I know I'm going through some writer applications and stuff, but I figure we could run a sort of, contest. Hm...
I've had the idea for a while, so let's consider this a trial run. This afternoon, I recorded some stuff on my Alesis Micron into my Korg KP3. Mixing it came out pretty decent, but I had an idea of running a little experiment.
So here it is, download the very, very small clip pack I've provided (2 short synthlines, a simple kick drum, and a hihat loop). Nothing complicated, at all. I tried to make this a blank canvas. Where do you come in? Your job, shall you accept it, is to make something cool out of this. I came up with the title "Succubus," so essentially, create a remix, mashup, whatever you'd like.
Send it to me at prezjordan(at)ilictronix.com with the subject "Prez, here's my mix - YOURNAMEHERE" Here are some guidelines...
- You MUST use all 4 samples somehow - The ID3 data MUST be as follows => Title : Succubus (YourName Remix), Aritst : Prez Jordan, Album : Succubus - The Experiment - You may include whatever else you'd like, feel free to include more synths, effects, samples, etc. - Submissions are due Tuesday, May 4th
I will listen to all of them, choose some winners, and include them in a post sometime next week. Be creative, be weird, be good, be whatever. Stand out. My favorite mixer will more than likely receive a prize.
So get crackin, start off by downloading the pack here. If you submit, leave a comment saying so.
This week has been a nightmare for me. Asthma attacks, Allergies, Sinus Infections,and lots of bed rest have just killed my weekend. However, I did manage to accomplish one good thing out of this: Producing an epic progressive house track for our good friend EarlGrey.
Earl is a Filter Dance/House Musician who can really get a party going with his versatile and massively banging tracks. He works under the label Get Some Records (Which is down atm so no link right now) and has made remixes for lots of artists under that label, such as Dark DJ.
Anyways, last night,Earl decided to create a prog track, and he asked for people to help produce the track. I took up the mantle and decided to help him out and, 12 hours later, The track is finished. To put it frankly, its an epic prog track. It has a very mau5-like feel to it, sorta like Faxing Berlin. Earl liked the result so much, he requested i put this up to show you guys and that's what i plan to do :) Please Enjoy as its my first collab/production of any track!
Note: Also, dont be afraid to speak out your mind: this is just a rough copy. If you think there needs to be some alterations,let us know right away. :D
Ladies and gentlemen. I was going to post some teasers from Bobby Analog's "Bare Back Jack" EP (fucking fantastic, btw) but this track is simply too good to ignore any longer.
Magna, one of PGR's newer additions, has been churning out disco house for just a few short months, and already he's crafted his first veritable banger. I present to you, Power Supply:
Magna - Power Supply
This sounds like the sweet sounds of Poka and The Phantom's Revenge having an orgy at Fake Blood's house with Oizo DJing in the background.
I challenge you to find me a better track than this. Go ahead. I'm waiting. (Also: Magna appears to be looking for remixers. His MySpace is here. Go get 'em. :D)
We love posting music, and that's pretty much what all the focus is on these days. Sometimes, however, I like to get in touch with the community. So I have a question for you.
What is your academic background?
What college(s) have you attended? What degrees have you received? Still in school? Where? If you're too young, how about what High School, Middle School? Just share it with the rest of the site, I'm curious to learn more about you guys.
Maybe once a week I'll post questions like these. It's sort of a nice break from this whole "music" thing.
The Phantom's Revenge never ceases to impress me. Every single release is so pleasing to my ears, it situates him as one of my favorite artists of all time. His latest track, which is, unfortunately, unsigned, is no exception to this trend. Very rarely do my posts include one track, and when they do, you know it's something I consider...pretty damn good.
So with that, enjoy! And be sure to spread this baby around, I got permission to do so this afternoon :)
The staff has changed a little over the course of ilictronix, and to be honest, my favorite part is reading applications. It's very cool to see how much you guys can dedicate yourselves, and how this blog will be full of talent, regardless of whom I choose.
I have decided to use Google Docs, rather than the traditional "email-me" way of applying, just because it's much easier to manage, and it looks better.
So anyway, get on it! The application is pretty straightforward. And you know the rules - don't lie, put some effort into it, and above all, impress me. Within the next few weeks, the whole team will be reading these, so cater to all interests.
Yep its the 909th post of ilictronix. if you are a DP fan, you will know of this reference here. :) Anyways i have Good News and Bad news. Bad news is: ive lost everything i got for the next request post. I need you guys to email me what you've sent me last time ASAP, or, if you havent already, send me some now! Heres the good news: I have finished the EP/Mixtape i made so now i can give you guys some cool tracks to listen to!
First up we have a brilliant modernized edit of Le Knight Club's Soul Bells by Quinten 909! (no this didnt have anything to do with the post name...well ok a little) featuring some excellent beatboxing and other crunchy extras, this mix keeps things uptight and groovin without removing any of the classic Soul Bells from it. You'll love it!
As some of you may or may not know, Todd Edwards (the guy who did the vocals for DP's Face to Face) just recently released a free EP named Scion A/V Remix (Idk why its called that). Basically its a Remix EP of his new song I might be and I must say, the remixes are impressive.MJ Cole's Remix is no exceptionIt takes a bright housey track, and gives it sort of a distant choppy pogo-esque/electronic feel to it. If you want the whole EP, you can get it here
The next one up here is for all of you progressive electronic/trance/house fans out there. As of recently, Kaskade has released a single named Dynasty, and it was sent out to get people pumped for his new album. Well i bought it and gave it a listen. its epic. I cant really give a further explanation to that really.
And last, but not least, some shameless self-promotion from me. You know i hate doing this for personal issues, and the last time i did this i didnt get great reception. I didn't give up,however,so i kept on working until i made my greatest mix, Stylo-F (Stylo vs Pryda's F12). I liked it so much, i wanted to expand it into a Mixtape/Remix EP. In just two and a half weeks, I was able to get several mixes and an album cover, and release it as well. I assume most of you have heard the original before, so i want to put up a remix of it and i want to hear your opinion on it. Here is Earl Grey's Smexy Remake of Stylo-F and I want you guys to comment and criticize on it :) Be honest now.
We all like a nice mix, but sometimes you dont have time to listen to the whole thing. Thats why God created the 5 minute minimix. Popularized by Annie Mac's Radio 1 show, this kind of minimix is great, because you get to see the skill of the artist, his tastes and its all over in 5 minutes.
We start off with Grum. Quite a lot of 80's disco in here, but still managing to squeeze in some of his own stuff and some Bangalter. And who doesnt like that?
Tracklist: Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere Duran Duran - Girls On Film Donna Allen - Serious Foreigner - Urgent B.W.H - Stop The Flirts - Passion Digital Emotion - Dont Stop Toto - Africa Moroder - Im Left Youre Right Thomas Bangalter - Turbo Fischerspooner - Get Confused Grum - Woah Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star Telex - Moskow Diskow Robbie Williams - Lovelight (Soulwax Remix) Daft Punk - Aerodynamic Kenny Jammin jason with Fast Eddie Smith - Can U Dance Justice - Newjack Human League - Dont You Want Me Go West - Goodbye Girl Expose - Come Go With Me Orbital - Lush 3-1 Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You Pointer Sisters - Dare Me Le Knight Club - Soul Bells Styx - Mr Roberto Kano - Another Life Felix da Housecat - Control Freq Company B - Fascinated Grum - Sound Reaction Doctor’s Cat - Feel the Drive Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy (Grum Remix) Outrage - That Piano Track Grum - Runaway Fleetwood Mac - Never Forget
Now we have our very good friend Attack Yourself!. The transitions are quite simple in this one, but there are some very inventive mashups here, like Fan Out and Juke Dat Girl and Fences with Rock With You. One of the best i've heard.
Tracklist: Johnny Corporate - Sunday Shoutin' (B Boys Shoutin Dub) Modjo - Chillin' Burns - Kiss N' Hold (Leonardus Remix) Fukkk Offf - Rave Is King (Le Castle Vania Remix) Roger Sanchez - Another Chance Fake Blood - Mars (Herve Re-Edit) Shakedown - At Night (Kid Creme Remix) Daft Punk - Teachers Jean Moustache - Choucroute Zombie Nation - Mystery Meat Affair (Shadow Dancer Remix) Mr Oizo Feat. Uffie - Steroids (Mr Oizo Remix) Duran Duran - The Reflex Thomas Bangalter - Spinal Beats Tori Amos - Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix) Surkin - Fan Out Dj Gant Man - Juke Dat Girl Jess & Crabbe - Big Booya The Human League - Together In Electric Dreams Dj Falcon & Thomas Bangalter - Together Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F1-11 Justice - New Jack Michael Jackson - Rock With You Phoenix - Fences (Acapella) Sidechains - Dr. Funk Daft Punk - Something About Us Daft Punk - Da Funk Cassius - Club Soixante Quinze Club Cavalry - Feels So Right
And to finish, the king of the minimix. His Majesty Andre's minimix has some 150 tracks all bundled up in 5 minutes, but with incredible skill he manages to make them all work together. Want to make a minimix? Listen to the pros.
Tracklist included in the tag. (comment section. Visible in Winamp, dunno about other players.)
Enjoy!
PS: I probably wont post until June, due to massive workload (9 tests in May + papers and presentations. Dear teachers: Do you really need to do 2 tests in 7 weeks?)
What's up guys? So we have a little feature on this site called "The Finder." This allows you guys to request tracks that the community then goes out and looks for. It's been fairly successful, but unfortunately it's a real pain in the ass to manage. So I've enlisted the help of the internets.
I've been a redditor (http://reddit.com) for a little while now, and I really like it. For those of you unfamiliar with the site, you essentially post links (or just text) in specific boards, which people then rate and comment on.
I figured this would be a pretty good platform for the finder, so I created FindThisTune. Read the "welcome" post to get started, but it's pretty straight forward. Just create some posts (after signing up, of course) with the prefix FTT. Then, then the community will set out and look! I hope to make some pretty damn good discoveries on here.
Anyway, use this tool to identify tracks from youtube, find rare releases, ask for some info on a particular artist or song, or whatever else you can think of! The tools are all yours!
I'm a sucker for gimmicks. I bought an iPod Touch, a KP3, a Kaossilator, and I came pretty damn close to buying myself a DSi. Coincidentally, I'm a sucker for popped out songs that sound "catchy." I can't help myself.
First, let's get this 800lb gorilla out of the way.
Next, some goodies from the East. Wulf just did a great post on a Japanese group, m-flo, but let's tap into the other Beast of the East, India. Unfortunately the original version is barely electronic, but hey, some people dance to this stuff.
And here's the Jay Z rap version that was a pretty big hit here in the states a few years back. To be honest, I find this one equally catchy. The beat is pretty nice too. But oh well, haters gon' hate. Wouldn't call this a remix, but hey, it's not up to me.
Not doing it for you? How about some blast-to-the-face JPop, courtesy of Ryu & Sota. Some vomit at this stuff, but after a stressful day, sometimes I like to unwind with the drug-frenzied hyperbeats that powerpop trance has to offer. It also makes for a great DDR song :P
And lastly, the second release from our favorite new-new-new wave rock group "Jamaica." Produced by Xavier de Rosnay and Daft Punk's sound engineer, this power group is bound to go places. I can feel it.
I'm gonna be honest, this was a pretty odd post, mainly because I have some conflicting emotions in my life right now. How are things for you guys? Let me know in the comments below.
Since the age of 12 I have been enamored with all things Japanese. (Read: I was a weeaboo.) Though most of that attraction has faded and been transferred to other countries (France, maybe?), one particular subset of modern Japanese music will never fade from neither my memory nor my mp3 player. That, of course, is not J-pop, Shibuya-kei or whatever it is that they play at sumo wrestling championships, but the very genre that is m-flo.
m-flo has been in existence since around 1997, and yet they are virtually unknown outside of Japan. Comprised by MC Verbal and producer Taku, this dynamic duo of sorts has continually churned out the most innovative electronic and sampled music of all genres (house, hip hop, jungle, acid jazz, you name it). They have released five full-length albums and an accompanying remix album for each, getting more creative and more crazy by each one. I'm going to try and narrow this down to what I feel are the best tracks across the board, but I'll probably end up doing another post on this one, so enjoy nonetheless.
Yes, this motherfucking song is called Astrosexy. So what? Originally conceived as a title theme song for the Japanese version of Astro Boy (no, really), this track is a cavalcade of vocoded goodness and synths to dance all night to. Chemistry's crazy space vocals really seal this track, and the auto-tuned intro, though cheesy, is pretty rad. I don't know why I like this track so much, but I just always keep coming back for more.
I would say this is about as housey as m-flo goes, but it really isn't. This wonderful blend of piano grooves, Monday Michiru's delightful vocals and filters galore has solidified this track as one of my all-time favorites. This is practically the track that got me into house music, before I even knew what it was. Aside from all of that though, the track just sounds good. In a sour mood? Listen to this and you'll be happy again. I guarantee it.
And, to wrap this up, the hip-hop side of m-flo. This is from their first album, Planet Shining, and it shows off their creative sampling in the most subtle of ways. This track features Lisa, who departed from the group after their second album. Most of their tracks feature at least one other artist (as evidenced by the two tracks above). Lisa has since made some, errr, interesting tracks.....
Check for part 2 soon. (And yes, I'm aware that now Galactik Knights and m-flo are bosom buddies. And yes, I'm insanely jealous. ;_;) -Wulf
So a while back, I asked you guys to send in your mixes. To be honest, the results were practically overwhelming. Fortunately for everyone, I went through them all, and I found quite a bit of talent.
Boston's own GMGN (Good Morning Good Night) has been featured on this blog before with their remix of Ratatat's "Loud Pipes" making it all the way to #1 on the Hypem Charts. While relatively new, these two DJs sure know how to work with sound. Their original tracks are top-notch, but their mixes and remixes are simply mind-blowing.
So today I have a treat for you, sent to me directly from Ben. It has quite a few plays already in my iTunes, and at 46 minutes long, that means something - I keep coming back for more. Enjoy, because I sure know I did. The intro hooked me instantly, and the mix was so energetic and entertaining I couldn't believe it. You'll wish it were even longer.
Douster – King Of Africa Calvin Harris – Flashback (DJ Kue Remix) Crookers ft Mike Snow – Remedy (Magik Johnson Remix) Gramophone – Why Don’t You Gorillaz – Stlyo (Alex Metric Remix) Simian Mobile Disco – It’s The Beat (Shit Robot Remix) Jump Jump Dance Dance – Show Me The Night (Grum Remix) The Yank – We Can’t Be Stop Ratatat – Loud Pipes (GMGN Remix) Bag Raiders – Turbo Love (Light Years Remix) Don Diablo – Too Cool For School (GMGN Cheeky Edit) Uffie – MC’s Can Kiss (Zombie Disco Squad) C-Code – Burning Up In Here (Rubix Remix) Ducksauce – aNYway (Black Noise Disco Mix) Ou Est Le Swimming Pool – Dance the Way I Feel (Armand Van Helden Remix)
And as a bonus, a remix they sent me of The Brothers Johnson's famous "Stomp." Can you remember the famous house jam that sampled this? ;)
So. Friday was quite something. I'm pleased to say that everything went off without a hitch, everyone played great sets, and I think it's safe to say that everyone had a great time.
As it turns out, Steve Aoki is a pretty nice guy. I would also say, surprisingly... unassuming. Or at least, that was my experience. But holy shit, when he gets up on stage, and grabs that mic, and starts doing the scream-along to Warp - It's quite something. Great performer. His set definitely had some hit and miss moments though - his close association with all the acts on Dim Mak bleeding through clearly - often leading to an unfortunately homogenized sound. Which is not entirely unexpected, hell, maybe it's exactly what you wanted.
But hey.
Either way, my part of the show went very well indeed. Having said that - here's my set from the night:
25. Lose Control (Mr. Oizo Bootleg) - Missy Elliott
26. Stylo (Alex Metric Remix) - Gorillaz
27. Put That Pussy On Me (Acapella) - Spank Rock
28. Who Are You (Bloody Beetroots Remix) - The Proxy
29. Washing Up (Tiga Remix) - Tomas Andersson
30. Interruptafunk - Battle Beyond the Stars
Enjoy!
Phil.
P.s. In case you think I'm simply going to ignore the other DJs who played on the night, I have a whole separate post planned focusing on my favorite Cape Town based DJs and producers. Look forward to it soon!
So apparently in a strange combination of random keystrokes, I erased my entire mailbox. Luckily, I'm pretty on top of everything, so the stuff deleted was stuff I'd never reply to anyway :P So I'll consider it a great way to clean up.
To show that I do in fact read my inbox/twitter messages/shoutbox, here are some great tunes I've stumbled upon, thanks to my loyal readers.
To kick things off, how about a mix? I recently asked you guys to send me some mixes for the blog. While this one was not made FOR the blog, it's still pretty great. Unfortunately, I lost all the info from that email, so I'll just shut up and post the track :) Hopefully this gets some exposure, it's pretty great.
Next, a remix from my favorite phantom. Props go to Korbi for posting this. It's starts off pretty action-packed and pulsing, like any other TPR track, but eventually gives Calvin Harris the justice he deserves for his vocals. Also, the title is a mouthful, and hysterical. Enjoy.
Next is one of the best remixes I've heard in a long time. From the funky side of Youth Attack comes some amazing French House talent, and this remix is no exception. The breaks blend so flawlessly with each other, and the rhythm is just great. A bajillion thumbs up from me indeed. To top it all off, this track was mastered by the great Tommie Sunshine.
And lastly, I have a true rare gem from the pre-new-millennium house movement. Again, I lost all of the information for this track from the "reckoning" in my email inbox. Hopefully the fan who sent this to me can provide that same info in the comments section :) It's very light and soulful, which will definitely make it stand out in the post.
So that about does it. Again, feel free to email me anything at anytime. Please, oh god please, don't just add me to another mailing list, because I can tell whether or not it's spam. Make it personal enough, and I might listen to what you have to offer :P
Remember, all credit goes to my loyal fans. All I do is write about it :) So thanks guys, I mean it.
Okay, who didn't effing love this game when they were growing up? I sure as hell did. Which is why today I'm happy to present an artist who shares its lovely moniker. (Or at least part of it.)
Melee Beats, aka Nic Bertino, is a 25-year old producer out of Sacramento, California. His music infuses the disco house sounds we know and love with creative vocals and electropop beats and synths. He has released three albums since 2005, all full of delicious disco goodness.
Our first track, Distraction, is a bit of a mixed bag. The vocals are a bit dull, but the talkbox and filter synths more than make up for it. It's a dark and funky excursion into house and it's begging to be remixed, chopped and dropped in your favorite club. (Side note: Anyone who remixes this will be my hero.)
Someone Like You is a bit more downtempo and gives me kind of an Evil Stereo/Nicholas vibe. The sample combined with bass and a beautiful keyboard and guitar arrangement makes for a groovy lounge trip. It's music to be played during an important scene in a dramatic B-movie. Or music for the subway, or for the street. Point being, it's music, and good music at that.
Sorry for the sucky quality. Ripped from Soundcloud, hehe. ;D
Finally, we have ourselves an exclusive remix of the track Girlhype by GXC artist Arnold Ziffel. The original Girlhype pales in comparison to this disco house-infused piece of work. Filters and phasers galore make this a track to remember. The last we heard from Arnold Ziffel was his creative yet subpar EP "Russian Love Machine"--looks like he is sharpening his skills, however. If anyone has other tracks of his, please send them in.
Oh thank God. My internet connection is finally working again. Properly.
Let's get down to business.
Birdy Nam Nam are a group of turntabalists from France, who do some really, really incredible things with custom pressed vinyl. They've won the DMC Technics World Team Championships. They're named after a line from 'The Party'. They're pretty darn great.
They recently released 'Manual for Successful Rioting' - These are a few of my favorites from the album:
Oh, also, I'll be opening for Steve Aoki (along with Lapse, Haezer and GraveDanger) for the first show of his South African tour tomorrow night. Expect a report back with my complete DJ mix from the show soon!
Guys, I have horrible news. The timing isn't that great, so I'll be sure to go into more detail later today. But to be vague, our time here at ilictronix is coming to an end.
Posts
