Best of bands 2015: NAP

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      Are you also overcome with an uncontrollable urge to grab NAP, give him a big hug, then lick his shorn head every time you see him walking around East Van? Okay, maybe that’s just me. Do not lick his head unless you know his real name is Daniel Rincon and he practises at Deep Blue (255 East 2nd Avenue; it’s the rundown blue shack on the north side of the street). But do listen to his album, as it’s the best local punk album of the year—this, of course, means it’s actually underground dance music. Uncharted is a nine-track throwback to when dance music was raw and weird and could keep a party going without the assistance of bass drops, Lil Jon, or firehoses that spray neon paint all over you. Who needs any of that when you’ve got two 303s and know how to use them? Rincon will get you reaching for your old KLF, Orb, and Plastikman CDs. And hug him next time you see him, too.

      Best local release other than yours: “Ramzi, Houti Kush. It’s on another tip. It sounds like an alien jungle. Out of all the underground electronic music happening in Vancouver, she’s doing something special. You see her play and it’s like being on a crazy ketamine trip.”

      The year’s best gig: “Pharmakon at the Fox Cabaret [on February 21]. Forget about it. She’s one of the most incredible performers I’ve ever seen. I actually booked her at the Fox thinking maybe 50 people would come, but it was almost sold-out. She completely destroyed the room. She gave my friend an epileptic attack. So brutal. She blew up three speakers at the venue. It was insane. Seeing a show like that at an actual club is pretty badass. Usually, ones like that happen in dark basements and DIY spots.”

      Best album ever: “SPK, Leichenschrei. It’s like a turn off the lights and smoke a jay kinda album. It was my introduction to noise music. It’s not just boring static, it’s a trip. It’s one of the darkest and most morbid pieces of recorded music ever. This thing will take you to hell. It’s so sick. I love it.”

      Francesco Aquilini’s paying—Where’s dinner? “The Cactus Club [various locations]. I find it wonderful to be able to go to several places in the city where there’s a menu you’re familiar with. Bellinis! I love Bellinis and any of the apps. It’s a wonderful place.”

      In the spirit of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “I Really Like You”, who do you really, really like? “My buddy Hugo Noriega, who plays in Weed. He’s a total heartthrob rock star with long hair. Always has a hoodie even if it’s really hot. He has his hair dyed blond on one side and brown on the other. He’s total rock ’n’ roll.”

      You won Lotto Max. Where’s your club opening up? “The McBarge [Burrard Inlet]. It’s the most jacked-up spot ever. It’d be fun to have crazy techno raves on the weekend there. You could do a 50-person-guest-list thing and make it a very limited Illuminati kind of thing.”

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