Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Unite to help free KUTMAH!!!!

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Los Angeles – LA Based DJ / Producer, Kutmah was born in the UK to an Egyptian mother and Scottish father. He moved to the US with his mother when he was 12 years old. They immediately applied for residency to keep them from being sent to Egypt. As a British citizen the court ruled that he would be able to live in the UK which in their eyes wasn’t such a bad place. They denied their application.

Kutmah and his Mom returned to court to plead their case 14 years ago when Kutmah was 20. They were again denied a green card and were urged to sign a document stating they would voluntary leave the US.

On Wednesday morning, May 5th armed agents entered Kutmah’s house and detained him. He was brought to a facility in downtown LA where he was interrogated. On Thursday he was moved to New Mexico. We need to show how important Kutmah is to the LA and US community. Please write a letter and spread the word!

Sign the Petition Here

http://freekutmah.com/

If you are in LA, here’s a few shows with an ILL Line up you can catch and show support. ( one is TONIGHT!!!)

TONIGHT!

Friday May 21st!

Crane Laptop Stands poised to become industry standard for DJs

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Seattle- Stateside equipment manufacturer Crane has recently launched their mobile DJ laptop stand line and based on some of the buzz that we’re seeing around the net including big plugs from artists such as Bassnectar & Technique Recordings’ Simon “Bassline” Smith, these guys are making quality products that are poised to become industry standard kit for any of you out there using a laptop for your music.

According to their website:

“The CRANE crew is a collective of DJs, designers, musicians and innovators whose main objective is to offer a premium quality mobile laptop holder with a user-friendly, adjustable design.

We make our stand right here in Seattle, WA, utilizing sustainable manufacturing practices and all Pacific Northwest companies for our product, from construction to shipping to feedback from the many local DJs who have adopted the CRANE Stand as part of their music performance.”

As a special thank you to our readers, we’re giving you the discount code that Simon “Bassline” Smith has graciously shared with the world via Twitter yesterday. The stands run $159USD, but if you enter “sbs2010” when ordering, you can get a discount on your order.

The end of an era, NYC’s notorious nightclub Limelight now a foodie market

Friday, May 7th, 2010

New York City- I have to admit I am sad to be writing about this, though something like this was inevitable for the club that throngs of NYC clubbers knew simply as The Limelight.

It was where I landed my first DJ residency, when I moved to NYC in 97 (playing hiphop in the Chapel @ L.O.U.D.’s weekly) and could be seen MCing with some of the world’s best DnB artists for any number of events between ’97 and when the club closed in 2003. With all of the cavernous rooms and hidden passages, there was plenty of illegal fun going on throughout the venue (not to mention a wide variety of sexual adventures for those wild enough to partake), but THAT is another story best kept for private times.

Goodbye old friend, you are missed!

Limelight Food Market

Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

(From Wikipedia.com) :

“The Limelight in New York, was owned by Peter Gatien, designed by Ari Bahat & opened in November 1983. Located in the former Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion on Sixth Avenue in an area once known as the “Ladies’ Mile,” located in Manhattan‘s Chelsea district, and originally started as a disco music and rock music club. It earned the media’s attention in 1996 when club and party promoter Michael Alig was arrested and later convicted for the killing and dismemberment of Angel Melendez, a resident drug dealer at the club. The 2003 film Party Monster, starring Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green, was based on this event.”

(From the NYTimes Article):

“Though it’s the sweet tooth that will get the most attention at this shiny new marketplace in the once notorious neo-Gothic Limelight, there are savories, too, including Peak Season, a farmers’ market in what used to be a churchyard, with 8 to 10 stands from nearby growers.

An outlet for Petrossian caviar; olive oils at Carter & Cavero; and Jezalin’s, a fancy-food shop stocked with breads, charcuterie, cheeses and condiments, are all on the first floor, along with Whisk, a cookware shop based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Rounding out the edible wares on the ground floor are MarieBelle chocolates; Mari’s New York brownies; Butterfly Bakeshop; Cupcake Stop; It’Sugar, for candy; the Little Candy Cake Company; a bakery called WannaHavaCookie; Baci Gelato; Miss Tea, for teas and accessories; and Jala frozen yogurt. A MarieBelle tearoom is on the top floor. A branch of Grimaldi’s pizzeria will open in about a month, and there are still two more restaurant spaces to be leased.”

Limelight Marketplace
656 Avenue of the Americas (20th Street)
(212) 226-7585, opening May 7 at 2, and then Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Announcing The Winners of the BR Spring 2010 Compilation EP Contest

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

So we know that we told you that this was going to drop in March before WMC…but due to the WODNB tour & prep leading up to Miami, well, things got a bit delayed, but without any further delay, we’re proud to announce the winners of the Bassline Rumble Spring 2010 Compilation EP contest!

A ton of props & love go out to all of the up-and-comers that submitted their tunes and used their creative talents to help us say “thank you” to all of you out there! We think that this EP is a great slice of new talent and we hope you enjoy.

Keep it locked right here on BasslineRumble.com for the upcoming In The Lab- Artist Interview Series from all of our winners!

Spring 2010 Compilation EP Winners:

Cover Art Courtesy of J. Bazuka

SLOGUN- “Gone Away”

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SHARPS- “Solid Ground”

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LOGIKAL- “Play”

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NATURAL FREQUENCY- “Holy War”

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(Right-Click on the links and choose “Save As” to download or simply click play button to stream. Enjoy!)

Electric Daisy Carnival Announces 2010 Lineup

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

Los Angeles- Those returning from Coachella this year perhaps noticed the Electric Daisy Carnival billboards lining Interstate 10, signs — literally — of the annual electronic music festival’s scope and power. The advertisements were letting the bleary-eyed Coachellans know that they had a month and a half to sleep off the weekend they’d just endured and prepare for another kind of massive.

And the Electric Daisy Carnival, which takes place on June 25-26 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coloseum and Park, is indeed massive. While Coachella gets a ton of press and set an attendance record this year, last year’s EDC drew a reported 135,000 people over the two days, and the Saturday ticket drew 90,000, placing it among the top music draws of the year.

That 2009 installment marked an important first for EDC and its promoter, Insomniac: After 12 years of creating a single-day event, it expanded to two days, which resulted in a lot more attendance as well as a lot more out-of-towners road-tripping to get to the festival, said Pasquale Rotella, EDC’s founder and the principal behind Insomniac.

“It was a great experience for us, and we saw the benefits on many fronts,” Rotella said of the addition of a second day, during a telephone conversation. “But from a production point of view the two-day EDC works much better. It was always a shame for me that in the past we’d get really involved in a show — picking the art installations, setting up the stage production and sound — and then when the crowd arrived, it was a 12-hour rush for everyone to experience it all and get their groove on. With a two-day festival, people have time to take it all in.”

But with the added day came way more people, resulting in crowds that were at times overwhelming, added Rotella. To combat the scrums, Insomniac has reimagined the area.

“This year there’s a lot more ground,” said Rotella. “We’ve had the same basic layout for the past three years, but this time there’s a bigger footprint. We’ll have two main stages — an A Stage and a B stage – and are using a lot of area that we haven’t used before. Last year was a little too crowded on Saturday — Friday was perfect. I don’t like it when people are bumping elbows the whole time. With this new footprint, people will be able to breathe.”

The ”carnival” comes into play with the continued expansion of the art and sculpture aspect, and this year some of the major pieces at the Carnival will first be installed on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s park grounds. “It’ll be part of LACMA Muse,” said EDC’s art curator, Philip Blaine. “A good portion of the Electric Daisy Carnival collection will be set up throughout the park and grounds. The stuff stays up for a week, then we load it up and move it to the [Carnival] grounds.”

There will be more additions, but here’s the lineup so far:

Deadmau5
Armin van Buuren
Groove Armada
Moby
Swedish House Mafia
Benny Benassi
Kaskade
Above & Beyond
Fedde Le Grand
Sasha
Laidback Luke
Armand Van Helden
MSTRKRFT
Wolfgang Gartner
BT (Live)
Dirty South
Claude von Stroke
Z-Trip
Jackbeats
Steve Aoki
Bart B More
Gareth Emery
Dada Life
Afrojack
Chuckie

Article Courtesy of: LATimes.com & Randall Roberts
Photo: Electric Daisy Carnival in 2009. Credit: Drew Ressler / Rukes.com

Hiphop legend Guru dies from cancer at age 43

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

New York City- According to a statement issued by Guru’s friend and longtime partner Solar, and posted on DJ Premier‘s site, Guru died Monday morning following a yearlong struggle with cancer. Last month, the disease triggered cardiac arrest, which left the hip-hop hero in a coma.

“The world has lost one of the best MCs and hip-hop icons of all-time—my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru,” Solar said. “Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle! This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it, but tragically, this did not happen. The cancer took him. Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius.”

Also..check out the tribute mix that Mister Cee from H0t 97 threw down:

Mister Cee Hot 97 FM NYC Tribute To Guru:

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On a personal note, I knew and worked with Guru over the years while I was living in NYC working in the recording studios as an Engineer. I considered him a friend and an inspiration- it’s not every day that you end up working with people that you grew up listening to and I considered myself blessed to be able to see inside the creative process of a legend. Keith- you will be missed man, thank you for what you gave us…R.I.P.

Ever Wonder How Much Music Artists Earn Online?

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

For years, we’ve heard the music industry talk about declining sales and profits — often unconvincingly tying these numbers to piracy) — but what about the artists? How much do they earn when their music is distributed online, compared to selling CDs?

It’s a very hard question to answer because much of this data is kept secret and it varies from country to country. Still, David McCandless, author of the book “Information Is Beautiful,” rolled up his sleeves, researched the available data and created this beautiful infographic that shows how hard life is these days for most music artists (unless they’re Lady Gaga).

McCandless discloses that the data was very hard to research and that it may not, therefore, be 100% accurate. He also warns that “these figures do not include publishing royalties (paid to composers of songs).” However, you can check out the full spreadsheet of data, that does include royalties, here.

Check out the infographic below (beware, it’s a big one).

(Original Article Written by Stan Schroeder, Available @ Mashable.com)

Miami WMC 2010 Wrap-up

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Miami- PHEW! We made it once again through a week of beats, bass, lots of beer and plenty of bootyshaking good times! One thing was for certain this year, Dubstep is here to stay and the laundry list of events that we made it to is a testament of just that. From Smog vs. Basshead to Dubstep Massive to Dub & Bass 2 and every other event in between, the hard hitting wobbly goodness was pumping out of speakers at almost every venue as you walked down Collins.

Seeing B. Rich and Udachi just absolutely MURDER their sets at Dub & Bass 2 was probably the highlight of the dubstep sets that we got to see, with DZ coming in a close 2nd, hitting the dancefloor with drop after drop of bangin’ tracks. We hear that our friend 12th Planet takes the grand prize for his performance at the Annie Mac DJ party, but unfortunately we missed it, but if any of his past performances are any indicator, then I have no doubt that this holds true!

For all the Junglists- The World of Drum and Bass was by far the best DnB event of the conference, 3 rooms packed with fans of breakbeat culture across the spectrum. The lineup was packed with top notch DJs and MCs, but for us, the 2 standout sets of the night belong to the Digital Soundboy Artist Showcase featuring Shy FX, Breakage & B-traits holding it down on the UK side & 2Cents (DJ Aye~n & DJ Mal) from Compression SF representing the best of the Stateside movement.

We wanted to make it out to Smog Vs. Basshead, Future Sound of Breaks, Techosluts, Bang! Bang! & a ton of other events, but unfortunately couldn’t cover the events and juggle performance schedules, so if any of you out there have reviews/details you think we should include from any of the events from this year’s WMC, please shoot us a note: info@basslinerumble.com

US Dubstep Imprint MalLabel Announces 6-City US Tour

Monday, March 8th, 2010

San Francisco- US Dubstep imprint, MalLabel, recently announced a 6-city US tour to bring their sound to a town near you.

With a heavy line up of artists including DZ, Zeno, Rastatronics, Blackheart, Dr. Knobs, Carly D, El Diablo and more, these shows are going to be sure to be packed and walls will be shaking with the sounds of sub-rocking basslines and remixes galore! So be sure to support your local scene & get your pre-sales early!

FEATURED ARTISTS:
(bios from press release)

DZ, leader of Bad Man Press, is coming along to support his ‘Untitled Facemelter’ EP and the upcoming ‘Purple Gangster (DZ Remix)’ on MalLabel’s 2010 tour. His special blend of West Coast vibes are imported from Canada. The tariff on vibes is heavy, thus why he utilizes them so well. The man breaks things via sound.

Zeno’s releases on many US dubstep labels and several widely acclaimed remixes have put him on the map as a highly respected dubstep artist. His track “West Coast Nitrous Circus” out now on “Low Frequency High Life” (MAL004) demonstrates Zeno’s versatility in style and substance as a producer. Zeno also hosts his monthly podcast “Thinking Juice” on Dubstep FM, which in June 2009 set a record for highest listener count on the station. Expect big bass to be brought to the dancefloor as Zeno continues to hold it down touring the US and soon the world.

Blackheart is pushing buttons all over the place. Recently on the Best of Filthy Digital two times over as well as landing a return spot on the upcoming Bay Area Dubstep vol 3, the self-proclaimed ‘Lords’ are slumpin it and making things nasty. April marks the release of their forthcoming album ‘The Magic Hour’ on MalLabel Music… get ready to kick your boots around a li’l bit.

No stranger to shattering beats and bass into tiny bits to be spliced back together in a masterful pattern of crunklicious bit-crushed gangsta love, Dr. Knobz not only has produced a fabulous release to be delivered unto thee in early March on MalLabel in the form of a sick EP, but he also shares his birth name with a famous game show host. Musically, he’s less apt to share similarities with too many, as he is an upcoming glitch automator with a very singular sense of swank. Dun sleep.

This man is a sorcerer of sorts, and his sets fall nowhere short of shocking. A powerful and energetic force on the decks, El Diablo is responsible for the music behind MalLabel’s theme song ‘Rollin With My Crew,’ and is known to flip it to psyphee when the BPM is getting too high, but the crowd’s high is just fine. Our own devil with the following details: party rocking crazy pants.

The man, the myth.. Mycho Cocoa is a one-of-a-kind artist who produces and mixes with elegance and poise like a lounging tiger whose coat is pink and black. A step out-of-place will lead you right to where it’s at when it comes to Mr. Mycho. His album ‘Low Frequency Highlife’ serves as a testament to all things bassy, hot, and good.

Rastatronics is known to rock a party all night long with his own special blend of chunes. Having worked with DZ, Blackheart, and Bakir of Spit Brothers on tracks, he is poised to continue his mission to bounce souls all over the globe. Check out his own EP coming out soon on MalLabel!

SkullTrane is one of the most intensely unique acts in American Dubstep, answering to the atmosphere of the UK motif with their own Detroit borne sense of squelching, bubbling, crude, lumbering and crushing sense of sonic mastery. Their own label, Cutty Dubs, is run from the heart of San Francisco’s Mission district, molded from the pressure of dub and the city scape. Hear them now, believe the reality in their rhythm.

Zombie-J is lurking right behind you, and he’s bringing a fist full of dubs like you’ve never heard. From beginning to end, Zombie’s “Dr. Wre EP” is brimming with originality, and each track displays Zombie’s signature sound, full of squirrelly west coast glide synth tones and heavy, gritty wobbles. Catch him at a theatre near you, but try not to get bitten, that’s how you become a zombie as well.

Hiphop icon Guru (from Gangstarr) recovering after suffering heart attack!

Monday, March 1st, 2010

New York City- According to Guru’s long-time Gang Starr DJ and production partner DJ Premier, 43-year-old Guru(born Keith Elam), suffered a heart attack on March 1st and had surgery at a New York-area hospital, according to Billboard magazine and Hot 97′s Miss Info.

An unnamed source told AllHipHop.com that the rapper was doing “fine” and is expected to make a full recovery. “Guru is alive and recovering from his surgery. Doctors are expecting a full recovery luckily.”

According to BallerStatus.com:

“In a statement on Wednesday (March 3), 43-year-old Guru himself says he has awakened and doing well in his recovery, adding that his business partner Solar will be the only person giving “accurate” updates about his status.

“I am doing fine and I am recovering. I’m weak though,” Guru said. “Solar is the only person who has the accurate info on my situation. Any info from anybody else is false. I appreciate your well wishes and all the love.”

In a statement himself, Solar — who serves as Guru’s Solar and partner for his 7 Grand Records label — echoed the rapper’s comments.

“Guru is resting and doing well after his surgery,” he said. “The doctors say that he will fully recover from his illness. We thank everyone who send prayers our way and we appreciate the outpouring of love from around the world.”

Guru’s former Gangstarr partner-in-crime, DJ Premier, had been previously giving the public updates about the rapper’s condition.

It’s unclear if the rapper’s disclaimer was aimed toward him, or another person.”