Battles (US)
They simply couldn't be lacking at this final edition of Domino: the phenomenal Battles. In a somewhat modified line up though, as last year Battles announced the amicable split with Tyondai Braxton (who debuted in ’09 on Warp with his solo-album ‘Central Market’). According to the band, it was “due to Battles' ambitions of finishing their second studio album followed by commitments to a full touring schedule in ‘11, and Tyondai's own commitments as a solo artist and his desire not to tour”. That's been noted. It's already ’07 ago since debut ‘Mirrored’ (with that indestructible single ‘Atlas’) was released but we kept ourselves going with the song ‘The Line’ (from the soundtrack of ‘Twilight Sage: Eclipse’). The new album is expected for release in the first half of this year. Drummer John Stanier about that: “One word I can use to describe the new record is ‘sexy’. As a foretaste, Battles will be visiting not only Japan but also an exclusive number of European cities. Thanx for droppin’ by!

6:30 pm - Ford & Lopatin (formerly known as Games) (US – DJ set)
Games are childhood friends Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrix Point Never and Joel Ford (Tiger City). Their first 12-inch came out last year via Hippos In Tank (see also: Hype Williams). Boomkat wrote of it:”Sounding like George Benson spooning with Toro Y Moi on a handful of valium, and at 33 instead of 45. From behind the turntables, Games will provide you with auditory pleasure before, after and in-between…

Oneohtrix Point Never (US)
Oneohtrix Point Never – or easier: OPN - is Brooklyn musician Daniel Lopatin's solo-project. At the end of '09 he ended up in The Wire's Top 3 best albums of the year with his document of the times 'Rifts’ (via noise label No Fun), a compilation his first three albums, on which synthesizer experiments merge with drones, noise, ambient and electronic krautrock. The Wire even invented a new genre for it: ‘hypnagogic pop’ or: “music that reaches beyond its performers' abilities. It refashions 80s chart pop-rock into a hazy, psychedelic drone. It is listening to Beverly Hills Cop and hearing the music of the spheres". OPN’s latest album ‘Returnal’ - finely designed by Stephen O’ Malley (Sunn O)))) - was released via Viennese electronica label Editions Mego and received rave reviews. This also came to the ears of Antony Hegarty with whom Lopatin released an acoustic version of ‘Returnal’ (and a remix by labelmate Fennesz).

Dan Deacon (US)
Baltimore resident Dan Deacon- a classically trained composer with a masters degree in electro-acoustics - is mainly known for his live performances. Dan Deacon is then always set up in the middle of the hall, amongst the audience. His ‘workbench’ brims with effects pedals and the vocoder and Casio do the rest. His shows are always a feast, where he brings the audience to their knees in no time. His albums ‘Bromst’ (’09) and ‘Spiderman Of The Rings’ (’07) each received a fabulous 8+ from Pitchfork. An extremely rare occurrence and instantly the classiest of ‘Best New Music’. Pitchfork once more: “The song-and-dance man Deacon deserves to be a superstar, or at least as much of a superstar as the Dean Martin of self-soldered electronics can be.” Sarah Silverman is already a fan.

Factory Floor (UK)
London's ‘four-track noisecore/electro/synthwave’ trio Factory Floor is hot! They only allow themselves to be seen on concert billings that are 100% to their taste. Thus they're extremely selective this spring and shall appear at the side of The Vacinnes, Chris Cunningham or soon at the ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’ event curated by Portishead. Factory Floor use vintage keyboards mixed with equally old synthezisers, tape-echoes and furious drum sets. Think: Joy Division or Kraftwerk on speed, with a voice that reminds us of Nico. Britain's NME situate them between ‘Hidden’ by These New Puritans and ‘Sisterworld’ by Liars. Throw some LCD Soundsystem and Health comparisons on top of that and you're getting a pretty good idea. A series of 12-inches was released last year, including remixes by Stephen Morris (Joy Division, New Order) and Chris Carter (Throbbing Gristle).

SOUNDTRACK BY... GAMES (uk)

►►► DOMINO FACTS…
Quite simply one of the highlights of the Domino legacy: BATTLES, who made an overwhelming impression during their first Belgian visit in ‘06. Again courtesy of Warp (which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year). Warp has pretty much been Domino's house label over the past years, the number of acts arriving from this leading label can't be counted on one hand. Remember AUTECHRE (’10), SQUAREPUSHER (’09), JAMIE LIDELL (’05, and also in ’99 with SUPER_COLLIDER!) and !!! (who, together with oOoOO, bagged a nomination for Most Difficult to Pronounce Act at Domino). The latter triumphed here during the breakthrough of their album ‘Myth Takes’ (’07).
PIVOT (’08) – now renamed PVT – was also a highlight. Their drummer doubled (and also passed by twice) with jazz meets electronica project TRIOSK. Buddies HUDSON MOHAWKE and RUSTIE both did true justice to the concept funky in ’09. They all performed prior to their respective debuts (LP or EP) seeing the light of day on Warp.
By the way, we also the have an excellent act here with Oneohtrix Point Never on the Viennese Weense Mego (now Editions Mego), the label once sent Japan's TUJIKO NORIKO to the AB. The label is now experiencing its heyday with the likes of Emeralds, Cindytalk and Bill Orcutt.