Happy holidays, from all at Mezzanine

We will be on holiday from December 22 -January 9. Back on the saddle in the new year with some special surprises. Watch this space.

Because we love you

We're starting to take inventory of our giveaway stash, and believe us, it's massive. Because we want our readers pampered and cooler than everyone else, our first gift for this recession-fun party is two gift cards for superstar boutique Aritzia in the Westfield Shopping Mall in downtown SF. To win for yourself or for that fashionable one in your life, submit a 50-word graf on the following:

What trend do you absolutely hate, and what would you do to the offenders?

Email me or post your response in the comments, and we'll pick our two faves! But hurry, these cards expire Tuesday, December 23. General contest rules here.

Just Twitter-ing about

We finally succumbed and got ourselves a Twitter account so you can follow in our every footstep. Keep up-to-date on all things Mezzanine-related by following us here!

Let me Tellier all about it

It’s not hard to expect Sebastien Tellier will assist you in getting tail. And I’m not saying it's for the first time in a long dry spell, I’m talking about being laid for the next 72 hours. I’m talking about dusting off the record player and closing the blinds for a few days. I’m talking about phenomenal neon cosmic orgasms and body melds like you’re fucking in a waffle-maker.

Mezzanine played host to the beginning of my Sexuality-inspired weekend with a man that is personified by the essence of pillowtalk foreplay and 80’s soft touch porno-pop-sex. As I slowly unzipped and opened myself up to new things, I heard men croon more than women, experienced wasted 20-something hipsters overexaggerate their relationship insecurities with “just pull out” inhibitions, all the while watching Mezzanine turn into a French bisexual disco Jacuzzi cootie party.



I don’t speak the French language, but I’ve always secretly wanted to be French. Screw Sylvester the Skunk, I’m the pastel blazer-wearing, true school electroblazing, Filipino version of Don Johnson from Miami Vice…but I’d have a Tagalog/French accent - find me as the token bad guy in the next Bond movie.

The song that really hit the G-spot at the Mezz show was “Kilometer” - filtered Korg synths missionary-style over Miami callgirl sex moans is WAY more amazing than His & Her KY Jelly.

Don’t get me wrong, the beard and Jesus locks make Tellier looks like The Dude or Tommie Sunshine; not so much the ideal “take me home cause I’m naughty type.” But game recognizes game, and even though Jenz thinks I’m lothario, Tellier's solar-shield sunglasses and charming French tickler persona gave me lockjaw. During track “L’amour et la violence,” I swear it felt like I was in the middle of a Power Exchange orgy. If you’ve ever been into American Apparel, where Tellier has his own line of V-neck hipster sex shirts, then you know what I’m talking about.

I’ve had Sexuality ebbing from my apartment since I got home Thursday night, and I’m sure I’ll be getting noise complaints from the landlord about how much my bed squeaks. The only time I saw the sun was when I turned on the weather channel to try and drown out my own verses to “Une Heure.”


Show review by Ryan Rosario

Photo thru Google

In his Relm

DJs are a lot more creative than people give them credit for. The shitty ones, of course, stand there and just pretend to do something (a la celebrities who think throwing on an iPod and hitting "shuffle" is sufficient). The more advanced use vinyl, mashups, stage antics and beer to make their sets stand out.

City native Mike Relm decided to go down the latter route while also throwing down his mixing skills live, in time, to video screens looming behind him on Friday night. Not a bad idea for one with nimble fingers.

I'll admit it is sort of odd to stand there and watch someone behind a turntable. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to dance or observe, but I was glad I did both. One of the things I like about Relm is that he seems to be and practice being a pretty cool guy, which includes intersplices footage of movies, videos, and random shit alongside his scratching; the infamous "O" face video did make an appearance as well as some homemade short films Relm did, communicating with audience via a tablet of paper and nothing else.

The dude definitely knows to mix; we heard some 90s grunge with some Ladytron, some hip-hop followed by indie, all done live in tune with the video images flashing around. Relm also dropped new single from his new album Spectacle called "Everytime" with the video he directed behind it. The slow-motion stop imagery, going backwards, and shot in a gorgeous black and white feel made it a neat watch.



Thanks for being a cool guy, Mr. Relm.


Photos by Kapshure/Berderp

GET SCHOOLED :: Sébastien Tellier

The 33 year old French multi-instrumentalist is no stranger to being erotic, from having fellow French friends like Air as well as making this year's album Sexuality, an "11-track meditation on lovemaking." After having his song featured in this year's Eurovision Song Contest (which is sort of like an American Idol between European countries), Tellier is landing in San Francisco Thursday, December 4 to bring his take on the new Parisian pop, as well as sitting down with us to talk about soft sex and V-neck shirts.

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Q: We are very thrilled to have you back in the States. I went into American Apparel a month or so ago and noticed ads for your new album, Sexuality. How did you get involved with the brand name to do a promotion which essentially released your album before record stores, [at] at a clothing store?

A: It was by chance. American Apparel and I share the same aesthetic for soft sex and easy color, and that links us with a similar philosophy. They even made a Sébastien Tellier t-shirt for me and started the promotion in July.

Q: I totally felt a perfect pairing. I have a bunch of friends who purchased the Sébastien Tellier tee. It's an ultra-deep V [neck], oversized tee, right?

A: Yes, you're correct.

Q: Speaking of your new album, Guy-Manuel de Homen-Christo [that also did Daft Punk] produced it. How did you connect with him?

A: Guy-Manuel is the best producer. He's really clever and doesn't use his brain when it comes to music; Guy feels the music. As for me, I'm a composer of the music and don't see some things that Guy does, so he's very good and does everything that I don't see. I'm a composer and I'm always thinking about the music from the beginning until the end of the day. It's always on my mind and he's a producer, always, and coming up with new things.

Q: He's brilliant, and your new album is great as well. Can you tell us about your live shows? Does it only feature you on stage?

A: It's a really intimate setting. I do have a band; there's four of us on stage. I've been on tour for the last year so this is a new band for this tour. I play guitar and channel. I want to see kisses in the crowd and have everyone excited to hear the songs.

Q: What about lights, visuals, projections? Do you have all of that stuff?

A: Lights are important to mood. We use soft pink lights that remind us of the 70's; it's a very natural setting, but also electronic. I want it to feel more real as if the spirit is "woody" so sometimes there's not too much light.

Q: Your video for "Divine" (which was also iTunes "Video of the Week" for New Music Tuesday) puts you in various venues like a library, liquor store, a ferris wheel, a police lineup. What was going through your head, or does it have meaning?

A: It wasn't trying to be hip; the video has no meaning. I just made it because I don't live just one life. If you're going to be happy, you got to live your life how you want to.

Interview by Shahim Ali

Pictures courtesy of management

MezzanineIV :: Identity crisis with the Dewaele brothers

Soulwax, aka 2 many djs, aka two dudes from Belgium, discuss the "painful" process in making their documentary The Weekend Never Dies, their remix superstar friends, and contest the notion of brotherly love.