http://www.urb.com/2009/11/30/urb-2009-readers-poll

Please help out in showing you’re support for the festival through a vote and forward the poll on to others you know were in attendance this year (voting ends December 24th).

Thanks again for the support!

I’d like to start off by thanking every performer, promoter, volunteer, partner and most importantly attendee that contributed to making the 2009 Decibel Festival our most attended edition to date. From September 24th through September 27th, Decibel hosted over 120 performers and 30 showcases across 15 venues, that combined brought in over 15,500 people. 2009 was not only our largest attendance, it was the most diverse in terms of age and geography. With the addition of all-ages venues, free events and promotional partners outside of Seattle, we were able to bring in many first time festival goers this year. For those of you that made the trek from outside of the Seattle area, I sincerely hope that you enjoyed your experience and we thank you for your support.

Though this growth has been consistent through out the festival’s six year history, it was no secret that I personally had concerns about the current recession and how it might hurt this year’s attendance. Considering other festivals like MUTEK (Montreal), Movement (Detroit), Symbiosis (Yosemite) and Communikey (Boulder) have all experienced a similar growth this year, it is evident that North American based electronic arts festivals are continuing to grow, even during a downturn economy. This is excellent news for the electronic arts in general, which we’re pleased to be a part of.

As founder, executive director and curator of the Decibel Festival and Decibel Productions since inception, it has been my goal over the past seven years to bridge the gap between technology and creativity through community interaction, education and multimedia performance. It’s been a long, sometimes turbulent road, but I do believe that Decibel has finally shown it’s true potential this year. Thanks to everyone that helped in making that possible.

I would also like to offer my deepest gratitude to the 2009 Decibel Festival Staff, which has once again gone above and beyond in a selfless effort to make Decibel the world class event that it has become. Without these people, there would be no festival.

Rafael Anton Irisarri : Strategic Development Director / Co-curator
Kate Lesta : Development Assistant / Volunteer Coordinator
Vance Galloway : Technical Director
Jerry Abstract : Creative Director
Michael Manahan : Co-producer
Travis Anderson : Production Manager
Cody Morrison : Sponsorship Coordinator
Erica Toelle : Director of Online Strategy
Tanya Lutman : Operations Manager
Scott Sunn : Visual Coordinator
Diana Horton : Merchandise
Dean Carlson : Volunteer Coordinator
Brian McCoy : dB Conference Coordinator
Jeremy Borden : Web Development / Network Admin
Kristina Childs : Web Development / Design
Rachael Mamane : Artist Management / Transportation
Lisa Short : Financial Advisor
Brian Willoughby : Audio Recording
Alison (Shameless Crew) : Transportation / Venue Management
Jessica Brockish (Shameless Crew) : Airport Transportation
Shilo Urban : Writer
The entire Communikey Crew that made it out this year

In addition, I’d like to thank the 50+ volunteers that helped in running the festival this year.
:::: SPECIAL THANKS TO THE 2009 DECIBEL FESTIVAL SPONSORS & PARTNERS ::::

4Culture : 90.3 KEXP : 91.3 KBCS : Ableton : Abstract Earth Project : Barrio : Big Up Magazine : Cafe Walter Audio : Cascade Ice : The Chapel : Chop Suey : Church of Bass : Crane : Communikey : Ear Buddies : Easy Street Records : The Electric Tea Garden : French Press Films : Fubar : Ghostly International : Hotel Max : ICAS : Innerflight : The Islander : Jagermeister : LabGruppen : Latenight Renegades : Left Coast Marketing : Little Red Studio : LiveNLove : Made Like A Tree : McCauley Sound : Motor : MUTEK : Muti Music : Mygrafx : Native Instruments : Neumos : Off The Grid : Pabst : Phoenix Media : PlayNetwork : Pyramid : Resident Advisor : The Seattle Art Museum : Sensory Effect : The Seattle Arts & Culture Office : Shameless : Shift : Shunpike : Slate Clothing : Sole Repair : Starborne : Stolichnaya Vodka : The Stranger : Stumptown Coffee : SunTzu Sound : Surefire Agency : Sweatbox : Tap Tap Productions : Terrorbird : The Triple Door : Uniting Souls : Various : Whrrl : Wired Energy Drink : XLR8R : Yelp
:::: MEDIA LINKS FOR THE 2009 DECIBEL FESTIVAL ::::

[ Photos / Videos ]
Decibel Festival YouTube channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/decibelfestival#p/c/35C9200601EC1C1E
2009 Decibel Festival Flickr pool : http://www.flickr.com/groups/decibel2009
Big Up Magazine dB videos : http://thebigupmagazine.com/blog/2009/10/decibel-festival-videos

[ 2009 Previews ]
URB preview : http://www.urb.com/2009/05/04/decibel-festival-announces-2009-dates-converting-to-non-profit-status
Pitchfork preview : http://pitchfork.com/news/36593-news-in-brief-clinic-bear-in-heaven-white-rainbow-decibel-festival
Palms Out preview : http://palmsout.net/2009/09/10/decibel-festival-2009
Flavorwire preview : http://flavorwire.com/?s=decibel+festival&search=
Resident Advisor Top 10 festivals : http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1084
The Stranger preview : http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/dubstepping-into-the-spotlight/Content?oid=2300763
Seattle Weekly preview : http://www.seattleweekly.com/2009-09-23/music/decibel-fest-electric-circus
The Seattle Times preview : http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/matsononmusic/2009929633_decibel_festival_preview_entry.html

[ 2009 Reviews ]
XLR8R Magazine review : http://www.xlr8r.com/news/2009/10/xlr8r-hits-decibel-2009
Resident Advisor review : http://www.residentadvisor.net/review-view.aspx?id=6679
90.3 KEXP blog review : http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2009/09/29/decibel-festival-2009-the-weekend
The Stranger highlight review : http://www.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2009/09/28/decibel-2009-highlights&view=comments

• Join the Flickr group pool: http://www.flickr.com/groups/decibel2009
• Tag YouTube / Vimeo videos with dB09
• Please comment here if you have media elsewhere!

Thumbnail photo by iamdonte

This year Decibel Festival is proud to present a very special performance by renowned electronic music pioneer and educator Kim Cascone. Considered by many as the godfather of American glitch, Cascone has released on a wide variety of labels, including Raster-Noton, Mille Plateaux, 12k, and Sub Rosa, while running his own Anechoic record label in San Francisco.

Opening the showcase is Seattle’s experimental/ambient artist Phønøn.

Friday, September 24th : 4pm to 6:30pm : FREE : The Seattle Art Museum

After the screening there will be a special question and answer session with the film’s director, Amy Grill, and The Wighnomy Brothers, two of the many artists in the film.

Director Amy Grill follows a series of characters (including her techno-obsessed husband) over a number of years as some struggle to make it while others thrive in the world of electronic music. It’s a window into a world filled with warehouse parties, endless gigs, international travel, risks, inventions, triumphs and breakdowns. The characters of Speaking in Code go through significant life changes that are as heartbreaking as they are sometimes humorous. These raw, honest moments unveil the idiosyncrasies of people who are make electronic music their lives.

As the stakes get higher, Speaking in Code sheds light on the vast divide between common anti-techno attitudes in America juxtaposed with the thriving  world of electronic music in Europe. Eventually, the struggle and strain to make the film begins to weigh on the director herself and her husband who became more of a character in the film than she expected. Through the camera’s eye she watches David Day become completely submerged in the techno lifestyle while she becomes anxious to escape her disintegrating marriage by documenting rather than dealing.

Modeselektor

The characters she documents are as compelling as their storylines: Modeselektor, a rambunctious producer duo, are jettisoned from playing a tiny room in the US to playing to 20,000 people in Barcelona, all the while visiting their moms on a regular basis; journalist Philip Sherburne leaves America to find a more complete techno lifestyle in Europe; The Wighnomy Brothers are catapulted from their idyllic world in the former East Germany towards ceaseless gigs and they face their breaking point on camera; Tobias Thomas contemplates the near-end of his career; while Monolake, an inventor of the software that nearly all electronic musicians use to create music, continues his steady yet quirky approach to a life in music.

And back in the US, David Day tries tirelessly to turn Boston from a rock-centric town to a techno city. Day’s wanton attempts to make electronic music popular put strain on his marriage to the Director. The intertwined struggles to make the film and Day’s obsession become a crucial plotline the director could not ignore.

The result is a tightly-interwoven, compelling documentary that is at times light-hearted and at times heartbreaking. It’s the story of a scene from the inside out—intimate, raw and vivid.

About the Production

The idea for Speaking in Code was hatched on a sweaty dancefloor in Miami late March 2005 at around 4am, watching the one and only P. Diddy stand on set of DJ decks and scream at the crowd through a megaphone. Aspiring documentary filmmaker Amy Grill, music journalist Philip Sherburne and promoter/publicist David Day wanted to make a film not about the electronic dance music they love, but about the people and the obsessions behind the music. A behind-the-scenes glimpse as to who made the music and what made them tick. Little did they know it was an idea that would transform their lives forever.

Wighnomy Brothers

In the beginning the skeleton crew interviewed many potential characters.  These DJs, producers, promoters, and industry heads didn’t know that they were being camera tested as potential main character for a vérité film. They thought
they were being interviewed for just another survey documentary about electronic music. With Sherburne and Day attached to the film they were able to land virtually any interview requested since both were so deeply entrenched and well-respected in the global electronic music scene.

Once the main subjects were established, the crew (usually just Grill,  and Director of Photography, Scott Sans—who was still in college for most of the production) traveled on and off for three years all over the world following the ups and downs of them all.

In the years making the film, they all went through remarkable life changes and as the film’s storyline unfolded even the director became an unwilling part of the film. Her life was turned upside down by its mission and her husband and main character (David Day) drifted further and further into an obsession with music. As they struggled to make the film a reality by every financial means possible, the movie itself also took on a starring role.

Monolake

In the meantime, the profiles of the selected artists grew larger by the month. BPitch Control’s Modeselektor was called on by Radiohead to open a tour of Japan and Björk asked them for a remix. The Wighnomy Brothers legendary DJ sets grew in status and popularity and their unique producing style were copied by leagues of house and techno producers. The software, Ableton
Live, invented by Monolake, became the standard music-making program for the world’s leading electronic music producers. Via Kompakt, Tobias Thomas released a series of acclaimed mix CDs, and Philip Sherburne, through his work for the tastemaking website Pitchfork Media, became the leading voice in electronic music journalism.

Throughout this process, a blog was kept by sQuare Productions (squar3.com) which documented the making of the film and had thousands of fans visiting the site monthly. As mp3-blogs increased in popularity, so did the interest in the film and the people depicted within it. By the time the movie was finally complete, the awareness of the project had reached around the entire world, with blogs as far away as Russia and China eagerly reporting on the movie.

There have been numerous films about electronic music but none like Speaking in Code. A global phenomenon, electronic music is always viewed as a party-oriented, (many times vacant) series of subgenres that are impenetrable to casual movie goers. Electronic music documentaries were made for electronic music fans—simply a series of talking head interviews with those who created the scene or those who are the “superstar DJs” of today. There has never been a movie like Speaking in Code.

“Many electronic music docs focus on the static history and glorify certain figures and genres,” Grill said in a recent interview, “or try to justify or create a greater statement about the importance of electronic music. I wanted to tell a good story that was appealing to a mass audience.”

“I wanted the film to be as accessible as possible, without betraying or boring the true techno fans,” she told XLR8R magazine. “Not everybody in techno is making $20,000 a gig; they are doing it for the love of music. It is a community that’s only possible because people make sacrifices to follow their dreams, to make incredible music.”

With an expert eye and considerable experience, and through years of exertion and determination, Grill knows first-hand about sacrifice—she made more than a few of them to make an incredible movie.

To learn more please visit: http://www.speakingincode.com/

Speaking in Code Trailer

People can tune in to listen to KEXP 90.3 FM via the radio or live stream from http://kexp.org/ using your favorite media player.

• 6:00PM : Live performance from Lusine
• 7:00PM : Interview with Sean Horton (Founder and Curator of Decibel Festival) + Music from Decibel Festival 2009 Artists
• 8:00PM : Live performance from Pezzner

Music That Matters Podcast, Vol. 166 – Spotlight on Decibel Festival 2009
DJ Alex shines a spotlight on select artists performing at this year’s 6th annual Decibel Festival, Seattle’s premier electronic music and arts event. Running from September 24-27, Decibel Festival will feature over 100 acts from 10 different countries, 30 of which will be making their live NW debut! Tune in to get a taste of this year’s diverse and stacked roster, and check out www.dbfestival.com for more information!

Direct Link
iTunes
Zune
RSS

Tracklist:
1. Nosaj Thing – Lords
2. Nalepa – Flatlands (Nosaj Thing Remix)
3. Michna – Bumper Car Masters
4. Take – Northbound
5. [a]pendics.shuffle – Saw Saw Soup (Robag Wruhme Remix)
6. Mike Slott – Knock Knock
7. Sub Swara – Hi Fidelity (Shambhala Riddim)
8. Tim Exile – There’s Nothing Left Of Me But Her And This
9. The Gaslamp Killer – Baiafro
10. Daedelus – I Took Two
11. Pezzner – Chapter_Two
12. Lusine – Gravity
13. Tycho – The Daydream
14. Benoit Pioulard – Hesperus
15. Mountains – Map Table
16. Christopher Willits – The Greatest Rain

Music That Matters
Check out some of the KEXP DJ’s favorite artists from the Pacific Northwest and around the world on-the-go. KEXP’s Music That Matters bi-weekly podcast brings you an exclusive mix of new music from the world’s best independent artists.

For the last 3 years, KBCS 91.3 FM has stacked their Friday night line up with an eclectic mix of electronic sounds and for the first time is presenting a live broadcast of all 3 programs from the Decibel DJ Lounge. City Soul, Variations and Trans Europe Express cover the entire pulse of the electronic underground with the sounds of house, techno, broken beat, dubstep, disco and more.

KBCS 91.3 FM has been the Seattle area’s only community radio station for the last 30 plus years. KBCS-FM is a listener supported, non-commercial, community radio station, operated as a public service of Bellevue Community College. Our purpose is to entertain, educate and involve a diverse community of listeners with a variety of music, cultural and public affairs programs. Most of our hosts are community volunteers. Our programming takes you on a musical exploration from jazz, blues, and folk to modern global hip hop, electronica, reggae, and dub. We present Democracy Now!, The Takeaway, The Michael Eric Dyson show and other cultural and public affairs programs. KBCS is the only station in the Greater Seattle Area that offers ongoing training opportunities.

For live streaming, archived audio and playlists, visit http://www.kbcs.fm

City Soul
[9p - 11p]
Music from Tokyo to London, Detroit, Rio, and beyond, highlighting sounds from underground clubs, independent recording studios, and the streets of the world. Hosted by AC (The Rub – LoFi), Atlee (SunTzu Sound ) and J-Justice (SunTzu Sound ). Follow the City Soul podcast at http://www.citysoul.org

Variations
[11p - 1a]
From the Northwest to the global web community, uncovering the creative sounds of dub step, house, IDM, dance, electro, tech groove, and electronic beats. Your host is Gregory D’Elia .

Trans Europe Express
[1a - 3a]
A sonic journey into the European underground, featuring an eclectic mix of IDM, electro, ambient, experimental, and other sub-genres of electronica. Your host is DJ Dragan.

Merchandise from past Decibel Festivals
Prices range from $5 – $15
2 for $15 sale on select styles

New from the old
This year we have made hand bags, tank tops and other one of a kind Decibel Festival merchandise out of t-shirts from the past years. Each unique item will be priced individually.
Prices range from $10 – $35

Where you can find Decibel Festival Merchandise

• All merchandise will be for sale at the Decibel Will Call (located at The Chapel) Thursday through Saturday.
• You can also purchase items at Neumos, The Seattle Art Museum, Motor, Chop Suey, Volunteer Park and The Triple Door.
• Please note: hoodies, track jackets and the “new from the old” merch will only be sold at Will Call and Volunteer Park.

Thanks Again for all the support

Chapel is more than a bar, more than a restaurant. Fine food and exceptional spirits are served in a unique space where people, music, art, architecture and ideas intersect and mix.

Headlining the showcase is a live set from Harvey McKay from Glasgow, Scotland. Harvey is a fireball at the controls. Experiencing him drop one of his ripping live or DJ sets is bound to rob you of your voice and leave you sore for days, with a smile on your face all the while. He’s been on the rampage since getting picked up by Soma Records less than two years ago, having also popped up on Perc Trax, Klientele, and Slant.

Milkplant and Sone, directors of From 0-1 Recordings, will be teaming up with Slant label head and Soma Quality Recordings artist, Let’s Go Outside, for an epic 2×4 tag team set. That’s three more hours to add to their combined thirty-five or so years of DJing experience.

A transplant to the Northwest, John Massey has been attempting to damage eardrums for over thirteen years. Growing up in Flatbush Brooklyn, moving to LA as a teen, and ending up in Seattle, he’s been involved in just about every genre in both production and DJing; and he’s always done it well. At “BANG!”, we’ll be treated to a techno-centric set that will deliver all his influences and exemplify true DJ skills.

Closing the night is the debut performance of Cyan Wave, the collaborative effort of Justin Byrnes and Keith Kelley (aka Kynd). In Cyan Wave, these seasoned producers have abandoned old formulas and moved forward into new boundaries and sounds with fresh ears. Expect light-bending black hole, sub-oscillations encased in a galvanized techno exoskeleton from this truly live, spontaneous performance.

FROM 0-1 RECORDINGS

From 0-1 is a conceptually based techno record label and artist collective from Seattle, WA, USA. From 0-1 is dedicated to exploring the space that exists between the archetypal zero and one; this digitally represented duality of nature through habitual studio collaboration, event promotion, and album releases. Others simply describe it as “fantastic”. Pulling support from industry luminaries such as Speedy J, Perc, and more, From 0-1 is quickly outgrowing its Seattle skin.

http://www.from0-1.com/

SLANT RECORDS

Slant is a Portland-based label founded by Soma Quality Recordings artist Let’s Go Outside. The label focuses on releasing music which triggers deeper moods in the mind and spasms in the body. The roster draws from a truly global pool of talent ranging from the young and virtually unknown on up to techno’s household names. Slant features 12″ vinyl and download releases from artists Let’s Go Outside, Edit Select, Rico Casazza, Jerry Abstract, Revy, Apricot, Bryan Zentz, Harvey McKay, Rafael Garnica, FreqModif, Michael J Collins, Emiliano Papetti, and more.

http://www.slant-records.com/

In 2004 SAM began construction on a much-needed expansion of the downtown museum. The phased expansion, opening May 5, 2007, was designed by Allied Works Architecture of Portland, OR, to accommodate the museum’s rapidly growing collections, exhibition programs and audiences, while increasing downtown Seattle’s cultural and economic vitality. Eventually, when SAM’s master plan is fully realized, the museum will occupy some 300,000 square feet in the new building for a total of 450,000 square feet (including the South Building).

The original facilities in Volunteer Park reopened in 1994 as the Seattle Asian Art Museum, featuring exhibitions of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art.  A lively international center for Asian art and culture, the Seattle Asian Art Museum’s holdings rank in the top 10 outside of Asia, and its Japanese collection is one of the top five in the U.S.

In January 2007, the museum gained a third venue with the opening of the Olympic Sculpture Park The park transformed downtown Seattle’s largest undeveloped waterfront property from a former industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This new park gives residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculpture in an outdoor setting, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Admission to the park is free.

In 2004 SAM began construction on a much-needed expansion of the downtown museum. The phased expansion, opening May 5, 2007, was designed by Allied Works Architecture of Portland, OR, to accommodate the museum’s rapidly growing collections, exhibition programs and audiences, while increasing downtown Seattle’s cultural and economic vitality. Eventually, when SAM’s master plan is fully realized, the museum will occupy some 300,000 square feet in the new building for a total of 450,000 square feet (including the South Building).

The original facilities in Volunteer Park reopened in 1994 as the Seattle Asian Art Museum, featuring exhibitions of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art.  A lively international center for Asian art and culture, the Seattle Asian Art Museum’s holdings rank in the top 10 outside of Asia, and its Japanese collection is one of the top five in the U.S.

In 2004 SAM began construction on a much-needed expansion of the downtown museum. The phased expansion, opening May 5, 2007, was designed by Allied Works Architecture of Portland, OR, to accommodate the museum’s rapidly growing collections, exhibition programs and audiences, while increasing downtown Seattle’s cultural and economic vitality. Eventually, when SAM’s master plan is fully realized, the museum will occupy some 300,000 square feet in the new building for a total of 450,000 square feet (including the South Building).

In January 2007, the museum gained a third venue with the opening of the Olympic Sculpture Park. The park transformed downtown Seattle’s largest undeveloped waterfront property from a former industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This new park gives residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculpture in an outdoor setting, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Admission to the park is free.