Perhaps it’s because I perpetually have my head in the clouds, but there’s something about the notion of space, the consideration of other planets and galaxies, that has never ceased to fascinate me. Naturally, One Step Beyond at the American Museum of Natural History satisfies both this childish thirst for knowledge about what I can only imagine exists beyond our the small rock we live on, and my love for a good beat-driven party. Last Friday’s edition featured Dave 1 of Chromeo, who played a fun and crowd pleasing set of light and funky electro pop, all while never removing his black shades. His selection of dance friendly tracks rooted in hip-hop, house, and pop had the girls shaking their hair all over the place and the boys bouncing around like school children.

Before he got the eager crowd dancing however, New York natives Telephoned gave an exuberant live performance on the planetarium’s stage under the galactic bodies. Maggie Horn was enthusiastic and invigorating, with Telephoned performing both their own material and interpretations of other artist’s work. One particularly noteworthy musical moment was their adaptation of Flight Facilities’ “Crave You”, one of my absolute favorite tracks from last summer. Keep your eyes on Telephoned, as they’re sure to do even greater things in the future.

CHECK OUT THE FULL PHOTO GALLERY HERE.

Last Friday, Theophilus London performed at the American Museum of Natural History as part of the monthly event series, One Step Beyond. London kicked off the performance – his first US appearance in 2010 – with a new song that begged the listener to “accept the new”, a fit opening considering over half of the songs in his set were from his upcoming mixtape, I Want You.

With lyrics like “Hollywood has taken my heart” and “I’m going overseas, come fly with me”, the new songs are a reflection of London’s lifestyle over the past few months. Island-infused electro beats and funky bass lines impart a more mature sound from London, who draws inspiration from a wide range of artists and styles.

He played old favorites from This Charming Mixtape, including ”Humdrum Town”, “I Will Always Love You”, “TNT” and “Crazy Cousins”, and closed the set with the title track from I Want You, a soulful piece imbued with a Marvin Gaye vibe.

Keep up with Theophilus London’s travel adventures on his new blog for HypeBeast, where he has posted a preview from I Want You – “Life of a Lover” featuring Jesse Boykins.

CLICK HERE to see photos from his performance at One Step Beyond, and listen to the preview track below.

Theophilus London Featuring Jesse Boykins – “Life of a Lover” - [download]

This Friday, One Step Beyond, The Fader’s monthly party at the American Museum of Natural History, will return with live performances by The Very Best, Theophilus London and Ninjasonik. One Step Beyond, which is held in The Rose Center for Earth and Space, pairs the museum’s unique ambiance with top musical acts from around the world. Past performers include  Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Simian Mobile Disco, Switch, Matthew Dear, Jazzy Jeff, Amanda Blank and Kid Sister.

The Very Best and Theophilus London have crossed paths (so to speak) on London’s remixes of “Warm Heart of Africa” and “Julia”, and while we’ve witnessed stellar independent performances of “Julia” by both artists, we look forward to the prospect of a live collaboration. As for Ninjasonik, they’re the type of band you just have to see live.

Make sure you get your tickets in advance; the last installment of One Step Beyond - featuring Animal Collective and Fischerspooner - was completely sold out.

After the jump, catch a sneak peak of Theophilus London’s latest mixtape, I Want You, with a behind-the-scenes video from Va$htie, who is featured on the song “Flying Overseas”. The songs previewed on the video reveal a more laid-back side of London, who has clearly evolved since his last two projects, Jam! and This Charming Mixtape. Be on the lookout for I Want You when it drops this spring.

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