CG NEWS & PODCAST

Friday, September 21, 2012

FROM THE SHADOWS ALBUM SAMPLER BLACK SUN EMPIRE, MINDSCAPE, JADE, TELEKINESIS, NEONLIGHT

http://www.beatport.com/release/from-the-shadows-album-sampler/963396

Black Sun Empire, Mindscape, Jade, Telekinesis, Neonlight - From The Shadows Album Sampler

RELEASE DATE 2012-09-17 LABEL Black Sun Empire CATALOG # BSELP006SAM

Task Horizon Interview - Knowledge Mag

Fresh off the success of their newly minted Evolution Chamber imprint, Kmag touches down with the Swiss duo known as Task Horizon for a long chat about fighting genre conventions, why drumstep is more retro than futuristic, and how the delicate dance between human and machine leads to evolution in the studio.

While you guys have been on a solid run since your first release eight years ago, there seems to be a resurgence in output and attention in the past year. Have you found a new source of inspiration?

It's not so much a source of inspiration, as in things flowing into us, but rather a much craved for channel for things to be able to flow out of us. And it's not something we've found, it's something we've actively created ourselves.

Obviously we're talking about our recently founded label Evolution Chamber here. Inspiration has never been a problem for us anyway, except that we mostly have too much of it and don't know what to do with all the stuff it generates. Evolution Chamber has started to change all that. It has given us a focal point and strengthened our sense of purpose. As always, when your inner world changes, so does the outer.

Speaking of which, talk a bit about how the label came together and clue us in as to what kind of vibe should we be expecting on future releases.

We founded Evolution Chamber because we were fed up with waiting for label people who kept saying big things to actually come forth and do them. We don't blame anyone, the music business is hard and some of those people were well-meaning. But after two years of empty promises, letdowns and, yes, even rip-offs, we simply had enough and said 'Fuck this, let's do it ourselves!'

The big exception was Optiv from Cause 4 Concern, who during the same period not only signed 'Letting Go' and 'Kill The Pain' to his label in the coolest fashion, but also gave us real support and first-hand business advice when we began setting up Evolution Chamber. We can't say enough good things about this guy. He should be a role model for the entire scene.

In terms of future releases, we can only say that our back catalogue of unreleased material is huge, and musically it's way more diverse than some folks might think or perhaps even like. We don't care. Some style-Nazis sneered because 'Da Vibe' drops into hard drumstep after a liquid-style vocal theme, but they are disproved every time we play it because crowds go totally ballistic, and it's topping out on our sales charts.

All of which to us is a ringing endorsement to stay exactly on our course. Popular styles are formed by good music, not the other way around. We are only interested in the latter and that's what we intend to deliver on Evolution Chamber in future. We think we did a good start already.

Purists no doubt see this as another sign of dubstep diluting the d&b sound. What's your take on dubstep and its influence on the scene, and where do you see drumstep fitting in?

We love dubstep. Folks can hate us now, but personally we appreciate that it's popular. We feel that it has helped the popularity of drum & bass quite a bit thanks to drumstep which fits right in the middle - one of those happy accidents no one could have foreseen.

But on the bottom line, drum & bass, drumstep and dubstep are simply styles to us, each with their own specific musical syntax. We draw upon them mostly out of pure musical necessity, not because they happen to be popular. Of course, we are aware that they are popular and are grateful for this, because it means that we can express ourselves in a way that we like, and which hopefully has some kind of social relevance. As mentioned before, we didn't let 'Da Vibe' drop into drumstep for its own sake, but because that was the only way to make a track with a very strong 90s liquid flavor drop convincingly in 2012.

Musically, we see drumstep as a logical step in the ongoing quest of achieving ever more sonic power. In drum & bass, things seemed to have reached an impasse where you just couldn't get any more acoustic energy without drowning the mix. But the half-time feel of drumstep opens up a lot of space for bigger sounds and also leaves more room for vocals to do their thing, which isn't much of a new concept if you think of it; drumstep is just 60s rock, played by silicon aliens in 2012.

Both bits on this release feature Rina and MC Spyda - talk a bit about the Swiss connection and how you see that playing out in the debut of the imprint. Is there a deeper meaning here or was it just one of those things that came together at the right time?
It's one of those things that just came together in an unforced way, like all really good things in life do. A friend of ours established the connection with MC Spyda and we clicked right away. We wanted to work with him as an artist and not just use his name and reputation as a springboard. So there has always been this pervading atmosphere of mutual respect, trust and friendship, which has led to a wonderful and productive collaboration.

Rina is a vocalist living in our neighborhood, and a good friend of ours. She's always just a phone call away whenever we have a spontaneous idea for a female vocal part, even late at night, and we really appreciate that. She's part of the Task Horizon family.

'Cobra Khan' has that classic Task Horizon flavour - talk a bit about how this one came together.
It's very hard to answer this one because we honestly don't know what that "classic Task Horizon flavour" is! The question runs deep. On the one side you have luddites who think that technology is only a subservient tool, and the artist comes up with his ideas totally independent of it. Marshall McLuhan debunked those guys fifty years ago.

And, on the other hand you have technophiles who, barren of ideas, are secretly hoping for the 'make hit tune' function in their music software. It's all bull. To us, the beauty of cutting-edge electronic music is that it is this magic dance of the human mind with his technology, where it often is impossible to say who is leading.

This is especially prominent in our instrumental tracks where there are no vocals that could interfere. So you might start out with a certain atmosphere in your mind which you intend to convey, but the machine plays something back at you that's perhaps little different, and you take the bait. And thus begins the dance with the machine and you end up with something which you could never have imagined, but still is something that you have created, because the machine obviously doesn't create.

That's why it's so hard to answer this question directly. 'Inspiration' is the wrong word anyway. It's mostly an act of discovery. We never know where we're going. But strangely we always know when we have arrived. We know this sounds weird, but music producers can probably relate.

What else should we be looking for in the coming year? Any plans to bang out a proper LP?

MC Spyda was in our studio two weeks ago and wrote and recorded three new songs in seven hours -a real pro. We also still have other unreleased material from him, so he is definitely going to be featured a lot in future. We've even started talking about playing live one day, although the technical details obviously still need to be hammered out.

The next label release is also in the works, and the idea of an album is something that is slowly germinating in our minds too. Last but not least we have forthcoming material on C4C and Dissected Culture. So yes, all of this is happening, for sure. Prepare for the storm that gathers here.

Words: Chris Muniz

West Coast Trap Sample Pack (demo) - PRODUCERS GET READY - COMING SOON!!

Justin Martin - Ghettos & Gardens Remixes Vol. 1 [Preview] - CHECK THE BACHELORS OF SCIENCE REMIX :l

Justin Martin - Ghettos & Gardens Remixes Vol. 1
Available on Beatport: 10/3/12
Available Worldwide: 10/16/12

Fresh off the release of the critically-acclaimed Ghettos & Gardens album, dirtybird and Justin Martin are proud to present Ghettos & Gardens Remixes Vol. 1. Featuring remixes of the album's lead singles "Ghettos & Gardens", "Don't Go" as well as "The Gurner" feat. PillowTalk, "Molokini", and "Riding Spaceships". Justin has asked Dusky, Danny Daze, Bachelors Of Science as well as label mates Catz 'n Dogz, French Fries, and Ardalan to all contribute. Each remix is thoughtfully produced, dynamically diverting from the original production. To start things off, Dusky brings the house down with their version of "Don't Go" while Danny Daze twists the vocals of PillowTalk with deep chords and an acid bassline on "The Gurner". Catz 'n Dogz do what they do best providing "Butterflies" with blissful dance floor punch, French Fries drops the heavy bass in his "Molokini" remix and Ardalan's remix of "Riding Spaceships" drops liquid in your ear drums. Last but not least, the Bachelors Of Science give us their drum & bass interpretation of "Ghettos & Gardens" which is surely not to be missed. Stay tuned for Ghettos & Gardens Vol. 2 featuring remixes from ...?
Released by: dirtybird
Release/catalogue number: DB079
Release date: Oct 16, 2012

Monday, September 3, 2012

Feel It - Tripwave f. SW@T (Toronto Is Broken Remix Radio Edit) [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

http://www.djswat.com - SW@T
http://www.facebook.com/sexywomanattechs
http://tripwave.tk/ - Tripwave
Buy tune on beatport.com TODAY: http://www.beatport.com/#release/feel-it/961479
Breakz R Boss on beatport: http://www.beatport.com/#label/breakz-r-boss-records/17514

Film Crew
Director/Producer: Cory Quinn
Cinematographer/A-Cam: Aaron Zeghers
Steadicam Operator: Josh Marr
Camera Assistant: Devon Unrau
Assistant Director: Puneet Chawla
Production Assistant: Tony Zhang
Data Manager: Jorge Deras-Soto
Data Manager: Paul Bell
Executive producer: D.Friesen

Music
Music producer: Tim Woodman
Vocals: D.Friesen
Remix: Toronto is Broken
Label: Breakz R Boss

Editor
Editor: Ryan Simmons

Behind the scene photographers
Jazer Maco
Aaron Kostuik

Actors
Jennifer Genest
Susan Labongo
Rebecca Thieu
Marycel Tamayo
Holly Hui

Lead Actors: Tripwave & SW@T

Hair & Makeup
Marycel Tamayo (Élan Hair Studio) 156 Sherbrook St.
Holly Hui (Élan Hair Studio) 156 Sherbrook St.

Special Thank you to the Canadinns Tavern United Downtown for letting us film on their beautiful roof-top patio.

EshOne – Galaxy Bowling EP [MC Exclusive]

http://mediacontender.com/2012/07/10/eshone/ < Source

I recently caught up with San Diego / New Mexico based producerEshOne after his well-received show at SMOG Sundays a few weeks ago, and after an in depth interview came to the conclusion that we’re going to shake things up a bit and do something different. Enter the Galaxy Bowling EP. That’s correct; not one song up for grabs through Media Contender, an entire EP available exclusively for download right here.

★ ★ ★ ESHONE – GALAXY BOWLING EP ★ ★ ★

(To Download, right click and select “Save As”)

Galaxy Bowling ventures through four tracks exploring the deeper, darker realm of dubstep, each has a rather menacing edge that coherently delivers a perhaps a more grinding and slamming venture from what we’ve seen thus far with EshOne. All together a strong effort from the budding producer and something we at Media Contender are proud to be presenting. After an extensive interview with Donnie just this past week, we gained a ton of insight into his history and style, a lot of which go hand-in-hand with appreciating the direction of Galaxy Bowling. Huge round of applause!

Hi Donnie! How are you doing? What have you been up to this week?

Hi Laura! I am well, thank you. I’ve just been planning out what to do with the rest of the summer. Juggling going back and forth between my ranch in northern New Mexico, Albuquerque, San Diego, and Los Angeles for the past six months between gigs has been a challenge, I feel like I’ve been traveling and working on music non-stop for months. I guess I have.

Give us a little history about your venture into the music scene.

I was still living in Albuquerque when I was first introduced to electronic music in a live DJ setting. I developed an obsession with turntables, vinyl records, and Drum & Bass. When I moved home to San Diego about eight years ago, I jumped right into the DnB scene, which was also when I realized that you had to make your own beats to stand out as a DJ. Vinyl records were still the popular format, and since not many people had exclusives, so I decided to make my own. I got over the way dnb was heading sound-wise, I just started to make what I wanted to hear… what I thought was dubstep at the time. I wanted to DJ more, so Joe Nice recommended I speak with Oscar at Turnstyle Records, and I started cutting dubs. I began collaborating and hosting my own shows, as well as ran a website that kept tabs on dubstep events in the area. Outside of San Diego, working with Big Up Magazine gave me the opportunity to meet and to interview some of my favorite artists, such as El-B and Silkie. I’ve been lucky enough to swap unreleased tracks with a lot of the artists I’ve met along the way, and a good portion of them have really shaped my sound. Lately, I’ve been working on building Elk Beats, working with Miguel (of Accent Creative) and Dataset Clothing, and of course Drew and the SMOG crew have been a huge part in helping me get my sounds out.

OK, so your label Elk Beats… how did that start? What’s your mission with the label?

I started the label with my friend Aaron Zimmermann (Misk) to get our tunes out to people, kind of in a wholesale sort of way. While exploring distribution options, I just thought it was gross having to pay someone a hefty fee just to put a digital file into digital shops. I get a lot of real feedback about Elk Beats from the people who support us, and it’s just rad to have that connection with people. That’s what it’s all about. We originally wanted an all vinyl label, but we make so much music, it’s really not practical. So we put only our best tracks out on Elk Beats, and hopefully those sales will raise enough cash to put the best of the best, our absolute raddest work, out on limited edition vinyl. Or tape. Or whatever. All of the label’s proceeds just go back into the label… We’re just feeding it and watching it grow. We have a couple new artists now, so I’m excited to see what happens.

You’ve got a history of experience with dubplates as well. What is the importance of dubplates to you?

When I learned to DJ, I felt that vinyl was the only acceptable way to play tunes for a crowd. I guess as someone who makes music with this mindset, the next step is to get your tune cut, and try it out in the club. At first, it was cheaper to cut a few tunes to play in a vinyl set than to buy some sort of laptop interface or CDJs, so I did. I got addicted. I have cut almost every tune I have finished in the last 3 or 4 years, and loads of them from other musicians I know. I have always loved the way dubplates sounded on most club systems. The warm bass, punchy kicks and snares, even the crackle and sizzle at the beginning of each cut. I’ll always cut my own music to dubs, even if it’s just to have a laugh when I play them decades later. Also, fresh cut acetate has a smell that is as unforgettable as ultra-flat black Krylon, or new electronic equipment, it’s a thrill just to have it in your hands.

What’s one piece of DJ or studio equipment you wish existed?

An Easy-Bake Dubplate Oven. Can you imagine a kit with discs you can cut or etch your sound into on a small home lathe or printer real quick and then reset it back to a flat disc for the next show? Like in the oven? How sick would that be? I find that I’m most productive right before shows, so planning ahead for production and shipping time is the worst part of cutting dubs. Plus that shit’s expensive.

If you could have anyone in the world remix an original EshOne track, who would it be?

Boards of Canada. It would be amazing!

Tell us a little bit about the EP you’ve made, the inspiration behind it, etc:

The overall style on these might seem a little aggressive compared to what I normally make and play. My guess is that being out in New Mexico and not being able to see the music I want is really affecting me. In a positive way. I’m getting a lot more outside and real influence into the music I’m making, and it’s getting weird. I’m just making stuff I want to play. My good friend Miguel at Accent Creative (also creator of Dataset) has also done some amazing artwork. We’re both obsessed with The Big Lebowski, and I’m hoping people will get the visual reference.

What does the future look like for EshOne?

I’m putting more energy into Elk Beats than ever before. I’m subconsciously working on an album right now, and talking to some other potential labels about releasing it. Dataset Clothing is a big project that I’m very excited to be involved in; I grew up skateboarding, so the idea of having a team and creating a presence that inspires people and pushes people to go harder is something I’m very into.
My workflow has also been changing. I’m making a lot of music for specific occasions. For example, at the last Smog Sundays I played, my whole intro and a handful of tracks were made specifically for that show. I’m starting to build on the idea of every performance being special. I’ll be honest, being able to change my tracks around last minute and play the freshest version has had me experimenting with playing CDs at my last few shows.
As far as the very near future, I’m pushing buttons and prepping for the next Dub Smugglers. I believe it to be the best dubstep event in San Diego, and Sublmnl Sound System’s events at Kava Lounge have always been the most fun party to experience. This time they are hosting Coki of Digital Mystikz, so I’m sure it’s going to be an historic occasion for San Diego.