DigitalSix Soundsystem

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Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:42:00 +0700

INDONESIA’S RAYMOND MARIO IS THE FEATURED ARTIST FOR FEBRUARY...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:30:00 +0700

INDONESIA’S RAYMOND MARIO IS THE FEATURED ARTIST FOR FEBRUARY over at www.eastendmusic.net

One Path to DJ Happiness

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:22:00 +0700

This article will not help you get famous or lead to gigs in front of 10,000 people. It will not help you do more amazing technical feats or impress your girlfriend with mad remixing skills. If either of those are your goals in DJing, please stop reading now.

THE MUSIC THEORY

Music, at its core, is a collection of vibrations. Some vibrations make certain people feel warm and fuzzy while the exact same song might make another person cringe and vomit.

When writing music, you get to carefully pick the exact collection of vibrations that perfectly represents your artististic “fingerprint”. Some people have a similar fingerprint, and love your music, while others simply don’t. The size of a band’s following may be less a reflection of their PR power but simply how many people share a similar taste. Bands that are really authentic seem to collect die hard fans over time that span decades and fads.

Digital DJing is a very powerful extension of this concept. Instead of writing each song from scratch, we can go out and collect music that makes us feel amazing in volume. If a DJ stays true to his core and collects music in that theme, chances are his fans will have similar taste and love all of it too. That my friend, is the simple recipe for a long and happy DJ career- if it comes from the right place.

PICKING THE WINNERS

This is where I am going to diverge strongly from the standard practice of being a popular DJ, and instead offer a path to becoming a happy DJ. Normally, you might be inclined to put together sets based on the following criteria:

Dancefloor potential
Popular tracks
New and fresh tunes
Rare tracks no one else has
The latest fad

Instead, what if you picked out a playlist that contained:

Timeless music that you love from the first listen to the 10,000th
Tunes that get you personally dancing through the entire set
Songs you would have on your iPod
Songs you really want to share with others

If you do a good job of attracting like-minded people to your shows, they will also love your music and everyone will walk away fulfilled. In that context, it doesn’t matter if there are 5 people or 500. You will be a truly happy DJ no matter what the outcome. If you happen to be one of the lucky few that blows up playing a sound they truly love – awesome. Double backflip 360 with cherries on top. If not, no problem, each gig was never a compromise and always fun.

SAGE ADVISE OR SPACE CADET CONCEPT?

This approach certainly will not be for everyone as there is no “right” path for musical bliss. Personally, I came to this conclusion after 15 years of DJing both ways:

Option 1: Playing songs that the people want to hear but I personally hated.

Result: Really bad physical and emotional side effects followed by epic stage 4 burn out.

Option 2: Playing music that I love, while focusing on attracting an audience that shares similar taste.

Result: I’m in love with DJing again.

THE FLIP SIDE

There are some DJs out there playing clubs, bars, weddings and parties where music they may not personally like is absolutely required. I am not suggesting you try to ram your personal taste down the general public’s throat. No, that is a fast track to unemployment. Instead I am suggesting that you might try to build a career or a sound around music you really love. I have a good friend that really, authentically loves great pop music and makes a killing playing mainstream clubs without ever burning out.

If DJing is just a creative and fun way to make money, then who cares – play whatever the club owner wants. If you want to truly love every minute of the journey however, and be a really happy DJ, it might be prudent to stay true to yourself and your passion – whatever that form may be.

LIFE IN A NUTSHELL

This article is a great example of the theory in practice. Some readers will loathe the content and find it annoyingly philosophical.

“Dammit Ean, lay off the hippie feel good kumbaya $h%† and show us how to beatgrid already”.

Others will connect with the concept and may come away with a fresh idea. The magic is that both are totally right – it’s just a matter of perspective and personal taste.

Paint Your DJ Gear White!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:10:00 +0700

Pioneer also seems to be finally jumping on the special edition white train, announcing that they’ll be producing limited runs of 1,000 units of the CDJ-2000-W(hite) and 500 units of the DJM-900nexus-W. They look snazzy, but at a striking price point of about $500 higher than the non-white editions, don’t plan on rushing out and buying ten of them. The CDJ-2000-W has a MSRP of $2150, while the DJM-900nexus-W will run $2399.

Traktor 2.5 and Kontrol F1 Announced By Native Instruments

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:06:13 +0700

Native Instruments had a party last night to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Traktor, and there they unveiled their powerful new version of Traktor as well as the new piece of hardware we’ve been waiting to learn more about, the Traktor Kontrol F1. Read more about NI CEO Daniel Haver’s semi-official announcement last night!

NI CEO Daniel Haver in front of Traktor Pro 2.5, holding a Kontrol F1

Editor’s Note: Looks like the video of the official announcement got taken down from YouTube, but you can get the idea from the screencap above.

We’ll have complete details on both the Kontrol F1 and Traktor 2.5 later this week, but for now we’re excited to see that Traktor is taking things to the next level with Ableton-style clip launching and performance modes that will continue to drive innovation in the DJ software world. In the video that was taken down, Daniel Haver refers to the new Traktor F1 and Traktor 2.5 Remix Decks as a package and feature set that he calls “Ableton-in-a-DJ-way”. Here’s his words from Saturday night:

“So those of you that like Ableton but actually didn’t feel that it’s quite a DJ product, (…) this is it. We take the whole production clipping aspect right into a DJ application, and these pads light up in just the same color as the cells in the Remix Decks.”

The new Traktor Remix decks mentioned in the video seem to be a promising step forward, and hopefully they’ll be completely open for intense mappings on not only the F1, but also on other controllers. In case you missed their official teaser video of the F1 and some of the Remix Deck features, check it out below.

Also mentioned during this announcement, the Kontrol F1 is set to drop early April, and that will most likely be concurrent with the release of Traktor 2.5. We talked to some folks at Native Instruments about the new software and they told us:

There are new Remix Decks set in a 4 by 4 configuration of clip launching units.
The sync mechanism for the loops has been totally revamped.
The software is expected to drop some time around April concurrently with the F1 controller
No word yet on if this will be a paid or free upgrade.

An Introduction To Mixing with DJ Isolators

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:01:19 +0700

It’s time to take a closer look at the powerful audio devices known as isolators. In today’s article, we take a look at what a DJ isolator is, how they came to be, how to mix with them, and who the modern auteurs of isolator mixing are.

WHAT IS AN ISOLATOR?

In basic terms, an isolator is a high quality, standalone DJ EQ with large knobs that’s attached to the master out. In contrast to traditional EQs, they are generally not used for the purposes of mixing, but instead to shape the sound and add color to your set. Isolators also feature wider frequency ranges, smoother pots, high quality amplification circuits, and much more gain per band (sometimes double).

In understanding how isolators work, it’s important to look back at the history of DJ technology. Isolators (and DJ EQs) come to us by way of their predecessor, the active crossover. Popularized by Richard Long Associates in the 1970’s, this device was a monumental leap forward. Brought about by new advances in discotheque sound systems, the active crossover allowed the DJ to split their mixer’s signal into bands by sending it through an op-amplification circuit and then through filters. These filters (low-pass, bandpass, and high-pass) route their respective frequencies to separate outputs which are then connected to their associated power amplifier and speaker–lows to woofer, fullrange (and later, mids) to drivers/horns, and highs to tweeters. This is called multi-amplification. Splitting the sound in this way results in greater speaker efficiency and higher fidelity in comparison to previous passive crossover designs that utilized one power amplifier for the entire system.

A consequence of this device was that not only did it make things sound better, but it also offered the DJ control over the gain of these frequency ranges via potentiometers. Early disco mixers with an eye towards enhancing their sets were quick to pick up on the fact that they could use their crossovers for dramatic effect. Caught up in the creativity of the moment these DJs learned to cut the signal going to the sub, amplify the signal going to the tweeters, and in general, work the overall sound as it went through the system.

The RLA crossover was an incredibly popular design and could be found in many of New York’s most famous clubs during the heydays of disco and house (Studio 54 and Paradise Garage being two big ones). Yet, despite its onetime popularity, the active crossover as a DJ tool had some drawbacks. Since it allows the DJ direct control over the volume of a given band’s speaker, the active crossover can cause blown speakers and hearing damage in the hands of someone that doesn’t know what they’re doing. Though still used to divide frequencies today, active crossovers are generally not used for dramatic effect (of course, there are some exceptions).

The progression from crossover to isolator is a simple one. The only real difference between the two is that the isolator collects the three bands into a ganged stereo output. This process castrates the crossover by making it effectively worthless for tri-amplification purposes. The DJ then no longer has control over the volume levels of each part of the physical soundsystem but instead is responsible for the relative volume levels of the bands in the overall master mix.

HOW TO DJ WITH AN ISOLATOR

You might imagine that DJing with an isolator is similar to DJing with a DJ EQ. You would be fairly correct in that assumption. Yet, isolators afford more control over the music. When you roll off the bass on an isolator it takes out much more of the bass frequencies. For example, the E&S X3004 gives you control of everything from 10-300 Hz. Contrast this with the Pioneer’s DJM 800 bass EQ (10-100 Hz) and you get an idea of the difference in frequency range between built-in EQ and a dedicated isolator. Here’s a video of someone adjusting the frequencies on their E&S as a demonstration (note: it’s modded to not have as much gain).

Since the crossover days there has arisen an unofficial school of DJ technique that almost rivals turntablism in its complexity. Different than turntablism however is that none of these techniques have official names. Sure, you can cut the bass (who can’t?), but can you add tremolo to the midrange and make it sound good? The art of isolation is an art of unsubtle manipulation of dynamics and the easiest way to become inspired is by learning through example.

Joe Claussell (above) is considered by many to be one of the most prolific (and controversial) isolator users. His fingers never leave the knobs and he manipulates the individual frequencies to create a staccato effect that emphasizes the vocals and dramatic tension of the music. You’ll notice that his touch creates an almost broken effect in the rhythm.

Similar, but more laid back, is Theo Parrish who, while he’s still all over the isolator, lets his tracks breath. His style isn’t so much to create new rhythms so much as to play with the tension of the music and emphasize individual sonic elements in the music (such as the electric piano line). Watch the above video and witness what the smoothness of an isolator can do in the hands of someone who has a lot of balls.

On a different tip is Derrick May who utilizes the isolator as an entirely rhythmic tool. He uses his isolator to create a jagged sound sculpture with abrupt moments spent on each band. He’s constantly changing frequencies and this creates layers of depth to his otherwise loopy and one-dimensional track. Again this is another way that isolators can be used, to create dynamic rhythms. If you watch him, you can see that he almost looks like he’s playing the drums.

Final Notes

The past three videos all showed examples of people going nuts on the isolator. While it can be fun to do this from time to time, unless you are one of those top-notch DJs above, you ought to bare in mind the following axiom: “everything in moderation.” Going Joe Claussell on an audience that’s not attuned to it will only result in people wishing you would stop. A part of playing with dynamics and understanding how to use an isolator is to know when to let a track rest and allow the dancers to enjoy the music as it was recorded by the artist. Understand this and perhaps someday you’ll be able to achieve the level of euphoria exhibited in the next video.

POPULAR ISOLATORS

- Gary Stewart Audio ISO X
- Electronique Spectacle E&S X3004
- Dope Real Model 3300
- Thrive Bender
- Systems By Shorty SBS S3X
- Vestax DCR-1500
- Alpha Recording Systems ARS Model3500
- Bozak Iso-X

via DJTECHTOOLS

AUDIO KOLLEKTIVSaturday - January 14, 2012 at 356 Eco Barwith...

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:46:00 +0700

AUDIO KOLLEKTIV
Saturday - January 14, 2012 at 356 Eco Bar

with special guests:
ADITH BIGGIE (1945MF)
STEVANUS IRAWAN (8 PRODUCTION)

and our own:
FIRBOY (DIGITALSIX/BURNSCODE)
ARYO IZRAIL (DIGITALSIX)
MC ZARRY HENDRIK (DIGITALSIX)

also 365 Eco Bar’s residents :
LAY and RIDWAN G

JOIN THE R:EVOLUTION!!GET YOUR PRESALES NOW @ Rp 150.000,-THE...

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:18:45 +0700

JOIN THE R:EVOLUTION!!

GET YOUR PRESALES NOW @ Rp 150.000,-
THE GOODS DEPT (Plaza Indonesia Ext. 4th Floor)
FAIRGROUNDS (Ex-Bengkel Nightpark)
FUTURE10 (Wijaya Grand Center Blok G.10 ph: 021-7205837)
SATCAS (LOT 49 - Panglima Polim)

Tickets On The Spot Rp 200.000,-

Paul Mawhinney was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Over the...

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:07:06 +0700

Paul Mawhinney was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Over the years he has amassed what has become the world’s largest record collection. Due to health issues and a struggling record industry Paul is being forced to sell his collection.

This is the story of a man and his records. I hope you enjoy it.

veryapeproductions.com

Footage recorded @ Pallas Records in Diepholz, Germany, one of...

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:07:06 +0700

Footage recorded @ Pallas Records in Diepholz, Germany, one of the last factories in Europe producing vinyl records. Footage covers many aspects of the production of a vinyl record in a loose manner, combining it with the sound of Bunker Hill and the track “pushing …”

Treat your ears right. Listen to this album. “THE GIVENDS...

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:03:00 +0700

Treat your ears right. Listen to this album.

“THE GIVENDS benefit compilation (vol.1) is a unified effort from artist to support arts/music programs that benefit at risk and underprivileged youth”

Good music for good cause indeed and this compilation fills with heavyweight artists such as The Rebirth, Josh One, Mark de Clive Lowe, Vikter Duplex and much more.

Be sure to get this because it’s only available for free (you can also donate) at their bandcamp until December 25th, 2011. Please like their Facebook page HERE

Enjoy.

via www.thegoodnws.com

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Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:39:00 +0700

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Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:06:30 +0700

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Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:54:54 +0700

Interview: Morgan Geist

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:44:00 +0700

It’s been eight years since Brooklyn duo Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani released their eponymous album as Metro Area. Drawing on R&B, disco, boogie, house and techno, it not only stood the test of time, but is now rated as one of the finest underground dance albums of all time. After a trip to London for the Red Bull Music Academy, Morgan spoke to Juno Plus editor Aaron Coultate about Metro Area’s new “bubblegum” sound, his own solo work and the era of disposable music.

News surfaced a while back about a second Metro Area album – where are you guys at in the recording process?

Yeah Darshan (Jesrani) and I have been working on it for years, and it’s been coming along really slowly. But we’ve made some good progress this year. We want it to develop organically, we don’t want to rush it, but at the same time our last record came out so long ago we kind of want to get it done (laughs).

How does it compare to your debut LP?

Some of the tracks have a humorous, bubblegum feel to them. You know, a weird synth pop vibe. We are big Devo fans and we love Yazoo. The first album was moody and dark, and I think that appealed to a lot of people. Our tracks would end up on the Cocktail Songs 97 compilation or something on that because people thought it was dark and sexy, and that made us want to puke. So I think our next album will disappoint those people. A lot of it is in major key. It’s not silly, but it definitely has a new wave feel to it. If we simply picked up where we left off it would sound, and I don’t want to use the word dated here because I think our music can stand the test of time, but it wouldn’t sound fresh. There’s that struggle between not wanting to take too much notice of trends and what people are saying and remaining stagnant. You try and use an internal guide, otherwise you lose your creative compass.

What kind of reception do you think it will get?

I was speaking to Jeremy from Junior Boys and he said his first record was icy cold, and people liked it. Subsequently, and especially by the time the third record came around, people didn’t like what he was doing, they didn’t like his sounds. People don’t associate deep emotions with major keys, but you listen to Motown music and it’s so uplifting and major but you listen to the lyrics and it’s all about heartbreak, and it’s incredibly depressing. So I am a little concerned what people with think of our next record, especially if they listen to it superficially. I hope people realise the contrast, and I’m thankful when they do. In fact, I’m thankful and surprised when anybody gives a fuck!

Do you think it will be more or less accessible than your previous work?

I used to have this fascist underground attitude to music, where obscurity was an asset. But I’m not really like that any more, I’m psyched by the idea of someone of my parents’ generation liking the record, as well as a 16-year-old kid. I have listened to a lot of 80s R&B and pop, and often that kind of stuff would be in two charts at once. It appeals to the underground and the mainstream. I like the idea of making some underground record where only 500 copies are pressed, and I like the idea of making something like a Chic track that becomes massive.

How much of the record is actually done?

Erm, 9/16ths (laughs). Usually one of us will start a track, then we’ll bring the other one into it. So at the moment we have this bunch of skeletons, with an arrangement and melody.

What are the notable differences so far?

Well this time we want to use vocals. Nerds like us have been doing house and techno for so long, that writing a song with vocals is like writing two songs in one. For a songwriter or lyricist, it is the same process, you write your lyrics and your melody. We write dance records and record that first, then implement the vocals which means a lot of tweaking and rearrangement. Half the reason we started Metro Area was because we were sick of house and techno that was loopy and predictable. But I have to admit, vocals are a pain in the ass. With our first record, people could take it wherever they wanted to. If you add a lyric, it pushes it in a certain direction. Ten years ago I didn’t like lyrics, now I like to listen to songs with lyrics… See, this is why we are taking so long to record the album … too much philosophical bullshit!

And are you working on any solo productions at the moment?

I am doing some solo stuff with this vocalist, I met him through a friend who heard him singing on the subway. He’s from the Bronx. He might end up on the Metro Area record so I don’t want to say too much yet. He’s a bit rough around the edges, which sounds unflattering, but he’s a natural talent and I like the idea of using him while he is still a bit rough and unrefined. He’s got this gravely smoky voice, and I think he brings this amazing raw ingredient. His mother was in Earth, Wind and Fire so he comes from a very musical background.

Will you release a solo album or just some singles?

The music industry is in a weird spot…singles are working again. I think I’m going to start another sub label to release this work. Metro Area was originally going to be the name of my sub label, but then Darshan and I started working together and it seemed to be the right name for what we were doing. We both live in NY now, but were both from the metro area. So yeah, I’m not good at leaving shit alone in other words. I try and make 12” dance records and I end up with a proper song instead. I’m really psyched about it though, it will just be a Morgan Geist release, hopefully I’ll have one single out before the summer.

And how is your Environ label going? Do you have much involvement in the day-today running of the imprint?

Well it’s my label so most of the work is up to me. It takes up a lot of my time, and it’s getting less and less fun. I’ve been doing it for 15 years now, and I probably sound like a broken record, but the music industry isn’t what it used to be. It’s fucked up. It’s not fun a lot of the time, a lot of administrative stuff. And then there’s the pressure of putting out a record. A few years ago even a relative failure would still earn you your money back, but that is not the case now, especially with physical products. But I still get excited about releasing a Kelley Polar or Daniel Wang release, because they are friends of mine. And I know artists are not supposed to admit this, but I have a definite entrepreneurial streak. I liked selling records, and not just the money, but because it used to be a real barometer of interest. That’s not the case these days – now people can just go and download this stuff for free. As I see it, there is no sacrifice on their side. It’s funny to think of money in that way, but there is a truth in it. I’m basing it on my experiences as a kid, were I’d catch the bus into the city to buy a new 12” and if you didn’t like it you’d still spend time listening to it and trying to like it because you’d spent all your money on it. Now if people don’t like the first 10 seconds on their iPod, they skip to the next song.

Does that make it harder to do what you do?

Having a label is weird, because you’re putting in effort, but still get put in the same category as people who churn out releases. I’m pretty strict, Kelley Polar probably hates me because we spend time mixing frequencies that don’t even come out on an iPod (laughs). Making music is a bit like handing out party fliers now, some people read it but most people just throw it on the ground. It’s hard to swallow if you’ve always taken pride from making non-disposable music. Obviously people do make disposable music and that’s fine, but it’s spirit crushing for the rest of us. There’s so much shit coming out. I hate feeling like an old grumpy fuck, but I can’t identify with this culture. My little sister is 16 and I can’t believe the way she consumes music.

Will these changing attitudes towards music affect you at all in the studio?

No. We are doing what we want to do. The truth is we wouldn’t do an album if we were basing it on the way people consume music now. The way it stands, people will find their favourite track – or their favourite two if we’re lucky – and download them. I see it all the time with the invoices I get for downloads, there’s like five nerds like me downloading the whole album and then 500 downloads of “Miura” or “Atmosphrique”.

So you think the disposable nature of music these days is of detriment to the underground music scene?

It’s just that there’s so little payback and so much abuse. If people hunted it down, cared about it, that would be different. I shouldn’t be so cynical, because I guess that’s how it’s always been in one way or another, but at least people were kind of forced to check the other songs out when they bought an LP. It’s all there in wax so you might as well. Being able to pick and choose is great for the major labels, but we put in the same energy for every track, and with our album we tried to make an arch, an overall flow. Would you put a Pink Floyd album on halfway through, listen to one song and turn it off? It’s just that music is my whole live, and now it’s become a soundtrack to something else, a lifestyle thing. People are aware of music, but they don’t love it as much.

Smooth Mix by Nyemee.

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:39:59 +0700

Smooth Mix by Nyemee on Mixcloud

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Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:32:00 +0700

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Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:13:00 +0700

We all have something in common, it’s about time we get...

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:45:40 +0700

We all have something in common, it’s about time we get together!

Shot, mixed & directed by Leftfield LeisureA/V Samples...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:14:49 +0700

Shot, mixed & directed by Leftfield Leisure

A/V Samples respect to
Feremegelete - DigitalSix pres. Don’t Panic! | Moodymann - Ol’ Dirty Vinyl | Azari & III - Indigo | The Light Surgeons + Robert Allan Weiser - Thumbnail Express/Gilligan’s Travel | Gil Scott-Heron - Angel Dust | Oliver $ - Doin’ Ya Thing (Original Mix) | Blondie - Rapture | Benjamin Whalley’s Once Upon A Time In New York