I just did my very first radio interview for a show called “The Daily Feed” on WFPK 91.9 FM in Louisville, KY. The show will be re-broadcast on a few other stations nationally.
Past interviewees include OK GO, Spoon, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Sonic Youth, and more! I’m feelin both proud and flattered to say the least… Although I’m totally cringing at the sound of my own voice.
Man oh man… My Shwayze remix has been getting an outrageous response… THANK YOU SO MUCH to all the folks who were kind enough to listen/tweet/share/write about it! Thanks to you, I spent 3 days straight at the top of HypeMachine’s Twitter charts, as well as on Elbo.ws’ “Hot Tracks” List. Not too shabba-labba-ding-dong.
Before I jump to the blog recap, just want to share my utter excitement for the next few remixes I’ll be working on. Been in touch with some truly wonderful bands & artists whom many of you probably know quite well, and I’m SO pumped to work on their stuff!
Also, spent the majority of this weekend writing and recording with my talented friend, Rob. Here’s a little footage of me chunking along on the drums… I’m self-taught & only started playing 2 yrs ago, so hopefully not too crappy all things considered:
Here’s what peoples are saying about the Shwayze track:
The response to my Temper Trap remix has been OVERWHELMING! So many folks have had so many nice things to say about it, and also landed a little MTV.com featured download spot. If you haven’t had a chance to hear it yet, check it out here.
And before I do the old blog roundup, a few random notes to share from the past week.
1) Remix News: Got a few remixes in the pipeline, about to start on a new one today, and one more already finished, which I’ll be posting in the next week or two. Stay tuned!
2) Song of the week: Donna Allen’s “Serious.” Heard it on Chromeo’s DJ Kicks set… Check it:
3) Maximum Dorkitude: I am fascinated by how things work… Discovered and have been naturally LOVING the podcasts of howstuffworks.com. Check out their complete list of podcasts on iTunes if you’re up for having some knowledge dropped directly on your brain…
Had the distinct pleasure of seeing Esau of The Very Best perform a secret show @ Zebulon in Brooklyn this past weekend. It was total insanity – dancing, drinking, debauchery… good times!
And in related news, the blog results are in, and people are loving my little remix! Here’s a digest of what the bloggers are blabbin’, and if you still haven’t heard / downloaded it, check it out here:
Sheena Beeston “Discoliciously gooey pop/rock… Amping up the beat and playing with a ridiculously catchy undertone worthy of a “Paul Simon-esque” comparison, Wilkis makes the already cool track that much radder.”
Together in Digital Dreams “It’s like they went back in time, found their souls in the 80’s and joined Passion Pit in taking over the world. Well done.”
Danger Danger “When I listen to Alan Wilkis‘ tracks, may it be remixes or originals, I can but help to think ‘This guy has to be, or deserve to, get all the attention the world can muster…’ I love what he does, and in my eyes he’s close to a genius.”
Azltron “If you were looking for the jam of the summer, look no further… Transports all listeners instantly to a fantastic island themed party on the beech with all the bacardi and bikinis anyone could ever want.”
NEWS NEWS NEWS! I’ve just about completed work on two new fancy and “official” remixes of some delightful bands, and will be starting on a few more shortly thereafter… If all goes as planned, I should be sharing one of them with y’all within the next week or two! Stay tuned…
And some more reviews came floating in for “Pink and Purple” – hard to believe it’s been almost 3 months since I released that puppy, and even harder to believe that people are STILL reviewing it! But I ain’t complaining!
Indie Soup Runner – [Interview] “Aural and blissful decadence… This artist and funk-meister’s ear for precision in the studio and Philip Bailey-esque falsetto make you wanna dance until your ass turns into a mush of muscle.”
Green Owl Records Blog – [Interview] “Producer / multi-instrumentalist Alan Wilkis reminds me a bit of his namesake’s ’supernatural extra brilliant intelligent’ line from Footnote to Howl. Wilkis is a magnanimous mothaf***a, a friend of a friends, someone that probably knows people you know in Brooklyn.”
Concerning This – [Interview] “Electro-ish, funky, feel good music… It’s very good. Check his stuff out, seriously.”
Bon Ton – “Fan-frigging-tastic… Like being transported back to my teen years, only better… Chock-full of 80s vibe, but it’s not derivative at all… It has upped synth and beat to the next level, creating something as modern as it is retrospective. It’s a slim six songs long, so you don’t get bored, and I dare you not to at least chair-dance.”
And if you’re still reading at this point, here’s two things I’ve been loving this week (in case you missed ‘em on the old Twitter). The first is a delightful piece of glitched out electronic music from a gentleman named Wolfgang Gartner:
The second is a song and the accompanying 1979 music video for “The No. 1 Song in Heaven” by Sparks. If you’re not familiar with Sparks, they are SO weird and SO awesome… Very difficult to describe their music, but I’ll try: performance art, with a twisted sense of humor, yet deeply-rooted in pop music tradition and catchy as hell… Their career spans several decades, and they’re still making music nowadays, I believe, so they don’t really fit in one genre – they EVOLVE… This song is from a record they did with disco-super-producer, Giorgio Moroder – chock full of awesome disco and extreme falsetto super-cool-numba-one!!!! Enjoy:
It’s been 2 months since I put out “Pink and Purple,” and the reviews continue to roll in – now don’t I feel special?! Take a gander:
Would Be Hipster – “It’s so cool it’s hot – and so hot … it’s awesome… Layered, smooth-as-silk production, catchy vocals, and funky attitude to spare… A fun, awesome listen that’ll put a smile on your face and get you tapping you feet… It’s infectious, and listening was a sheer delight; pop as it should be – fun and unashamed of it’s levity.”
Too Much Happiness – “The funky beats are pure sensory overload… Some might say it’s like the Sonic the Hedgehog soundtrack on steroids with vocals arranged by Earth Wind and Fire and a couple samples of Jamiroquai thrown in to boot. This mother fucker is equal parts smooth and rad.”
Music Liberation – “This record’s funk rating is through the roof… The tunes are so very phat, so very danceable and so very retro… So good I think I’m addicted. If this doesn’t become a floor-filler within a year there is no justice in the world.”
Berlin Battery – “DiscoFunk is back… Really fun and makes you smile… And don’t forget to listen to this funky shit on his myspace or better: just buy the E.P!” [INDEED!!!]
The Coolest Out – “[re: the remixes] They all sound amazing to me”
Attack Attack Attack – “Underrated NY genius… Think Chromeo in bed with Prince… [Re: the Remixes] The results are a diverse mixture of reworkings.”
Chic Moustache Club [Posted Father Abraham, Jack Tennis, and Music for Modern Man remixes]
Too Many Sebastians – “Alan Wilkis wants you to get down and dance, so much so that he made an EP that practically forces you do so… A happy little EP that is sure to put you a good mood.”
Stereoscope.FM – “Prince-esque sound… has something of (gasp!) an early-Michael Jackson thing going on.”
The Dissident Times – “I have been waiting for some new funk for ages. Prince has kept up the funk, and George Clinton as well. But we need the new FONK… Here it is. PINK AND PURPLE is this new release.”
Here comes the weekly blog roundup again – a couple more nice writeups here and there, I think the initial coverage is finally cooling down – I managed to pull in over 100 reviews, and they were all pleasant-to-awesome! I’m very grateful!
And before I get started, I’d like to direct people’s attention to one of the original Philly soul bands from the 1970’s, The Stylistics. I’ve been a fan since I was wee, thanks to my white Jewish dad’s curious love for Philly soul… been listening to their first album all morning, today, and it just slays…
nickjamvendetta – “The sounds feel as if it’s from an 80’s movie that was dubbed onto VHS, but only highly produced to sound from none other than a gold plated 808… This release is bursting out a plain ol’ bunch of fun funk for the day or night”
Longon, ON: Burgeoning Metropolis – “Sounds like its taken a backing track from a hidden song from M’Js Off the Wall and… well, it just has a very 80s feel”
Lemoncat [Blog in Madrid] – “Electrofunk popero desde el Bronx, con muchos synthes, guitarreo y vocales con humor. Buen EP, ecléctico e intenso” ["Electrofunk popero" may very well be the coolest thing anyone's ever called me]
Chic Moustache Club [re: Parker & Lewis remix of PAP] – “A new remix of Pink and Purple (THE track which is now parts of my heart and my daily ‘Life is cool’ training)”
It’s been a BUSY week for your pal, Willikers… Just finding some time to come up for air this mornin’. Been plugging away at writing for some fancy poppers, took a pass at writing a theme song for a TV show, and one of the top-secret remixes I mentioned a while back is properly done! I heard the final master on Friday and it sounds slammin! As soon as I’m able to share any of the above, I WILL!!!
The feedback from the “Dorm Life” episode’s been great – people apparently REALLY watch that show! If you missed my little feature on Monday, check out the post HERE.
And moving along, the reviews continue to roll in – if you can believe it, I’ve almost hit 100 reviews and/or honorable mentions, and they’ve ALL BEEN POSITIVE so far! Here goes:
Groovin’ You – “A crazy mixture of styles and genres that somehow manage to come together to form a cohesive whole… Packed with catchy and infectious vocodered vocals and synth melodies layered over a bubbling bassline, lo-fi shuffling drum machines and more meaty percussion… An impressive and varied release, so much so that it was tough to decide which tracks to post.”
Hot Biscuits – “[re: 'Snuggle Up'] A fun summer track that would be great in the background of an afternoon gathering…”
Writing to you today from Miami, Florida… On a much-needed vacation, soaking up some rays and chugging gallons of Cuban Café con Leche, alternatively known as my kryptonite.
So here’s the blog roundup for the week – reviews continue to roll in, and people are saying some lovely things!
Also, the record is getting some serious love on AmieStreet.com! It was featured on their homepage, they did a little post about me, and “Snuggle Up…” has been on their Top 25 chart all week! If you haven’t already bought the album, it’s available for under $2 (last I checked, at least): PINK AND PURPLE ON AMIE STREET
On to some reviews…
Paper Magazine [Interview] – “An explosion of retro-inspired, electro-funk-tastic, booty-shaking goodness”
Amie Street Blog – “Looking for that retro dance track to put on your summer mix? Intrigued by the idea of fusing musical concepts that range from disco and stadium rock to synthed-out ’80s pop ballads? Sick of playing Purple Rain over and over? These jams will have you grooving your way through the Reagan years”
Slice – “From the funky guitar lines to the high-pitch vocal hook-lines, it’s all here… ‘Pink And Purple’ is the perfect late-night driving track with some of the best synth solos I’ve heard in years… A wonderful homage to the history of pop, and music itself. Buy. This. Now.”
You Sound Like a Robot – “Supremely grooveable beats… Bringing back the sounds of the 1980’s all while adding his own special touch.”
Off the Radar – “A very funky/synthy dancey blend… Perfect for the summer.”
Fuzzy Thoughts – “It is, through and through, a funky throwback that ultimately leaves a lasting impression despite being a mere 26 minutes… Wilkis accomplishes so much on Pink and Purple that it’s hard to believe it is an EP… There’s no filler whatsoever.”
It’s The Money Shot – “He actually seems to really like making music more than he likes being cool, and it shows in his songs.” [This one is kind of hilarious, has an amazing music video idea for 'Gotta Get You Back']
Danger Danger – “Thank you again, Alan Wilkis. You are a genius in my eyes.”
Indie Passion – “Clearly derived from the synth-laden funk rock of the early 80’s, but it’s never derivative. There is something immediate and familiar about the tunes.”
IndieRocker.net [Review from Brazil! Any Portuguese speakers out there?]
Welcome to Wilcassettes, the home of everything Alan Wilkis. Alan is a Brooklyn-based musician, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and general musical mover-and-shaker... This is his blog.
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