When electronic duo Streetlab began mixing tracks in 2001, the act cut its teeth performing live in what was becoming a dying scene: New York raves.
“It was the best live experience,” Ryan Leary recalls. “We had a ton of space to work with. It was inspiring, because people always gave you a positive reaction by dancing.”
After the parties ended, Leary and Mark “Coz” Lamorg wanted to keep dancing. Streetlab has since built up an impressive set of club-ready commissioned remixes from such acts as Crystal Castles, Nine Inch Nails and Kinski, plus several original grooves of its own.
Streetlab self-released its self-titled debut EP in October and signed an exclusive two-single release deal with RCRD LBL/Downtown for the tracks “NYSound” and “She Is Our Magic.” The former—which will be placed in a forthcoming episode of NBC’s “Kath & Kim”—is typical of Streetlab’s stuttering percussive style, with ferocious synthesizers that beg the listener to move.
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“We like to arrange songs that deliver well in the club,” says Lamorg, who handles the drums and mixing while Leary works with the synths and guitars. “We want to make dance music that has the energy of rock music.”
Streetlab is planning to release a mixtape EP in early 2009 in addition to honing its skills as an original act. The duo will perform at the Apple store in New York’s Soho neighborhood Feb. 13 and is moving forward on a new Hall & Oates remix. Streetlab is also plotting a brief 2009 tour that includes appearances at South by Southwest.