Teengirl Fantasy (Nick Weiss and Logan Takahashi)
May 1, 2009 – New York University Strawberry Festival
NY, NY
Remember all those electronic/ambient bands from the ‘70s? (Kraftwerk, Amon Duul, Can, Tangerine Dream, etc.)? And the trance/house music groups from the ‘90s? (Or was it the ‘80s?) Fast forward to: Teengirl Fantasy.
Nick Weiss and Logan Takahashi are a duo from Oberlin College (the progressive pearl in the flat ol’ Midwest oyster) who’ve been playing together just a year and have already been noticed on both sides of the Pond, by Melody Maker, Impose Magazine: Best of CMJ, and Pitchfork, among other media.
Using a Juno-106, MPC 1000, MicroKorg, and Korg Electribe, no laptops or backing tracks, they produce music that has movement: insistent, pulsing sounds from keyboards, synthesizers, vocal samples. Beat crossed with dream. They claim musical influences as far apart as Harmonia and Cece Peniston, so describing their music is like trying to explain a complex painting. Drone, 4/4, gating synths, cosmic disco-noise, dancing in slow motion…it’s all in there.
What they did in their short set at this outdoor gig in the heart of the Village had collegians in the crowd asking one another: “Who are these guys?” Literally; I heard them. They were reacting to Dubjam/Intro; Now That’s What I Call Volume 2 (could mean turning up the amp to 11, or some really great hair mousse; these guys have a good sense of humour); Floor to Floor; New Image Every Day; Portofino; and Azz Klapz/Customize IT. I can’t even begin to guess what that last title means.
After touring from Tijuana, Mexico to Olympia, Washington with bliss-noise artist Kixly last summer, they performed at Wham City’s Whartscape Festival 2008 in Baltimore. This spring/summer, they’ve been touring both coasts, the Midwest, and Canada, opening for acts such as Lucky Dragons, Pictureplane, Dan Deacon, THE GZA, and Blues Control. They also premiered a video installation/performance with Jacob Ciocci of Paper Rad.
Says Pitchfork: “…something akin to High Places’ post-pop at its most buoyant, but informed more by house music and beat-heavy Top 40 hip-hop, and rather accomplished for two very young dudes working out of their bedrooms.” -http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11283-floor-to-floor/
What Impose Magazine had to say:
“…Oberlin, Ohio duo Teengirl Fantasy have been pouring all the most exhilarating bits of those raucous past dance anthems, complete with chopped vocal snips, into their own unique sort of bedroom club music. A huge beach party, where the boombox got waterlogged and now skips and sizzles and is mysteriously picking up four stations at once, and no one cares at all…”
Some less artistic comments from their MySpace.com/teengirlfantasy page:
“House is a feeling.”
“You make my mind explode.”
“Really dope stuffff.
Where to get the music:
12″ disc coming soon on True Panther Sounds (http://truepanther.com/).
Current release is the vinyl 7-inch on Merok Records (www.merokrecords.com)
(1 song on each side)
Link to download free EP: http://music.pukekos.org/TeengirlFantasy.zip
Upcoming Dates:
Sep 1
Noord-Holland
Nov 5
Subbacultcha 5 year anniversary @ the Melkweg
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland
