For DJs on-the-go, the DJ2GO2 from Numark ($79) is the portable option many need. I know I would. The smallest full-featured DJ controller available is small enough to fit on top of your laptop and is easy to setup and connect to speakers through the master 1/8" output. The DJ2GO2 has a built-in sound card, crossfader, two channels with pitch control, headphone output, and the ability to browse and load songs. It's ideal for smaller gigs, as an emergency backup, or for preparing for your next big showcase. Find out more information on Numark website.
It was a sad day for DJ's and vinyl fans when the best turntables in the world suddenly went out of production. Well that mood is finally about to change due to Panasonic has announced that the Technics SL-1200 line is back with the brand new Technics SL-1200GAE Turntable ($TBA). This marks the 50th anniversary of the classic table, which is not only the preference for DJs, but also makes a great centerpiece in any home audio setup. The resurrected deck added some subtle design changes, along with a high sensitive tonearm and a brass top platter. The SL-1200 line will officially be back this summer and I for one will have to get me a pair.
It has been a while, but I'm proud to provide the next volume of TCL Mixtape Series mixed by DJ Glazye. DJ Glazye is another friend of mine from good old Ohio. He has provided a sick and wonderful journey through some Glitch Hop. He was even kind enough to provide a little background for all of you readers out there and this is what he had to say:
I started djing back in 97, I play Glitch-Hop, Breaks, DnB, House. Most of the music I play is Glitch Techy influences. I came up in the NE Ohio Electronic Music scene. Some of the artist I like include Stephan Jacobs, Blunt Instrument, Dj Shadow, Tim Ismag, Myselor, Opiou, Koan Sound, AMB, Culprate, and Jpod to name a few.
This set was recorded live at The Lounge in Akron, Ohio last month at a party called "Next Stop Detroit" to get party people ready for DEMF and he was nice enough to share. So get your listening on and start downloading away.
DJ TechTools have updated their original MIDI Fighter controller and added a 3D gyroscope to their arcade button Midi Fighter midi controller. This will now allow DJs to change parameters like pitch, volume and effects to be controlled by simply moving it around. To me this would only be for DJs who don't like spending most of their time dancing around their laptop screen.
The Midi Fighter 3D includes a 16-button array of arcade-like buttons, that can be used as midi triggers and can be configured to any style of color theme that you would like, just in case one color was not enough to keep you focused. The midi controller will run you about $250, shipping sometime in April. So if you don't want to stand behind your laptop screen the whole time and you want to dance with your audience then this bad boy is for you!
This is going to be a hot show, not because it's in Tampa but because it has some great talent heating up the dance floor. The Identity Festival is a one day festival packed full of great electronic music. The line up for the Tampa show is off the hook with acts like Kaskade, Pretty Lights, DJ Shadow, Steve Aoki, The Crystal Method and more... Tickets are still available for this festival if you have the time to take off work or school on a Wednesday. If you can make it out, I will see you there. If you want to see what you'll be missing check out the video below.
Sorry for the short notice, but I will be playing again at The Hookah Lounge in Clearwater on August 20th from 10pm - 2am. You should come on out and hear some good ambient/indie/dubstep for the evening while you enjoy your delicious hookah. They have 65 different flavors of Shisha for the picking. It's $15.00 bucks for unlimited and $8.00 for a single. If you haven’t been, it's well worth checking out. See you there!
In the past couple of months, I have been getting into Hookah's and somewhat starting to become an enthusiast of sorts. I started off my adventure by going to The Hookah Lounge in Clearwater, Fl. It's a cool little spot and the owner Dustin is a man of knowledge when it comes to Hookah's. They have really good deals on smoking hookahs. It's $15.00 bucks for unlimited and $8.00 for a single. They also have over 65 different flavors to meet anyone's needs.
I will be playing on June 18th, 2011 from 10pm-2am at the Hookah Lounge. Since it's a lounge I will be playing ambient/indie/chill dubstep all night. You should come and check it out. It will be a good night of music and hookah's!
***Note: Image on the flyer is not the Actual DJ*** Designed by Damion
My buddy was in town last weekend and while he was here we decided to throw together a dubstep mix. It was a one time run through so there maybe some mistakes but there is no mistaking that this mix is raw and dirty. My friend DJ Indigenous who started up his Unit2Productions blog also has it on his site. So if you want more mixes then head on over to his site. In the mean time take a step into this Dubstep!
The Collective Loop is proud to start The Collective Loop Mixed Series. So welcome to Volume I of this series. I asked my good friend Skillz to start off this mixed series with a mix of some good old 2-Step. If you remember, I did a post about Skillz last year almost to this date about him taking all of his vinyl and turning it into a collection of mixed speed garage sets called the "Speed Garage Chronicles". Well he is up to Chapter 14 so if you're a Speed Garage junkie like we are then I suggest you start filling those ears with dirty basslines. In the mean time have a listen to the new mixed series below.
So I have been getting down to some chilled out DnB. I know what your thinking DnB is a little to hardcore for me. Well no one says that DnB has to be intense or overwhelming sometimes it's just chill and soothing. Two DJ's know this for a fact and you can hear it in their styles.Bachelors Of Sciencehave just released their fourth album "Warehouse Dayz" which is full of great tracks that consistently surprise you with a diverse palette of sounds, ensuring that things never get stale. Although this duo has just released their new album they have been getting more of a response on their two remixes they produced. The first remix that they did was Death Cab for Cutie's "Brothers on a Hotel Bed" which by itself is a great track. In this remix though it doesn't disappoint the ears with it's clean drums and shimmering vocals which gives it a dreamy sound which I enjoy. The second remix they did was The XX "Infinity" which keeps the drums minimal while still keeping it's rhythm and keeping the song focused yet soothing. If you want to check out the new album by Bachelors Of Science then check out their website where they have the album streaming. If you want to download the two remixes then just click on the titles of the tracks in the post.
Bonobo became a favorite of mine after hearing his song "Terrapin" which was release back in 1999 by Tru Thoughts. He then in 2000 released his first LP "Animal Magic" which was self produced and he grew quickly to become the new down-tempo pioneer. In 2003 Bonobo switched labels and came over to Ninja Tune in which he produced three albums under this label. This includes his new album"Black Sands".
The new album "Black Sands" is Bonobo's newest album since 2006. This album was release in March of 2010 and it couldn't have came at a better time. Simon Green has once again provided us with a electronic plethora of hip hop/ jazzy hybrid mixed with the already well achieved textured sounds from his previous albums. Bonobo I guess you can say is a medley of jazz, funk, soul, electronic, pop, hip-hop, trip-hop, drum and bass, lounge, classical, and so on. Its very hard to stick him into one genre of music due to his vast style and arrangements of his songs. In listening to the new album you will find this to be true as you go from one song to the next. The album has a flow to it that will go by unnoticed throughout the album. So check it out and let me know what you think of the album. Below is a 10 minute teaser of the album.
Last Thursday when I was in Ohio I played at a Sushi Spot called: Kasai. Nice place. I had an amazing time eating good sushi and playing with my DJ friends from back up north. Dom and Diddle both played some good tunes to keep me listening while delighting in my decadent sushi. If you didn't get a chance to listen to the live stream of my set then don't you worry your little self's because I recorded a mix the night before. So have a listen to Thoroughly Raw or download the sethere.
Cover Art by: Damion Schweizer
Tracklist
1. The Last Song I Wrote for Her by Dj Egadz
2. Intro by XX
3. Dictaphone's Lament by Tycho
4. Sunshine Recorder by Boards of Canada
5. Toothlike Tokens by Ben Benjamin
6. Sunday is a Travel Day by Chris Fortier
7. Inside River by Kaito
8. Coastal Break by Tycho
9. Lost Zoo Remix by GDEB
10. Letters Home by CFCF
So let me start off by saying it's going to be a great trip back to my home town of Akron, Ohio. I not only get to see a lot of good people but I get to play at a Sushi spot called Kasai. I was asked by the promoter Jamie Harvey who is also a good friend of mine if I wanted to play. I think she is doing a great job in putting together this unique and great idea of mixing music with good sushi food.
I will be playing with D!ddle who I have talked about before on here as well as Dom who is another great DJ and friend. Together the triple D's will be throwing down sets that will fill your ears with sounds of delight while your stomach is full of decadent sushi. So I know some of you are thinking well this sounds cool but I don't live anywhere near what city did say again. Well don't worry we have you covered on that as well. We will be streaming the live set on Ustream.com. If you want to listen in search Kasai22, the title of the show is Thoroughly Raw.
On a side note I will be throwing down a nice Chill Ambient set to go with the flow and atmosphere of the sushi spot. So hope to see you there or hope you tune in on 04/15/2010.
Here it is the new Hercules DJ Console Mk4. I'm currently rocking the DJ Console RMX by Hercules which I quite enjoy. It has a nice feel to it. Enough about the old version let discuss the newer version. Hercules DJ Console Mk4 ($275) the most portable and compact 2-deck DJ controller with built-in audio for PC and Mac, the Mk4 weighs just 3.3 lbs, and offers dual stereo outputs and inputs, a USB port for making nice with software programs, headphone output, microphone input, two jog wheels, a cross fader, dual volume faders, six EQ knobs, functions for automatic looks and recording mixes, and included VirtualDJ DJC Edition mixing software. This is a great way to do some mixing while saving some space in your place. So go out and pick one up and start mixing your heart away.
I found this video the other day where Motherboard host Jordan Redaelli hangs out with Moby while he shows him all of his vintage drum machines. In this video Moby talks geek about a lot of his analog drum machines that he has collected over the years. Then he shows you his studio in which he talks about the sizes of the studio and his view on large and small studios. He then goes on to talk more about the history of the drum machines and the time in which you could purchase them at lower cost compared to now where the price is about doubled in cost. The most interesting part is near the end where he states that there is no such thing as a cool electronic musician. You will have to watch the video to find out his view on that.
Being a huge fan of Speed Garage I wanted to share with the readers of Damion DJ & Producer Blog "The Speed Garage Chronicles". The project has been taken on by Dj Skillz a speed garage enthusiast. Skillz has spent some many years behind the decks making crowds bounce to Speed Garage and in doing so he has acquired a large amount of Speed Garage records. So in having all these vinyl's the Speed Garage Chronicles is born. Skillz decided to take all of his vinyl that he owns and turn it into a large collection of mixed speed garage sets for your enjoyment. He will be posting 1 to 2 new mixes a week until he has played all of his vinyl.
So you might be wondering what is Speed Garage. Well let me tell you it is a form of house with vocal samples. Unlike garage, speed garage is based on a 4/4 time break beat and is characterized by a distinctive reggae influenced, jumpy, synthesized bass line and time stretched, phased or flanged samples. If you really want to find out what speed garage is check out the first two chapters of the chronicles right here. If you want to download them click here
Do I have a nice treat for you. In this playlist I decided to do a deep house/house mix. I have been digging on some good deep house lately and thought I would share some of my most liked tracks with you. So have a listen and get down. Listen to the stream mix or download it. If you want to hear other Playlist sets click here.
Cover Art by Damion Schweizer
Tracklist
1. Bay Hum (orginial mix) - City Walkers
2. Volar (Montano Sunset Mix) - Mike Montano
3. Beautiful - Stryke
4. Yearning (Shingles Edit) - Basti Pieper & Florian Dalinger
5. You're Special (Ralf Gum Gogo Music Dub) - Soul Creation Feat. Stephanie Cooke
6. Fearless - Nacho Marco
7. Keep On (original) - Pascal Dubois
8. Remember When (Orgininal Mix) - Phonic Funk & Teika
9. Que Me Levante (Original Mix) - Miss Jools
10. Schaumbad (Original Mix) - Smalltown Collective & Dj Miguel
11. Gotta Use it (Gorge Remix) - Solan
12. Garuna (Original Mix) - Gorge
13. Solbel - Kresy & Handrus
If you haven't heard Andy James then you should. Andy is an up and coming Techno DJ/Producer. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio where he was inspired by earlier electronic groups like Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Orbital etc. He started spinning back in 1998 and hasn't looked back.
Now in 2010, Andy has risen to become one of the Midwest's hardest working techno DJ/Producers. Some of the DJs/Producers he has played alongside are Richie Hawtin, Barem, Dan Bell, John Tejada, Stacey Pullen and more. He is a very talented DJ/Producer who I know personally so I can say that this guy has skills. If you don't believe me then listen to his new January 2010 mix. This mix is full of some hard hitting bass that will fill any techno head with enjoyment. This mix will definitely have you bouncing the whole time. Take a listen below with the stream version or click the link to download. You can also check out some of his tracks he produced as well on soundcloud.
1. Intro 2. Greg Kobe - Good Deal (Mikael Jonasson Remix) - Definitive Recordings 3. Alessio Mereu - S' Accabadora - CMYK 4. Monokao - En Casa de Paola - inoQouo 5. Davide Guigliano - Banging Shit (David Padilla, Juan Kue, Juano Velino Remix) - Dropkick Records 6. DJ Mickey Da Funk & Costantino Nappi - Feeling Your Soul (Andrea Di Rocco & Ivan Di Blasio Remix) - Italo Business 7. Speedy J - Minimal (John Acquaviva & Oliver Giacomotto Remix) - Plus 8 8. Sascha Krohn - A Tree Is A Tree (Tim Xavier & Camea Remix) - Dreielf 9. Dandi & Ugo - Deep Putka (Alex D'Elia & Nihil Young Remix) - Kol Mojito Records 10. Andy James - Uno - Unreleased 11. Deepbass & Roman Toletski - Oddity (Mark Broom Remix) - Dark Beat 12. Andy James - Profundo - Unreleased 13. Kevin Gorman - Shakey Stripped - Mikrowave 14. Alan Fitzpatrick - Bumblebee - Drumcode 15. Pfirter & Monoloc - Trucker 2 (Ascion Remix) - Synewave 16. Martin Mazzola - Hoppa - Machine Jockey 17. Alex D'Elia & Nihil Young - Surrogates - 1605 18. Wehbba - The One With The Disco Stab - 82 Recordings 19. Kevin Gorman - Shakey Metallic Beats - Mikrowave 20. Mi'ka & Kala - Mochi - SubSensory Recordings 21. Hollen - Annoying People - N.O.I.A. Records 22. Mickael Davis - Karnage (Orakls Remix) - Impulsif Records
Looking for some old school dnb to fill your ear drums. Then look no further than right here on Damion DJ & Producer Blog with a new mix from DJ Diddle. He is one who explores the different sides of dnb properly to give you the right up and down levels of sounds to suite your needs. Take a listen below with the stream version or click the link to download
Cover Art by: Damion Schweizer
R00ted Tracklist
1. Sub Focus - Let The Story Begin 2. Adam Freeland - Under Control (TC Remix) 3. Fourward - Fury 4. Derrick & Tonka - Master Steps 5. Bonobo ft. Andreya Triana - The Keeper (Redeyes Remix) 6. Bcee - Heartache (Instrumental Mix) 7. Spectrasoul - Wedgehead 8. Stunna Ft. Focus - Blackheart 9. Break - People Are Different 10. Rockwell - Underpass 11. Bop - Skeptikos 12. KJ Sawka - My Girl (d!ddle Remix) 13. Mutt Ft. Kevin King - Conversations
