russell

welcome yo

welcome yo

she's still a fanny

what a couple of fannies.

interesting chart. Good find.

The idea of dance music reality TV reared its ugly head again this week after Fatboy Slim revealed he turned down the chance to be a judge on Simon Cowell's DJ show and an Australian TV programme launched a campaign to find the country's greatest cub promoter. We'll be honest, the news made us shudder and laugh in equal measure. We thought the whole DJ TV thing had died when Cowell ran into trouble getting his show off the ground, but obviously not. Of course, we've heard it all before. And the reason why these half-baked TV exec ideas never come to fruition is because dance music reality TV just isn't meant to be. It's vile, wrong and just plain won't work. Here's why. No sane, high profile DJ will ever endorse dance music reality TV They might be rich beyond their wildest dreams and keen to put their name to any product from headphones to train tickets, but they can (just about) smell a rotten egg a mile off. When news of a dance music reality TV show first made headlines, a few of the big guns were first to slate the idea. Steve Lawler, John Digweed, Tiësto and, most recently, Fatboy Slim all stuck their necks out and sacked the idea off. The contestants will be plucked from the pits of hell Let’s face it, the contestants aren’t going to be cool or down-to-earth or humble. They’re going to be a mix of jumped-up, pre-pubescent teenagers who think they’re the next star of Pepsi’s EDM campaign and wedding DJs who think dropping ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ at peak time is a sure-fire way to ‘start the party’. It’s a shame, because anyone who's actually on-point won’t actually get a look in because they don’t resemble a chiseled, roided-up pretty boy. No one wants the DJ alternative to Jedward. NO ONE. Real DJs won't make the cut If The X Factor is anything to go by then we’re led to assume that even the worst DJs will get through because they've got a ‘kooky’ image or personality that can be easily moulded and marketed. We don’t think that any panel of judges could competently decide what makes a successful DJ if they’re appearing on a talent show sponsored by Iceland. Vinyl, CD, USB or controller? Although we think that when it comes to DJing it doesn’t necessarily matter how you do it or what you’re using, we still don’t think that the 17-year-old DJ W!CK3D who mixes using Virtual DJ on his laptop should ever prosper ahead of a skilled turntable DJ who has been in the game for years. But thanks to berks who think dance music reality TV is a good idea, the flashing dollar sign may take pride of place over a genuinely talented selector. How will mixing even be rated?! So a contestant can mix in key, beatmatch perfectly and make every transition sound as smooth and slick as the surface of an ice rink. Fantastic. But do they have any soul? Technical skill is important but so is imagination. Some of the best, most respected DJs in the game (see: Theo Parrish, Move D) are known to drop clangers, but we reckon it’s more about creative imagination than on-point beat matching. Watching it will be mind-numbingly boring There’s a reason why every DJ worth their salt has a full live show or extravagant stage presence these days. As we all know, watching some bloke dressed in jeans and T-shirt press play (or, even worse, stare into a laptop) for two hours is mind-numbingly boring. Unless a dance music reality TV show comes complete with a studio set that looked like a cross between Deadmau5’s cube, Boys Noize’s skull and Plastikman’s rig, we reckon we’d be asleep before the first ad break. Simon Cowell Let’s face it: the dark overlord of pop has no place in dance music. He probably has the same taste in music as Alan Partridge and if you saw him at a rave you’d be forgiven for thinking he was a Mormon bent on converting pilled-up kids. This man is the antithesis of the dancefloor. Pure evil. Can you even imagine him dancing?! The oh-so-horrible aftermath We’ve seen this before. The hopefuls that get through to the live shows get booted out one by one and then they’re straight off to Liquid for a Thursday night party. Miss them at Liquid? Don’t worry, they’re doing a student tour of the country kicking off at Flamin’ Monkeys in Derby before a meet and greet at Tesco Extra just outside Rotherham. "We can’t wait for a photo or autograph from the evictees," Is something no-one said ever. At the end of the day, nobody’s falling for it. DJ Idol? Decks Factor? Come off it. Dance music doesn’t need a production line that churns out identical button pushers. We’ll stick to finding our favourite DJs down in sweaty basement clubs, where the spirit of dance music really comes alive. Source: mixmag.net

sweet

should have a good 5-6 years experience by then. soft whales I was probably a bigger drinker at 18 than I am now Yeah i peaked between the age of 15 and 18. My drinking was ridiculous when I was 17. Good times.

This is pretty much promoting someone to not give a shit about the music they play. Why bother learning the tracks you play when you can just wing it with whatever zippyshare file you just got.

luckily I could sit and watch/listen to most of it. Was disappointed they didn't show Klock and Dettman B2B.

While it’s certainly useful and necessary to divide and classify music into discrete genres for the purpose of organization, things can sometimes go awry. This can occur because like language, music is an alive and breathing cultural phenomenon, and attempts to solidify the epitome of a particular music’s style can be tricky, as changes are occurring within that style as people are trying to define it. In regards to a particular case of dispute among fans of electronic music, I am referring to the one of the most misunderstood labels in EDM, “dubstep.” Depending on your frame of mind, images may come to mind of aggressive, alien-sounding robotic noises or may conjure images of peaceful, spacious bass vibes. This is more of a problem than you’d expect, given that one single label is being used to describe two totally different, and occasionally, polar opposite, sounds. Take a look a look at the Digital Mystikz’s classic dubstep song “Anti-War Dub.” Audiences only exposed to dubstep phenomenons such as Excision, Skrillex and Skism can be confused about the use of the term “dubstep” as utilized to classify the preceding composition. No robotic screaming noises, no midrange abominations or other stereotypical sounds are attributed to the genre are to be found in this song. How can this particular genre of music allow for there to be such disparity among two seemingly opposite styles of music, yet house them under the same classification? The term “dubstep” itself has become removed from its original effectiveness in describing the sound of the genre. The term “dub” is a reference to the subgenre of Jamaican music known as dub music which emphasizes bass and atmosphere. The “step” section of the term refers to the attempt to integrate the two-step drum rhythm, which is still heavily emphasized in modern dubstep, into dub music. The two-step rhythm involves a kick and snare drum pattern, placing the kick drum on beat one and the snare drum on beat 3, resulting in a powerful and danceable, “head-nodding” rhythm. This rhythmic influence is attributable to British 2-step garage, another genre that has undeniable ties to dubstep. In another one of my gross oversimplifications, dubstep grew out of a desire to combine this: with this: The following tracks best exemplify early attempts to combine the elements of dub and two-step rhythm patterns. The resulting transmogrifications resulted in some extremely unique and imaginative creations. Pioneers of this new genre produced a distinct and expressive form of music by combining elements of already mystifying genres. Dubstep known for its “wobble” didn’t appear until a later period, with artists such as Slkie and Skream giving a subtle modulated bassline-wobble, but still retaining a heavy emphasis on atmosphere and melody: Listening to the music that the term “dubstep” refers to today (usually anything from VitalDubstep or Dubstep.NET serves to epitomize the modern interpretation of the genre), it doesn’t take long to realize that most of the original characteristics of dub, the slow basslines and atmosphere have been replaced with aggressive, futuristic characteristics. The existence of the futuristic elements of dubstep aren’t necessarily a problem, as experimentation, development and nuances within music are natural occurrences, and lead to new and exciting productions. This became a problem, however, once the aggressive and futuristic end of the spectrum developed into a false representation of all that the genre has to offer. The recent nuance of alien-sounding screeches has all but overshadowed the original characteristics of atmosphere and vibe, leading to some unfortunate outcomes. One particular artist tends to get blamed for causing dubstep to progress (or decline, depending on your frame of mind) into its current state. Rusko is generally credited with popularizing “new” dubstep through experimenting with harsher and more futuristic tones. Below is an excerpt of his thoughts on the popularization of the aggressive nuance of dubstep which he refers to as “brostep,” a pejorative term used to describe the more aggressive side of dubstep. While people (especially American audiences) gravitated to this new sound, admirers of the old style became agitated. As aggressive dubstep became more well-known, patrons of the classical side of genre felt alienated and marginalized, feeling that the soul of the music has been replaced with a gimmick. Adding insult to injury, statements from not-so-thrilled music listeners, unfamiliar with early dubstep and whose only experience with it involved the newer, more aggressive flavor bitterly announced, “dubstep is just noise!” This further angered fans of the original sound as the term was never meant to describe the “noisy alien music of the future” but a melodic, beautiful and graceful genre that critics of dubstep ever experienced. This animosity towards brostep’s overshadowing of old-school dubstep can be seen on countless social media message boards, facebook fan pages, and YouTube comments on early, as well as recent dubstep videos (at the time I am writing this, the top 2 comments of the “Rusko’s thoughts on brostep” video serve nicely to illustrate this point). It can obviously be seen how many feel that an art form, once exemplified by heavy atmosphere and almost entirely devoid of the aggressive sounds, has been damaged by this new form of what once was a very melodic genre. One fateful event—the ascent of one of the most successful “brostep” artists of all time—threw gasoline on the fire that has been brewing within the realm of EDM. With Skrillex’s ascent to mainstream fame, and his fateful act of labeling his music with the loaded term of “dubstep,” the already heated dubstep world was further divided into a schism (or a SKisM, if you like, haha) between patrons of the old style and lovers of new style. Skrillex, being a icon of popular electronic music, could now perpetuate the concept that the epitome of dubstep was loud, lurching and aggressive to an unprecedented audience. This was an old-school dubstep fan’s nightmare. The problem becomes even more complicated, given the different types of audiences associated with the two styles of dubstep. Early dubstep was associated with a more underground audience, whereas the popularity of “brostep” garnered a more mainstream crowd. More than just a difference in a stylistic taste of music, the cultural associations behind the music can perpetuate an interesting friction: those who favor the original sound are viewed as purist hipsters that won’t join the fun, and those who favor the new style are viewed as kids jumping on the brostep bandwagon without any regard for the original sound. There is an obvious poverty of knowledge and appreciation for the original sounds of dubstep among mainstream audiences (for instance, say “Skrillex” in a crowded room, and regardless of positive or negative response, chances are, the congregation knows who you’re talking about; saying “Coki” or “Benga” has a higher chance of gathering confused looks). This tension between the old and new styles of dubstep is an issue of semantics combined with the problem of the currently-evolving-as-we-are-trying-to-define-it genre. Artists who used wobbles, screeches and growls obviously heavily appreciated the atmosphere of original dubstep; they had nothing else to call their music that what they believed they were innovating. They had no intention of antagonizing the original sound; artists like Rusko were simply having fun with their craft. By calling this new development by the only way to describe it that they had, the nuance of the dubstep sound unintentionally became a contentious element. I do not think that this apparent conflict between the two styles is necessary, but I don’t think it’s a simple problem that will go away anytime soon. It is a matter of stylistic difference and a disagreement over what the term “dubstep” describes. Both sides of the spectrum have incredible value and worlds of imaginative artistry to explore. The atmospheric vibes of old-school dubstep are an incredible experience and blend the emotions of spirituality, contemplative thought and the invigoration of deep bass music perfectly. Likewise, “brostep” is great at bringing high-energy impact, and the grotesque and chaotic nature of it can evoke an adrenaline-fueled ambiance. Having two entirely distinct sounds under one roof can cause some peculiar cultural outcomes, but as music is constantly developing, can lead to an exciting and diverse pool of music. Surviving the “war of the wubs” is a matter of understanding the spectrum of music contained under the “dubstep” label. source: crossfadr.com

Maya Jane Coles live now... http://www.residentadvisor.net/local.aspx?ai=25

no doubt

bet there's a few gems in there

This will be some collection. Recently I feel like all the good shit is happening in London and New York. Can't wait for future generations mp3 collections being submitted to library's for public viewing.

I like the idea. Wouldn't be able to hand over any of my records though for something like this.

Good read apart from this line.

should have a good 5-6 years experience by then. soft whales

I'd say so. there's being a troll then there's just being a shit WHALE.

welcome

empia vibe(s)

Exactly.. sounds terrible. Not even remotely close to being funny either.

Grimes has managed to royally piss off Boiler Room fans during her DJ set at Richie Hawtin's Ibiza pad for the website's ‘Ibiza Villa Takeovers’ series. The electronic pop star shared the decks (she actually played off her ipod) with fellow ENTER. guests Nina Kraviz and Azari & III, however her tracks selections were far from tasteful, dropping cheesy pop songs a la 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' by Mariah Carey, Vengaboys, and even Taylor Swift, much to the extreme distaste of viewers tuned into the broadcast. Grimes, on the other hand, was having a whale of a time trolling the chin-stroking viewers, which was clearly evident in her own tweet which read, "Pissing off all Djs by playing t swift on boiler room tune in!" And what did Hawtin make of all this? When the Minus boss hopped on the decks himself, he interrupted his set midway to play Nicki Minaj's 'Bee's In A Trap,' almost suggesting he was in on the joke too, before returning to his signature techno. Source: pulseradio.net

that about sums it up.