Following closely on the heels of our recent edition with Soul Clap, this week's Signal to Noise takes cues from yet another special guest. Marcellus Pittman is a house DJ and producer from Detroit who is known for his deep crates (the man's a vinyl enthusiast) and raw-edged productions. Pittman was in town last Friday, and, if rumors are to be believed, he killed it at As You Like It's party at BeatBox. We caught up with the Detroiter earlier this week and asked him to select a few of his favorite tunes. Read on, give these a spin, and be sure to check him out the next time he's in San Francisco (or, if you don't feel like waiting, listen to this podcast he just dropped for AYLI).

"The Circle Stops Somewhere," by A Sagittariun

Couldn't resist the name Sagittarian because I'm one. Solid stuff!!

More >>

Catch Soul Clap at Monarch on Friday, May 4th

For this week's Signal to Noise, we've got some selections from a very special guest: Soul Clap. Known individually as Eli Goldstein and Charles Levine, the Boston-based DJ/production outfit has attracted a dedicated following from its tasteful edits, deep remixes, and catchy originals. Last year, the duo teamed up with Wolf + Lamb to drop Wolf + Lamb vs Soul Clap, one of the best mixes of 2011. Now, Soul Clap is headed to Monarch this Friday in support of E-Funk: The Album, its full-length debut (stream it for free here, and buy it here). In anticipation, the duo wrote up and sent over five favorite moments in Bay Area music history.

"Weekend Girl," by PillowTalk

San Francisco's latest break-out sensation, these guys have been earning it for years and now they're burning it down! With releases on our beloved Wolf + Lamb Music as well as Rome-based Life and Death records, PillowTalk gives funk, soul, and R&B a dance-floor-straight-to-the-bedroom flip made possible by the minds of street corner crooner Sammy D, psychedelic keyboard extraordinaire Ryan Williams, and studio wiz Michael Tello.

More >>

Alexandra Mae hanging out at Haçeteria

Whereas previous editions of Signal to Noise have focused on DJs and producers, this time around we're putting the spotlight on the musical tastes of party photographers. Highly opinionated about music, these are the people behind the lens at some of your favorite events. Read on -- you just might hear one of these songs the next time you're out having your picture snapped.

1. Alexandra Mae Munson, photographer at Haçeteria
"We Made This Jack," by Social Disco Club

"We Made this Jack" seamlessly emulates that classic Chicago and early-90s jackin' sound that has become the bread and butter of Haçeteria. It never fails to pack the floor and get booties bouncin' (mine included). Complete with fast-hitting high hats, and whimsical lyrics, this song is almost as fun to sing as it is to dance to. Not to mention that people love getting their pictures taken when this song drops. With references to all the jackers in Europe and all the jackers in Heaven, this little track is packed with a surprising amount of house history current and past, which I am sure appeals to all of my fellow house music nerds. I personally can't get over that Legowelt shout-out!

More >>

French Fries (left) is a master of the party whistle

So far the month of March has held no punches in delivering its share of dancefloor anthems. This time around we train our focus on popular sounds coming from abroad; the sort of stuff that carries clout in both techno and bass circles. Read on -- you just might hear these the next time you go out dancing.

"Can't See Higher," by Lorca

Recent years have seen a rise in popularity of UK bass music on San Francisco dancefloors. Yet, while a lot of these sounds stressed forward-thinking aesthetics and experimentalism, the recent crop has been fairly dull and formulaic. Not so with "Can't See Higher," the latest cut from UK-based producer Lorca. Establishing a loose groove, he pushes together a shuffling percussion line and droning organs to create an overall experience reminiscent of Joy Orbison's massively popular "Hyph Mngo."

More >>

Paul Rose (a.k.a. Scuba) is in a forest

Twenty-twelve has been a good year for dance music so far. It's only March, and San Francisco's club scene has been moved by a variety of new sounds coming from all over the world. This week we're taking a look at some of the finest new releases of the past couple weeks. Here are five cuts that we think you'll be hearing soon on San Francisco dancefloors.

"The Hope," by Scuba

The recent work of Paul Rose (a.k.a SCB, Scuba, and Spectr) has been fairly polarizing. "Adrenalin," his last release, saw him revisiting territory dangerously close to the excesses of trance and progressive house. Now, with "The Hope," he's back with an even more divisive release that gives a Berlin-oriented, modern spin on the festival-sized bombast of '90s big beat.

More >>

Bobby Browser and a whole lot of gear

San Francisco hasn't exactly been a hotbed of activity for cutting-edge dance music in the past 10 years. The city still has a ways to go, but the past year or so has seen the rise of a crop of producers that are breathing new life into the Bay Area music scene. Here are 10 tracks from local producers that show where things are headed in the future.

"No Appointments (Greg Z Mix)," by Bobby Browser

Bobby Browser (aka André Ferreira) has been producing music in San Francisco for some time now. As a one-time member of the Party Effects collective, his acid-laden tracks and all-hardware sets have proven immensely popular in local clubs. Now out on his own, he just released Just Browsing, his debut EP on L.A.'s 100% Silk label. "No Appointments (Greg Z Mix)" sees Ferreira's Wav Dwgs collaborator Greg Zifcak (check out this recent review of his live set at Haçeteria) applying a deep techno-influenced filter to the original's epically swung aesthetic, arriving at a happy medium between dance cut and head fodder.

More >>

Tyrel Williams in a pensive moment

The democratization of DJing by way of digital technology has had at least one unfortunate consequence. The DJ mix, once considered an art form in its own right, has been downgraded to such a degree that we wonder who bothers to listen to them anymore. Take a glance at our inbox on any given day of the week, and you'll find bagfuls of perfectly executed but totally boring Ableton-constructed sound collages. There's a card in Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies deck that reads "Humanize something free of error." With that in mind, this week's Signal to Noise takes a look at five DJ mixes recorded live from the board, warts-and-all, at recent parties in San Francisco.

Tyrel Williams at Delta Funk

This one's so fresh that it was just recorded last Saturday. Tyrel Williams is a recent San Francisco transplant from Chicago whose past includes a stint at the respected Gramaphone record store and a three-year residency at Smart Bar doing an all-vinyl party called Acid Test. Here he shows off his razor sharp Chicago-style mixing with a set of forgotten '80s house classics played on wax. Along the way he makes room for possibly the best hip-house track we've ever heard.

More >>

Todd Terje enjoying a sunset

Though previous installments of Signal to Noise have focused on selections from local DJs, this week our column takes a minute to get a little introspective. Here are five just-released (or soon to be released) tracks we've recently discovered that we like, and that we think have potential. So read on -- there's a good chance that you'll soon be hearing some of these songs on forward-thinking local dancefloors.

"Sometimes You Just Know," by Pollyn

We first heard this track during Harvey's DJ set at Public Works back in November. It made the rounds on the blogosphere, and now it's finally on its way to release with an exclusive Moodymann remix. Pollyn's delicate singing, coupled with a backdrop of tight guitar and sparse percussion, bring to mind late '80s R&B, cosmic disco, and less electronic Italo sounds.

More >>

Richie Panic enjoys libraries, hospital waiting rooms, and other quiet places

In the pantheon of nightlife, few people are as influential as the local DJs working the scene. As promoters, talent scouts, and party rockers, these tastemakers are trusted to be at the fore of what's happening in music today. For this edition of Signal to Noise, we're focusing our attention on five tracks selected by five of San Francisco's best DJs. Pay attention -- you'll probably hear one of these the next time you're out dancing.

1. Jason Kendig, Resident DJ at Honey Soundsystem
"Hold On feat. Sampha (Matthias Meyer Edit)" by SBTRKT

So I've been mildly obsessed with this Matthias Meyer edit lately. It takes a cool song by SBTRKT and turns up the warm vibes 100 percent. The restrained emotion in the vocal paired with the new arrangement really takes it to the next level. It sounds great at home, and it's proven particularly effective on the dance floor.

More >>

Julio Bashmore killed it in '11

It's been a good year for dance music in the Bay Area. Last week, we took a look at the 10 best releases from local producers. This week, we've turned our attention towards the year's biggest dance tracks. These are the tunes that have kept San Francisco's most forward-thinking clubs hopping. Read on and see what's made the cut.

"Battle For Middle You," Julio Bashmore

2011 was the year when UK garage and dubstep producers decided to go back to their roots. It was an exciting time of cross pollination between scenes that saw fresh forms of music taking hold. At the fore of this contemporary British invasion is Julio Bashmore and this tune, "Battle For Middle You." Incorporating aspects of classic house with the clean and clinical production aesthetic of UK garage, the song features a monster chorus that was the highlight of some of our favorite DJ sets of the year.

More >>