New Major Lazer clip

Here are the two video versions of Major Lazer's latest release "Keep It Goin' Louder", featuring Nina Sky in a catchy hook and Ricky Blaze on autotune. Both clips are awesome and terrifying in their own way.

There's something about autotune though that makes me want to spew. I think it's because the first time I heard it was in one of my top 3 most annoying tracks of all time. Maybe vomiting through autotune would sound cool? Oh right, Kanye already did that.

This case of autotunage doesn't seem to bother me though, au contraire my dears. Had this track in my head all day. The bassline reminds me of 90's one-hit-wonder Olive's "You're Not Alone" (anyone remember that one?)

Risspek!!

LIKE FRESH GEAR?? DRINKMUSIK TEAMS UP WITH KARMALOOP

The internet's best place for fresh urban gear is now friends with DRINKMUSIK!

Karmaloop.com provides all the latest trends and fashion that you can't find anywhere else. Updated constantly, and running out of everything you want all the time, it is HIGH TIME you visit Karmaloop to out-dress everyone on the dancefloor.

Just use this link: http://www.karmaloop.com/index.asp?rcode=DRINKMUSIK1

Or go to Karmaloop.com and use promo code "DRINKMUSIK1" to get 20% off your first order and 10% off every order after that!!!!

Thank you and good night.

Touch DJ

The first full-featured DJ MP3 app for the iPhone.

good preview of what's to come

Word on the street is that Four Tet will be releasing a new album - There Is Love In You - sometime around January. Also making waves is that Four Tet will also have Joy Orbison and Roska giving the track 'Love Cry' the remix treatment, for release later this month as promo. Here's a lil preview!

B.RICH EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

In preparation of B.Rich's event BASS IS KING next Tuesday (17th) at Milky Way, an event put together by So Dope and DrinkMusik, we've caught up with him to do an exclusive email interview!


DM (Drink Musik): You're from Pittsburgh, but got your start in Boston. How did you pick Boston as opposed to other East Coast metropolises?

BR (B.Rich): Well, I was in Boston for school and I decided to stay for work as well. Always was intrigued by the city and I was right in the fact that I ended up loving it. Definitely a home away from home.


DM: What would you say are the advantages/disadvantages to a smaller urban scene like Boston compared to cities like NYC, LA or Philly?

BR: Well an obvious disadvantage to Boston in comparison to a place like New York... night life isn't really embraced by the city I don't think. If the T ran longer, or if clubs could stay open longer it'd be easier for kids to hit up multiple spots in one night and really everyone would win.


DM: What do you do besides composing and DJing? Did you study (anything music related)?

BR: Well, music was a hobby turned job (a jobby?) so it definitely is almost all that I do. I often put in 12-15 hour work days and wake up and do it again. But I do enjoy cooking and reading. Sometimes I just have to get away from it.

I did music when I was in Boston, at the New England Institute of Art.


DM: What does your live setup look like?

BR: Simple.. it's my mac book pro which I link into Serato. Easy!


DM: What does your current DAW consist of and what would you add to make it your dream DAW? Why do you prefer ______ (current sequencer) over others?

BR: I've been using Cubase SX on a PC for a minute. It's a quad-core/4gb RAM system that doesn't touch the internet so it's rock solid. Honestly I have no complaints and it does everything I need for now, so I don't plan on making any drastic changes. The occasional VSTi addition is obvious. I've been toying with Logic while I'm on the road so that I can start laying down more concrete ideas to take back to the studio.



DM: What are your favorite resources for digging up new music?

BR: My favorite is when all I have to do is open my email inbox... but other than that I frequent Boomkat, Juno Download, Beatport, etc.


DM: Some of your newer stuff seems to be a cross between dubstep and electro house, with the wobbly bass and/or half-time feel of dubstep mashed with the general tempo and energy of electro. This style almost seems to be a new movement born mostly in the Northeast US! What's your take on this?

BR: Well, I love all sorts of dance music so it was only natural to start blending them. It serves well for transitional periods in my live sets where I'll go from slower house music to the more amped up bassline/dubstep infused stuff. It seems to cater to a larger crowd, which is a bonus. I try and write things that I think everyone can kind of feel.


DM: We know you've taken up an interest in UK Funky. What makes this genre so interesting to you? Do you think it is a movement that really has some weight, or is it more of a temporary phase?

BR: It's just been a fresh of breath air for me [nice one Barrett!]. A lot of music was getting boring, same tricks being used. I'm a big fan of r&b, hip hop and a lot of uk funky has that same kind of vibe. Fits well with grime & dubstep and just has a more mature sound, It clearly has weight, it's (been) huge over there right now. Whether or not the whole U.S. will really get it, I don't know.


DM: What artists inspired you to start producing and performing electronic music? What artists currently inspire you?

BR: Well when I was a kid it was Moby that inspired me. Over the past 10 years or so I have been largely inspired by my friends AC Slater & Udachi. The ideas have always bounced and flowed off of all of us.. no matter what kind of music we were doing.


DM: What are a couple of unforgettable touring moments you've had so far?

BR: Club owner in ATL telling me to stop playing dubstep... even though everyone was vibin hard. A stuffed elmo flying at me in Pittsburgh and it hitting the turntable stop button. Studio time with Armanni Reign & Sporty-O in ATL. Slamming a Smirnoff Ice outside the club on a street corner in Orlando with Pauly Crush 'just because'.



DM: How do you see the future of electronic dance music in the US, as compared to say the UK or Germany?

BR: It is growing strong for sure. It'll just keep snowballin, ya know? Hopefully we can continue to push a more U.S. sound and contribute in that way.. as the U.S. has almost always followed the UK. But ya know.. its all good. Not a competition or anything.



DM: DRINKMUSIK is a blog based in Boston as well as Berlin. Any plans for taking over Europe?

BR: Yes, we are working on a UK/EU tour for late Jan/Feb. Probably will be for 3 weeks. Gonna be a good one! Will definitely be in Berlin.


DM: What are you currently working on? Any upcoming releases?

BR: Just before I left for tour I was working on an Ultra remix for Tommie Sunshine. I gotta finish that midway through the tour real quick. Just finished a handful of remixes for various labels.. some on the funky/house tip and some dubstep. My Party Like Us Remix EP drops this month which is gonna be huuuge. Remixes from Heavyfeet, Squires of Gothos, AC Slater, J. Rabbit and AutoErotique. I've been doing the songwriting thing while on tour now so I can have some material to work on when I get back.


DM: What do you associate with the word "DRINKMUSIK"?

Sounds a lot like an average night for me.


Thanks very much to Barrett for the interview. We are definitely looking forward to this event, it's going to be packed and insanely fun!!



Here's some promo tracks to snipe:

B.Rich - It'll Be Alright [feat local talent Domonique!]

download

La Roux - Tigerlily [B.Rich remix]

download


Mr J Medeiros - Holding On [feat Tara Ellis] [B.Rich remix]

download


And here's 2 of B.Rich's most recent promo mixes, no doubt we'll hear a lot of these tracks at BASS IS KING! Highly recommended:

B.Rich - Novemeber Promo Mix Pt 1 (Tracklist)

download

B.Rich - Novemeber Promo Mix Pt 2 (Tracklist)

download


Lastly, don't forget to pick up a copy of B.Rich's new release on Party Like Us Records later this month, and his recent Make Me Dance EP from July!

HOTFLUSH PODCASTS

Label of the hour, Hotflush Recordings, has been supplying us with some damn fine material. Mount Kimbie, Scuba, Sigha, Untold, Joy Orbison, Pangaea - what these artists have in common is that their tunes are hard to categorize. The kind where the last 20 comments on youtube are kids arguing about what genre it is, agreeing on something like "new-rave-dub-hop-abilly". But ultimately, all of these artists have a sound that is symptomatic for the label itself. And that's what makes Hotflush so hot. Music that is hard to define, but obviously Hotflush.

Apart from all the sweet releases, they're bringing us a podcast every month from one of their artists. This month's podcast comes from San Fransisco's Jus Wan.

You can also pick up the podcasts directly from the Hotflush website. We're just making your life a little easier!

Hotflush Podcast 05 (Nov) - Jus Wan

Here are the past ones, in case you missed 'em:

Hotflush Podcast 04 (Oct) - Skibble

Hotflush Podcast 03 (Sep) - Scuba

Hotflush Podcast 02 (Aug) - Sigha

Hotflush Podcast 01 (Jul) - Incyde

ENJOY!

Hardwax turns 20!

After Hyperdub and Ableton, here's another anniversary/birthday coming up that'll surely make for an amazing party, quite possibly the biggest of the lot. Berlin's legendary Hard Wax record store - one of the world's leading dealers of electronic music vinyls - turns 20 years of age this winter and to celebrate this accordingly, they've rented out the famous WMF club for a 3-level birthday bash with an armada of A-list DJ's on Dec 5th. If you happen to be around, DO NOT MISS IT!!! Seriously.
The Killasan Floor (main DJ floor) is named after the Killasan sound system that drives it. This behemoth of sound was passed on to Hard Wax by its owner, some japanese guy, who I guess couldn't make use of it in his living room.
Berghain resident Marcel Dettmann, Modeselektor, René Löwe, Errorsmith, Shed and Anthony "Shake" Shakir will be providing the ear candy among many others. Hardwax employees, all DJ's themselves of course, will also be showing off their skills behind the decks. Paul St. Hilaire, whom you might know from his collaborations with Mdslktr, will be on the mic alongside some friends during reggae/dub sets from Honest Jon's record shop co-founder Mark Ainley and Hard Wax owner Mark Ernestus, who'll be playing some of the early sets of the night.


A brief tour of Hardwax


Scuba - From Within (Marcel Dettmann Remix)

Modeselektor - Black Block (Rustie Remix)

Errorsmith - Near Disco Dawn (live)

Zombie Disco Squad

Here's another dynamic duo to keep your eyes on and ears open for: Zombie Disco Squad. These two London gentlemen have quickly established themselves, fusing hip-hop and (tropical) house to create an own signature sound. And do they know how to throw a party. Currently they're spinning around the globe, spreading their love, stopping by Berlin on their "Made to Play" tour for a gig at the Panorama Bar on Nov 28th, and on to NYC Dec 8th. If neither of these cities is anywhere close to you, be sure to check out further tour dates on myspace, cuz these guys are out and about a looooot.
As an extra lil tidbit, Zombie Disco Squad recently released a Mix for the XLR8R podcast, free for y'all to download!

Find all ZDS releases on Beatport!

Zombie Disco Squad - Vie!

(Download)

Zombie Disco Squad - Dance


(DL) Hess is More - Ssshhhh (Zombie Disco Squad Remix)

DOWNLOAD Zombie Disco Squad XLR8R Podcast Mix

Thomas Heckmann's Synth Museum

Here's some footage that will make every circuit nerd cream his pants. German techno producer Thomas Heckmann gives a tour of his studio, packed with synthesizers that he collected over the years. Some impressive stuff.
Thomas Heckmann has been around since the very early stages of techno in Germany, releasing his first record in 1991. He has founded 4 labels since then and worked under many aliases on countless productions, however without ever reaching any serious mainstream success.
Much of the audio is German with subtitles.

Part I


Part II

Happy Birthday Ableton!

Almighty Ableton is celebrating its 10th birthday! And we get the presents!!!

The Berlin based company's revolutionary flagship product "LIVE" quickly advanced from a smart concept to the industry standard in electronic music production, becoming one of today's most popular digital audio workstations. It's very hard to imagine electronic music today without this fine piece of software. But also rockbands like Garbage can't go without it anymore in their production process. Many big name artists have tried it for production, (re)mixing or live performance purposes. Most of them stick with it.

To celebrate this anniversary, Ableton has assembled a bunch of goodies for their users:

Free Live packs!
- 10 artists, including Apparat and Múm, provided LIVE packs to one or more of their songs for you to download and screw around with. Tweak and remix as much as you like (but remember dem copyright laws, so don't try to sell that shit!)

Sweeeet discounts
- up to 20% off Suite 8 and Live 8

Free upgrades
- for Live Lite and LE users

NEW PRODUCTS!!!
- Live Intro - not all of the functions, but for way less $$$

- Max for Live - interesting tool kit for creating instruments, effects or extensions; sounds very cool indeed. If you're already a licensed Live 8 user, you can join the Beta testing here. Set to hit stores Nov 23rd.

Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk on Ableton Live:

"I use Live anywhere, anyhow. I use it on my laptop as a notepad for remembering and experimenting with musical ideas, and as a personal-computer game—because I have more fun with it than most video games...Live is one of the most transparent and creative softwares I have ever used. The whole process is easy, simple and fun, yet with accessible sophistication and professional results."

Four Tet announces new album

Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet recently revealed the details to his 5th studio album - his first in over four years - which is to hit the stores January 25th. "There Is Love In You" will comprise nine new tracks - eight exclusives along with his current single "Love Cry", which will be released as part of a remix package later this month, complete with remixes by Joy Orbison and Roska.

Along with his album comes a 7-date mini tour of the UK that will kick off mid February. Joy Orbison will be joining in for the London gig. Here are the dates:

Feb 12 - O2 Arena, London
Mar 11 - Manchester Academy 1, Manchester
Mar 12 - TJ's Woodhouse Club, Leeds
Mar 13 - Bongo Club, Edinburgh
Mar 18 - Concorde 2, Brighton
Mar 19 - Custard Factory Arts Complex, Birmingham
Mar 20 - Fiddlers, Bristol

Four Tet - Love Cry

Five Years Of Hyperdub

The prestigious London label turns five! As a treat, Hyperdub released "5: Five Years Of Hyperdub" end of last month, a 2-Disc Compilation of their finest bits. With it, Hyperdub takes a look back at the past years in which they have largely contributed to shaping the dubstep scene, while giving a glimpse of the future, where the label will undoubtedly increase their influence on the genre.
Disc 1 compiles exclusive, unreleased tracks by Burial, Kode 9 and Zomby among others. Five of these tracks are said to be released as singles. Disc 2 is a bundle of Hyperdub's most popular releases. Online record stores like Boomkat can't keep up with the sales and are out of stock.
I've listened to it and am impressed by the wide range and unique vibe. It's packed with all the big names and many big tunes of the label and genre, so there's no way of going wrong. Burial delivers strong as usual with a new and exclusive track "Fostercare" as well as two - "South London Boroughs" and "Distant Lights" - re-mastered. I won't say I looooove all songs on the record, but I can't remember a handful of albums where that was ever the case. 7.5/10 from me.

Buy "5: Five Years Of Hyperdub" here.

Here's my selection of favorites old and new:

Burial - Fostercare

Download

Flying Lotus - Discoballs


Darkstar - Aidy's Girl's A Computer


Joker & Ginz - Stash


Zomby - Kaliko


Kode 9 & Spaceape - 9 Samurai



Along with all this, Kode 9 recently contributed a half-hour mix made up of UK Garage and 2-step from the years 1999-2002 to the XLR8R podcast.

Download Kode 9's Bubble 'N' Squeak Mix

11.21.09 NYC - Trouble & Bass DJs host JOKER, NOMAD, L-VIS 1990 & BOK BOK!!!

This one is going to be huge. Every DJ is worth seeing. $10 @ Santos Party House in NYC (tix here). You must go. Seeing Joker will be like seeing...a moose in the wild!

Beat Dimensions Vol 2

Beat Dimensions is a perfect name for this comp because it's like an alternate beat reality. I guess people have been saying that about the Wonky style for a while now (wtf is everyone's problem with the word wonky, anyway??), but seriously, check out these tunes below and tell me you've heard something like them before.

My personal fav is Ras G's because it's funny, but all of them are heavyweight works.

I first got into Wonky thru Boomkat's 14 Tracks compilation series (highly recommended) back in December of '08 when they put out a Wonky comp that featured some tracks from the first Beat Dimension comp (Tom Trago, Cinnaman). This second compilation is much better though in my opinion. Here's some samples, you decide:


Zo Aka La Chauve-Souris - The Peacock Revolution


Ras G - Crazy Alien


Samiyam - Swamp Tarts


P.U.D.G.E. - Reign Dancing With the Stars


Nosaj Thing - Fwd


Mono Poly - Distant From


Mike Slott - Cadeting


Low Limit - Turf Day


Dorian Concept - Be Tween


Dizz1 - Konotakosuke Yaro


Dimlite - Ravemond's Young Problems


Exile - Super Robot



Pick it up here, or any of your other favorite stores