Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Friction takes the reigns as Radio 1′s new DnB DJ

Thursday, March 8th, 2012


“To take the flame is a massive honour”, says Radio 1′s new drum’n'bass DJ. “There is pressure on me,” Friction says, “Because I’ll be responsible for telling the world what’s new with drum’n'bass…”
Via blogs.independent.co.uk

DJ Fresh ft. Rita Ora – Hot Right Now (Official Video) (Out Now)

Thursday, March 8th, 2012

DJ Fresh showing the world what a UK #1 Single sounds like DnB Style! Big ups for cracking the charts with another one!

DJ Fresh feat. Rita Ora- Hot Right Now (Official Video)

You can download “Hot Right Now” via iTunes: http://bit.ly/HOTRIGHTNOW

Eddy Says: Drum n bass topping the charts? Amen to that!

Thursday, March 8th, 2012


“For all its dalliances with mainstream popularity in its 20 year history, drum n bass didn’t manage to score its first UK number one single until last month. DJ Fresh helped dubstep to a more rapid ascension with its first number one, ‘Louder’, last year, and in February he dragged drum n bass up to the top as well with ‘Hot Right Now’, more than fifteen years after Goldie became the first dnb producer to be playlisted on Radio 1.
The chart achievement may only have lasted a week, but its no less of a milestone.
So why hasn’t this been more celebrated? Eddy Temple-Morris looks back at the long journey of drum n bass.”
Via www.thecmuwebsite.com

Skibadee: Drum’n'bass can get even bigger than before

Thursday, March 8th, 2012


With the waves of Dubstep hitting the mainstream, many Junglists are seeing a resurgence in demand for top quality DnB and UK DnB MC Extraordinaire Skibadee thinks “Drum-n-bass can get bigger than before”
Via blogs.independent.co.uk

Local DJs to perform in Greensboro with Futurebound from the UK

Thursday, March 8th, 2012


“Their first show was called “Lokdown” and featured Gridlok, one of the top Drum-N-Bass producers in the world. Their second show featured Drum-N-Bass legend, DJ Odi.”
Via www.examiner.com

Top 20 Women In Drum And Bass

Thursday, March 8th, 2012


To celebrate International Women’s Day, Knowledge Magazine compiled a list of the top 20 women in drum & bass.
Via www.kmag.co.uk

Tonight in LA: RESPECT presents Kuru, Atlantic Connection, No Face & MC XYZ

Thursday, March 8th, 2012


LA’s favorite DnB Weekly brings us another killer line up to keep things rolling in March!
Featuring DJs:KuruAtlantic ConnectionNo Faceand Resident MC XYZ holding down the mic.
Via respectdrumandbass.com

FLASHBACK FRIDAYS: Giorgio Moroder: The Beginning 1969-1979

Friday, July 29th, 2011

There are no words to describe this genius!  He is one of world’s best known innovators composing dance, film, pop and other musical forms.  Giorgio can take you on a visual and musical expression journey like no other can.

Moroder Promo Video

The Italian born musician recorded under the name “Giorgio” since 1966, but got his first hit with “Looky Looky” in 1969, a bubble gum pop song with a catchy riff that makes you sing “Ah-OOO-Ma-Ma…Pa-Pa-Oooh-Ma-­Ma-Ma”!!!  Around the same time he sang a song called “Son Of My Father”, although it was a hit, the song was in Italian. In 1972, a band named Chicory Tip scored a hit with it sung in English.  The song was one of first early forms of a synth driven music.

Giorgio was a music making machine releasing albums “Giorgio’s Music” (1974), “Einzelganger” (1975) and  1976′s “Knights in White Satin” under Giorgio Moroder, but his career exploded with the birth of Disco.  His synths took him to great heights with the release of “From Here To Eternity” which was a huge success in 1977.  During his time at Casablanca records, his most notable work is with Disco Diva Donna Summer creating such classics as “Love To Love You Baby” and the anthem “I Feel Love.

The following year he composed the soundtrack to the locked up abroad nightmare “Midnight Express”.  If you ever saw this film, the music creates an intensified vision of the eerie trip of Turkey’s notorious prison.  The composition got him an Academy Award for best musical score in 1978.  During his projects he produced a group called the Munich Machine, which gave us the disco club classic “Get On The Funk Train”.  Munich Machine released three albums under the Casablanca label during the 1977-1979.   He also managed to squeeze in another release “Giorgio Moroder’s E=MC²” in 1979.

 

The year is 1980, from here on in; bands came up from nowhere emulating his style!!  A new era, new technology, new music genres emerge, but that’s a different story!!!

Join me next week for Part 2 of Giorgio in the 80’s and beyond.  For now, enjoy the video and the music links for you uploaded by yours truly.

Peace for now and see you next week on the FLLLLLLLLASSSSSHBACCCK!!

ESSENTIAL GIORGIO MORODER ALBUMS:

From Here To Eternity

E=MC2

 

Griid touch controller for IOS raising bar for Ableton users

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

San Francisco- You know that the team here is super hype on all things music tech related, so when we saw a post from Dubspot talking about using Mac OSX Automator to fire up different things in Ableton, we had to see what was up.

While the article itself is pretty interesting, the thing that jumped out at us was a slick looking IOS app called Griid.

While we haven’t had a chance to play with this yet (if any of you have, please let us know what you think!), the concepts behind this application are interesting and look like they could play a major part in anyone’s Live setup.

Griid is comprised of 3 primary modules (descriptions taken from Liine’s website):

  1. Miixer
    • “Miixer introduces track based navigation: any fader on any track in any combination. Options include ultra-fine resolution and volume limiting.”
    • Features:
      • Track based navigation: choose any fader on any track.
      • Miixer button: show/hide all faders.
      • Support for the maximum number of sends in Ableton Live.
      • Variable precision fading.
      • Option to limit volume at 0dB.
      • Absolute or relative touch mode for all faders.
      • Fader size matches zooming in clip grid.
      • Stereo Loudness Indicators on each track.
  2. Tutorial Video for Miixer:

  3. Cliip
    • “The Cliip step sequencer module allows you to create and edit Ableton Live MIDI clips directly on the iPad or iPhone screen.”
    • Features:
      • Piano roll with zoomable keyboard and timeline.
      • Percussive mode for short notes and Melodic mode with two finger note length gesture.
      • Snap and fine modes. Snap note position (or note end) to the grid, or use fine mode to add some groove.
      • Drag up the velocity lane and add dynamics to your music.
      • Copy and paste functions allow you to copy the contents of one clip to another.
      • Duplicate function allows you to duplicate and extend the current loop (e.g. to copy a loop 4 times so that you can add a variation on the 4th loop).
      • Clear all.
      • Remotely create new MIDI clip.
      • Hide/show velocity panel with toggle.
      • Note names shown on all white keys.
  4. Tutorial Video for Cliip:

  5. Griid
    • “The core Griid clip launcher module is the most fluid and reliable clip grid controller for Ableton Live. If you want the best controller on the market for launching clips, you need Ableton on your mind and Griid on your iPad.”
    • Features:
      • 11 x 11 clip grid in landscape; 8 x 16 in portrait on iPad.
      • 6 x 6 clip grid in landscape; 4 x 8 in portrait on iPhone and iPod Touch.
      • Fluid clip and scene launching and stopping.
      • Full clip information: name, color, playing status, loop/one-shot position.
      • Track names, scene names and scene colors.
      • Smooth inertia scrolling.
      • Whole Live set Overview mode. Move anywhere with a tap.
      • Tap track header to show playing clip.
      • Group track support.
      • Clip grid independently zoomable in track and scene dimensions.
      • Large font mode.
      • Enable/disable scene launching.
      • Dedicated safe space for scrolling in the scene area.
      • BPM scene names highlighting.

FLASHBACK FRIDAYS!!! Jaco Pastorius: King Of The Electric Bass

Friday, March 25th, 2011

LIVE FROM NYC- I first got introduced to Jaco Pastorius several years ago when a close friend wanted a couple of albums converted to MP3.  He gave me 3 albums to transfer, but for some reason, this one album was just calling me – Jaco Pastorius self titled album on Epic Records released in 1976.  I knew he played for Weather Report, but I never looked into his solo or guest appearance credits.  I was in for a treat once I played the first track “Donna Lee” originally played by Charlie Parker.

 

"I am the greatest bass player in the world"Jaco Pastorius

Before recording with Weather Report he released this album, which had special guest such as Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Hubert Laws, Narada Michael Walden, David Sanborn, Wayne Shorter, just to name a few.  The list features the best in jazz during a time where everyone’s outlet was music and everything was groundbreaking.

In 1977 Jaco joined jazz fusion band Weather Report and blew the world apart with the album “Heavy Weather” their most successful album ever!  Jaco continued to record with Weather Report until 1982.  During the times with Weather Report, Jaco would dabble in heavy drugs where friends noticed his erratic behavior when in the studio.  Jaco was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  His health started to deteriorate and by 1986 he was living on the streets of New York City.  With the help of his ex wife and friends he was back home in Fort Lauderdale Florida in 1987.  He got into a fight with a bouncer at a club where he received multiple facial fractures and a broken arm.  He fell into coma and the great bass legend passed away on September 21, 1987, aged 35.

Jaco played a fretless bass!!!  Guitar frets are the strips made of stainless steel or nickel alloy embedded along the fretboard (in simple terms the neck) located at exact points that divide the scale length in accordance with a specific mathematical formula. A fretless bass??!!  Do you know what that means?  It means freedom, the freedom to create your own style.  He had such a unique style of playing, a bit avant garde, but with structure.  He’s one of those guys where it’s hard to describe and if you love music like I do, then no matter what background you will appreciate his style.  The tones and intricate fast pace picks changed the bass world forever.

Jaco’s the father of all electric bass players!!

Here’s the link to his album “Jaco Pastorius” uploaded by yours truly:

URL: Jaco Pastorius- “Jaco Pastorius”