA’s Not Not Fun. It’s also an SF-centric party, too, as Cherushii, Roche, and Bobby Browser are all Bay Area-based (Magic Touch is an LA-based San Francisco expatriate). The music will be excellent across the board: deep, melodic, slightly-left-of-center house music with a healthy selection of classics for good measure. What really makes these parties special, though, is the setting–how often do you get to get drunk and dance in a beautiful open-concept science museum? Add in the interactive visual exhibits (this time around, a “pop-up art museum” hosted by SFMOMA and various local art galleries) and the top-notch people watching (dozens of couples on first or second dates) and you have yourself a very fine night indeed. Pro-tip: purchase presale tickets or arrive early if you plan on attending; these events tend to fill up fast and sell out regularly. 6pm to 10pm, $12 presales, $12 at the door.
DISORDER featuring INHALT, HIGH FUNCTIONING FLESH, and VOWS, Friday 1/24, Milk Bar
Disorder, a dance party dedicated to minimal wave, synthpop, post-punk, and various other forms of black-clad dance music, is celebrating its one-year anniversary by hosting the live debut of Inhalt, a San Francisco-based synthpop act (who I interviewed for 7x7 several months ago) alongside High Functioning Flesh and VOWS. Inhalt has performed a number of DJ sets featuring on-the-fly live synthesizer accompaniment, but they have never performed any of their own material in a live setting–until now. What sets Inhalt apart from the crowd is how tightly composed their records are, balancing controlled chaos with a professional sheen that makes it seem like they’ve been recording together for ages. Witnessing them live will truly be something special–not an opportunity to be missed. Joining them are High Functioning Flesh, an LA-based duo who pay homage to the twisted industrial funk of Cabaret Voltaire, and VOWS, whose dreamy 80s-synth sound is infused with a particular feminine energy. RSVP on Facebook for more details. 9pm to 2am, $7 at the door.
Robag Wruhme, via Facebook
AS YOU LIKE IT presents ROBAG WRUHME, ANDHIM, and SESSION VICTIM, Saturday 1/25, Public Works
As You Like It’s latest party is a who’s-who of contemporary German house music, presenting three facets of the ever-evolving German scene. Andhim is certainly the poppiest of the three headliners; their tunes are unabashedly sunny, like the kind of tunes you’d want played in the afternoon at your next pool party. Robag Wruhme is a well-seasoned producer and DJ, active since the early ‘00s as part of the Wighnomy Brothers and later striking out on his own, whose productions have a lush, highly detailed, micro-composed quality that makes them a pleasure to listen to and sink into–cerebral music that manages to be absolutely smashing on the dancefloor. The real treat here, though, is Session Victim, a duo who’ll perform two sets upstairs in the Loft, performing live first and then finishing with a DJ set. Their music has the same layered, hyper-focused sound as Robag’s, with a brilliant knack for samples that give their tunes a funky, soulful groove, like lost gems unearthed from early 90s Detroit. A stacked roster of local DJs (Doc Sleep, Lance DeSardi, Bells & Whistles, and Rich Korach) will get the floors warmed right up. RSVP on Facebook for more details and purchase presales via Eventbrite. 9pm until 5am, $20 presales, $20 before 10:30pm, $25+ after.
PUSH THE FEELING featuring LOOSE SHUS, THE BEAT BROKER, and HOTTHOBO, Saturday 2/1, Underground SF
Loose Shus, a San Francisco-based cosmic disco producer, is releasing a new self-titled EP through local label Voltaire Records, and Push The Feeling is celebrating it. Loose Shus composes jams with an assortment of musical equipment that spans three decades, and this fact is reflected in the sound of his music: imagine a soundtrack to a low-budget cop movie from the 1970s–set in the future. He’s joined by The Beat Broker, another local disco producer, whose sound is much more upbeat and party-centric, which will provide an excellent counterpoint to the more atmospheric energy of Loose Shus. Voltaire Records label boss Randy ‘Hotthobo’ Ellis will be DJing, bringing a seriously deep knowledge of disco, funk and boogie to the decks, with a record collection to match. Resident DJs Yr Skull and Epicsauce will keep the vibes flowing in between sets. RSVP on Facebook for more details. 9pm to 2am, free before 10pm with RSVP, $6 after 10.
GO BANG! featuring BUS STATION JOHN and ANDY TRICE, Saturday 2/1, The Stud
Few parties have a slogan that really manages to match the vibe of the party itself (and act as an enticing marketing tool, too), but Go Bang’s really does: “atomic dancefloor disco action!” The monthly party, a fixture at the Stud, contains one of the most raucous dancefloors you’ll find in the city, set to a soundtrack of classic diva-centric disco, spun by DJs who were buying the records back when they were originally issued. February’s guests are Bus Station John, whose own alt-queer party, Tubesteak Connection, is soon celebrating its tenth anniversary, and who comes equipped with a massive collection of disco-affiliated genres (hi-NRG, funk, boogie, italo, you name it), and Andy Trice, an old-school San Francisco DJ who has held residencies and guested at various clubs throughout the city. They’re supported, of course, by residents Steve Fabus and Sergio Fedasz, whose love of music and dancing contribute to the party’s feel-good atmosphere–everyone at Go Bang is there for love of the music and the dancefloor, and that’s what makes it one of the most special parties in the city. RSVP on Facebook for more details. 9pm to 3am, free before 10pm, $7 after.
