Tag Archives: Dan Whitford

Cut Copy Releases ‘January Tape’

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Fans have been anticipating new music from Cut Copy since 2013’s critically acclaimed Free Your Mind. While they enter the final stages of finishing the follow-up, the band has surprise-dropped January Tape, a 44-minute ambient, instrumental piece of sonic art available as a 400-cassette limited edition run. A sample of the January Tape cassette can be heard at the Cut Copy website. Cut Copy grew from a bedroom project to an international festival staple and today’s collection reinforces that they are a rare combination of technical virtuosity and exceptional, eclectic artistry.

‎Dan Whitford shares, “Having worked for much of the previous 12 months on a new Cut Copy album, we decided this January it was time to give ourselves a well earned break. But instead of retreating to the wilderness or decompressing on a beach somewhere, we spent ten days in the studio making a collection of ambient instrumental works. We wanted to share outtakes from these sessions in all their unedited glory with you, and put them out as an extremely limited edition cassette, available mainly through our webstores (though you may see a copy or two floating around in the wild).”

Photo Credit: Michael Muller

Photo Credit: Michael Muller

National DJ Tour Kicks Off October 20

10/20: Chicago, IL @ The Mid
10/21: San Francisco, CA @ 1015 Folsom
10/22: Zapopan, Mexico @ Coordenada Festival
10/26: Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
10/27: New York, NY @ Good Room
10/28: Denver, CO @ Bar Standard

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Cut Copy Mixtape

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Listen / download: Cut Copy – A Forest Through The Trees Mixtape

Cut Copy’s live performances are revered by fans and critics alike as an international festival staple that never fails to leave thousands enraptured, but DJing has always been an essential part of their career. No strangers to the decks, the band is thrilled to announce their first-ever proper DJ tour, making stops in LA, SF, Chicago, NYC’s PS1 series and more. Cutters labelmate Knightlife will join Cut Copy’s Dan Whitford & Tim Hoey on the majority of headline shows, and the combination should bring an unstoppable delicious groove through the night.

“We’ve always DJed as long as the band has been around, and club culture is an important part of what Cut Copy is about,” frontman Dan Whitford explains. “From the ‘Fabric Live’ series Cut Copy mixed in 2006, to the underground Melbourne dance compilation ‘Oceans Apart’ that we curated and mixed last year, this has been an important part of our musical makeup. So I guess it’s probably overdue that we’re finally doing proper DJ touring this year.”

In celebration of the upcoming DJ Tour, the band have released a brand new mixtape called A Forest Through The Trees, which effortlessly blends classics from Talking Heads, Chemical Brothers and Durutti Column with contemporary blazers from Jamie XX, John Talabot and Four Tet. It’s a great example of the band’s deep knowledge of dance music history and thirst for the newest grooves, a combination that is sure to set dancefloors alight.

 “Every so often while we’re writing new music I’ll make a mixtape for the other guys in the band, or one of the other guys will put something together for us to get inspired by. It’s our band’s way of staying in tune about music we’re discovering while we’re apart.,” explains Whitford. “I’vebeen doing some low key DJ’ing on my own a little bit over recent months, so I’ve included a lot of tunes I’ve been playing out. But I’ve also weaved in some more esoteric stuff that I’ve been listening to at home. It’s a bit like emptying out musical part of my brain and putting it on tape.”

Cut Copy DJ Tour Dates

7/2: Dallas, TX @ It’ll DO
7/3: Philadelphia, PA @ The Dolphin
7/4: New York, NY @ PS1
7/4: Washington, DC @ U Hall
7/5: San Diego, CA @ FNGRS CRSSD
7/8: Costa Mesa, CA @ La Cave
7/10: Los Angeles, CA @ Club Called Rhonda
7/11: Toronto, ON @ Studio Bar
7/12: Chicago, IL @ Mambys Festival
7/15: Denver, CO @ 1UP
7/16: Seattle, WA @ Q Nightclub
7/17: Vancouver, BC @ Pemberton
7/18: San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine

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Cut Copy Releasing Oceans Apart Compilation Next Month!

Oceans Apart

Cut Copy has truly become an international band in the past decade, having released four albums & performed over 1,000 global headline tour dates & prestigious international festivals in the process. They’ve additionally DJ’ed continuously during that period, remixed a selection of amazing artists, and run their own dance imprint, Cutters Records. The global Melbourne ambassadors have now just announced Cut Copy presents: Oceans Apart, a 19-track continuous DJ-mixed snapshot of new & exclusive music from their hometown’s thriving underground dance music scene & club culture mixed by the band themselves- set for release digitally November 11th! In addition, two vinyl EPs of compilation highlights will be released on November 18th. For an early taste of the compilation, fans can give NO ZU’s “Raw Vis Vision” a spin.

Listen: NO ZU – “Raw Vis Vision”

Both a local scene document, which is increasingly rare in this global age, and a bumping 80-minute non-stop dance party, Cut Copy presents: Oceans Apart is the product of the band’s observations of its hometown, where it became undeniably apparent that this fertile community was mushrooming. As frontman Dan Whitford elaborates, we’ve always found deep inspiration in the music of our home city. It’s where Cut Copy started, as just one band in a potent community of unique and likeminded artists. But it also continues to inspire and surprise us, with great new music constantly bubbling to the surface.”

The motivation behind the compilation came from a late night conversation in a Melbourne club with a friend of mine. As we excitedly shouted over the noise of the dance floor, one of us said ‘the dance scene in Melbourne has gotten so interesting over the past few years- someone should really document this!’, adding “We looked at each other knowingly, and from that moment, the idea for Oceans Apart was born.“

Cut Copy presents: Oceans Apart threads together a cross-section of the different party crews, label rosters & ambitious lone rangers that have been catalysts in making Melbourne vibrant & happening week in, week out- all in the format of a continuous dance mix, which is what the music was made for.

There’s been much speculation as to how this unprecedented wave came about. Is the fluoride in the city’s water supply having positive side effects? Is it the mediocre Melbourne weather that’s either keeping people on the dancefloor or in house arrest, tirelessly tinkering in the studio? Is it the abundance of late night venues or the long standing presence of two influential community radio stations? Or does it all come down to the appreciative audience that are just as critical as the creators? All we do know is that this epidemic can’t be stopped and needs to be celebrated.

Catch Cut Copy LIVE On Tour:

10/28: Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
10/29: Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
10/31: San Diego, CA @ The North Park Theatre (SOLD OUT)
11/1: Los Angeles, CA @ Red Bull Sound Select (SOLD OUT)
12/31: San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine

Cut Copy presents: Oceans Apart tracklist:

1. Knightlife – Don’t Stop
2. Andras & Oscar- Music Is My Life
3. Michael Ozone – Oxygen
4. Statue – Statue Theme
5. Turkish Prison – Overboard
6. Ara Koufax – Brenda
7. Myles Mac – Suburban Odyssey
8. Fantastic Man – Robotic Temptation
9. NO ZU – Raw Vis Vision
10. Coober Pedy University Band – Kookaburra
11. A+O – Take Me
12. Nile Delta – Aether
13. Tornado Wallace – Circadia
14. Speed Painters – Total Person
15. Len Leise – Call of Kati Thanda
16. Bell Towers – After Party at Jackson’s House
17. World’s End Press – Feel City (Outskirts Dub)
18. Roland Tings – Swimmer
19. Sleep D – Austral Aura

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LIVE: Cut Copy

Months ago when I saw in an email that Cut Copy was coming, I immediately made my arrangements to attend. Finally, they were coming! I couldn’t believe it and I had to be there. Thank goodness I was, too, because they put on a helluva show. I got a prime spot towards the front where I could see and still be relatively comfortable. The venue was filled. Everyone was excited and sweaty with anticipation.

Then the quartet of dudes entered the stage. The crowd was on point; ready and in dance mode. “Where I’m Going” from the latest album, Zonoscope, was played at the beginning of the set. I like that it was thrown into the beginning for some measure against some of the lesser known songs. They all led up to the second half of the show, which was more pleasing than pink starburst.

Dan Whitford stood there belting out songs while a fan (a literal, electric fan; not a person…haha, although I would have done it. I love you, Dan!) blew air through his luscious hair, evoking images of a cheesy 80s heart throb movie. In fact, I read an interview online from Seattle Gay News where the writer asked what the secret is to Dan’s hair. Guitarist, Tim Hoey answered saying Whitford’s actually working on his own hair line. Jokingly, Hoey added, “he basically modeled it on the bad kid from Karate Kid.”

“Lights and Music” broke out, and when it did, everyone went completely ape shit! I get chills just thinking about the seconds leading up to the first chorus. Just picture everyone in a movie theater sitting on the edge of their seat, waiting for that crucial moment you know will happen. I nodded my head along with the beat of the 5 second interval before all broke loose. The lights start blinking different neon colors, everyone is fiercely dancing and screaming while Dan Whitford is loudly singing “Lights and Music, are on my mind.” It’s definitely one of my FAVORITE concert moments.

Whitford keeps going, “Fading with the color you see in my face, cold and crystal you can’t hide ‘cuz your tears race. I’ll be waiting by in time, put your dreams away. You’re holding hope open for the one making you wait.” At this point, everyone is clapping with the beat, ready for the next chorus again. The cheering, screaming and clapping all gets louder and faster. I remember dancing fluidly as one with the crowd while smiling and laughing like a little girl the whole time. Wondrous.

After that serving of hotness, the band moved on with “Take Me Over,” another crowd pleaser. They just kept coming after that. “Out There on the Ice” and “Hearts on Fire” blew me away and left me dazed and dumbfounded. Cut Copy had us all in the palms of their hands. It was a big, sweaty dance party. All of my favorites were played. Plus, they came back out TWICE to play ONE more song. And they totally jammed out, too. If you have a chance to catch one of their shows, you better go. I mean, I would go even if they only played “Lights and Music,” it’s that awesome. I couldn’t have asked for a better set list. I came, I saw and I danced (my ass off).

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