El Diablo comes to us from some strange planet in a galaxay far far from what we all know as home. This dark place is the perfect labatory to hone and perfect a sound that will destroy dancefloors on planet earth. This strange world known only to the folks at MaLLabel Music is creating the future of dark, hard hitting, Bass music. El Diablo teams up with with some of the most successful producers of 2011, Liquid Stranger, UFO!, and Megalodon to create this 6 track sonic destroyer.
My personal taste in music right now is shying away from the harder sounds in the scene, but there is always going to be a sweet spot for well produced bass bangers. The Devil in the Machine EP sound combines lazor like synth, with a controlled mid range, and beats that pays respect to hip hop and break beats. As the sun start to sit lower in the sky, and rain is falling on the cascades these tunes are sure to be finding their way into my darker mixes!
My favorite track on the EP is the Liquid Stranger rmx of Devil in the Machine. Combining elements of hip hop, robotics, and earth shattering bass this one will be rocking some dance floors!
Stephan Jacobs latest release brings an eclectic mix of music genres to the table. He seems to have found the best elements of electric music and woven them together into a bass filled crowd pleaser.
I was driving over the Cascades this weekend for Decimal with this rocking my sound system, and I really noticed how well constructed each tune was. The synths were crisp and complimented the driving deep bass and drums that sit at the heart of Stephan’s songs. With a nice addition of some sweet vocal flow this truly delivers to the masses.
Trippin has a much deeper sound then I have heard in previous tracks, but I really like how the elements flow together.
Stephan Jacobs & GriZ team up on this Glitched up Crowd killer!
Anna Love has become of my favorite people here in Texas that I’ve met. I honestly wrote her off the first time I saw her play but after following her online and getting to talk to her I realized that maybe I made a huge mistake. Just because I’m not impressed the first time doesn’t mean I forget and stop paying attention. After realizing what a misread I had on her I made it a point to invite her out to play a show for me here in Dallas. That set totally changed my outlook and knew that she had incredible talent and soon to be great artist.
Anna has been posting some of her own original work online and can’t be happier to see another Texas producer rise up. She might have been MIA from Texas for awhile but the way she is hustling with all her projects such as her monthly event in Austin, Broken Teeth, Tropical Bass, DJing, and producing expect to see her name a lot more often.
My favorite thing about Anna besides her music is her passion. The things she says and expresses online and off are inspiring. She has no fear and does what she does cause she wants to express herself. The most recent tracks she has posted online have sold me and hope to eventually add her to the Afro Monk Records roster. I’m glad I reached out to her and have become friends with her. Keep on it girl!
Check out some of my favorite tracks she has worked on:
Freddy Todd & S.P.E.C.T.R.E collaborate on two massive tracks for all of you to enjoy. It’s been some time since we’ve heard some new material from Reuben but damn he hasn’t lost his touch by any means. I saw his set at Sonic Bloom and damn I’m glad I came over despite Tipper being on the main stage. Freddy just put out another full release out recently that has everyone excited. These two power houses might have just messed around a few days and put this together but the result is an incredible two track EP. I’d love to see more of these appear. Everyone is traveling around hanging out while playing shows and sometimes results in a few colab tracks. I think I speak for everyone when I say that more people should be throwing these small EPs together and just throw them on Bandcamp or Soundcloud for the fans to enjoy.
Honey, I Crunk’d Tha Kidz and Space Cowboy are two extremely hype tracks filled with crunk’d up vocals. The energy that these two create is spectacular and perfect for any headlining slot. I’ve been droppin Space Cowboy and damn it goes off. I love the subtle intro it has and eventually builds into this bangin tune. Not to mention got to love the ’cause i’m a space cowboy’ sample!
Here is a preview for you all. It will be officially released on the 27th of September on Bandcamp. Expect much more from S.P.E.C.T.R.E and especially Freddy Todd.
Signal Path is helping us celebrate the fall equalnox with their third installment of this years quadrILLogy. The team of Ryan Burnett, Damon Metzner, and Matt Schumacher have done it again with a genre crossing blend of live instrumentation and massive bass productions. As their sound continues to grow and change, I would expect this EP to be well received in a scene they helped pioneer.
My friendship with Signal Path began way back in the Missoula days when Ryan was beginning to explore his interest in electronic music. The journey the band’s music has taken has been quite the ride. From the early days, of producing in a cabin that couldn’t be worth half as much as the equipment inside, to a multi piece live electronic act, to today’s 3 man team we have all enjoyed the music. I look forward to hearing their future experimentation with creative bass sounds and live instrumentation.
Now the music! Each of the 6 tracks is sure to take your mind to a new place far from the ordinary. The track, “Crossing The Rubicon” hits home with Ryan’s classic guitar sounds blended with driving drums and bass. It sure got me dancing around my room! ”Change Like The Weather (Make It Mo’ Better)” really mixes things up with some funky guitar, sensual vocals, and Damon’s drums create an atmosphere that is sure to have the ladies on the dance floor!
Ill Gates has been in is lab for many years working on the epic slammer of a release, The ill. Methodology. The wait is finnally over! On October 3ed, he will drop this dynamic collaboration which is a who’s who of the EDM scene. MUTI Music’s 100th release is destined for greatness with collaborations with Ben Samples, Ana Sia, Mimosa, Datsik, Opiuo, Masia One, Filastine, Dov, D. Schaerf, and more.
He has decided to treat us all to a free download with a track called Open Your Eyes that was co-produced with Captain Hook. They didn’t hold back anything producing this dubstep Gem. It comes out swinging with hard hitting kicks and continues right into a driving bassline. I’m sure we will hear this one killing the dance floor!
My personal favorite track on the album right now, is Thrillogy co-produced with Opiou & Vent. It has that classic Opiou sound we love to get down with, but the Ill Gates influence drives it over the top. Just when you think your feeling its groove, the break drops tempo and pounds the track home. Sure winner!
NicoLuminous has been slowly gaining more visibility and with good reason, his music is incredible. I first heard of him though ill-esha and after I heard his release on Street Ritual I was hooked. I’ll openly admit that I probably play way too much of Nico when I DJ out but too be honest his vibe and style is exactly a perfect mix of sexy bass music and dancefloor hype.
The first time I met Nico was at LIB and had the pleasure of catching a set from him at the Dr.Bronner’s Foam Tub area. He truly is one of the most positive people out there. He just has that good energy vibe and willing to help out with anything. I ran into him again at Sonic Bloom and finally got to catch one of his legendary beat-boxing performances. He has a utility belt with assorted guitar pedals that he uses as he is beat-boxing. It’s truly one of the craziest things I’ve seen. There is no doubt that his is going to be on top of the world soon.
NicoLuminous is prepping for his new release, Love Star, and man is it good! I’ve had the luxury of getting to preview it. This mix gives you a small taste of what is to come as well as great set to throw on while in any mood. I will say Nico has added a bit more hype to this one but its got that sensual vibe he has become known for. I’m stoked to be seeing him at the upcoming ArtOutside festival in Austin. Be on the look out for the official release of Love Star!
TRACK LIST
1. NicoLuminous – Speaker Box REMIX
2. NicoLuminous – Lumadrop
3. NicoLuminous – Love Star
4. NicoLuminous – Will Our Time Come Around?
5. NicoLuminous – Unpredictable by Jamie Foxx REMIX
6. NicoLuminous – Look at Me Now by Chris Brown REMIX
7. NicoLuminous – Tell Me You Care ft. Roisin Murphy
8. NicoLuminous – Bass Maze
9. NicoLuminous – Love Sets You Free
10. NicoLuminous – Sunrize in L.A.
11. NicoLuminous – Rock That
12. NicoLuminous – Love is Real ft. Beyonce & Sean Paul
13. NicoLuminous – Chunga’s Revenge by Gotan Project REMIX ft. Johanna Phraze
14. NicoLuminous – Y La Bassbox Harp ft. Luz Elena Mendoza
Sugarpill, the one person I owe the most to in my musical career. Evan is the first DJ I ever caught live on Glitch.fm and from that moment on Evan and I have been friends. We’ve had endless conversations over IRC and multiple Q&A sessions online via gchat. He is one of the first people I ever met in real life before this all blew up and traveled all around meeting others. I’ve always been routing for Sugarpill since I met him because of all he has done for the community and continues to do. Two years ago I knew right away that Evan would rise to the top but he hadn’t put the time into production but time into the community. He always said to me and has resonated so much with me was “You’ll start making music when you know exactly what you want to hear but can’t find it”. He’s right but the problem is I get sent so much music and constantly on the hunt for music that it’s filled me with enough to be satisfied and in turn also giving my time to the community as well.
Fast forward to 2011 and you’ll notice just like I have how much Evan has produced in the recent year and what quality of work. I remember the days of wanting to support him and playing his one Busta remix just because I wanted to play something from this upcoming legend despite knowing it wasn’t the best work around. Times have changed since way back when. Now it’s almost impossible not to find myself listening or playing one of Evans tracks. After putting in tons of hours and hard work into the community Evan has begun his climb to the top of most well known producers in the glitch-hop community. He has had his fair share of fame already, headlining big festivals, joining Headtron, and much more but don’t think for a second he’s going to take a step back now. Expect this producer to put even more time and dedication to his art. Evan might be in law school, mastering tunes for many, touring around States, and being an overall active member in the scene he somehow finds time to make original music on top of all that.
Madeup Places is an incredible diverse piece of work. You hear Sugarpill’s signature soul behind every glitch and bass line but you can tell his sound is maturing and flexing. Despite being a bit more aggressive than I’d like you can still hear how fresh and unique his take is on brostep and heavier basslines (FrownyFace). Don’t get me wrong even though it gets a bit aggro on some tunes it’s got its moments that leave you stepping back and thinking WOW. This is exactly what happened with I first heard the final master of Zone 4. This is a must buy for anyone who follows glitch-hop or dubstep. The amount of sub bass and range this release has is the TITS!
Thank you my friend Evan. You’ve been one of the biggest inspirations in my life. Your dedication, hard work, integrity, and soapy ( . Y . ) are unmatched.
Elfkowitz over the years has become a close friend and someone I’ve always pushed to everyone. The attitude and perspective he brings to the music industry today is unmatched. He works hard and has been putting in his time. The time is near for Elfkowitz as his name begins to be recognized more and more amongst some of the best in the game.
The life of an artist is tough and while it may seem a bit odd to put out a release called Rent Money to help fund his actual rent money it’s brilliant and only shows you the true colors of Ian. He is no bullshit and one of the most humbling people to be around. Life can be tough and paying rent sometimes can be stressful. When I got the text from him about posting this release I was in Austin and had to sigh because I was taking my break from the blog and knew it’d be awhile till I got around to this post.
It has been awhile since Rent Money came out but I assure you this release contains some of the freshest beats that will remain timeless in the development and evolution of Elfkowitz work. I reached out to him asking if he had anything new he’d like for me to share along with Rent Money and pulled some strings and giving me the honor of releasing another exclusive track for the blog. I hope you enjoy this tune as much as I do and give it some loving. I’ve been testing it out the Turntable.fm room and everyone has been asking when it’ll be available to download. HERE IT IS! Be sure to check out my Turntable.fm room as Elfkowitz does make frequent visits to drop some freshies!
Turntable.fm is changing the game for online social media. If you haven’t heard of Turntable.fm you should probably be warned it’s VERY ADDICTING. The site is fairly new and currently still in Beta from my understanding but quite complete as is already.
Ever want to DJ and play music for others? Turntable.fm gives you the opportunity to do just that. There are rooms that you can join that have a specific theme or you have the option to make your own. The rooms can have up to 5 DJ spots when created. Create or join a room that suites your mood.
Once you’re in a room you’ll notice there are tons of fun avatars of people with points and fans. Depending on how many DJ spots there are you’ll find people on the stage with one person having a spotlight on them showing that they are playing a song. The name of the song and artist scroll across the screen of the stage giving you the option to add the song you’re listening to any of the more popular music social sites to share or buy.
The bottom of the room you’ll find a meter with a Lame button and Awesome button. This is where the whole social media thing comes in. You’ll be able to vote Lame or Awesome for each song playing. Every time you hit Awesome the DJ who is playing the song gets 1 point. Now if you hit Lame the meter will tip closer to the Lame side. No points are deducted from the DJ if someone hits Lame but if the meter gets too close to Lame it will skip the song.
The major success and appeal of the site is that you can create your own custom que of music from the existing library that Turntable.fm has hosted by Medianet. You can search a particular song or artist and a list of music related to your search appears where you can preview the songs and easily add the song to your que list. Now this is where it gets good. If you’re a producer or have songs that are not contained in the library you have the option of uploading your own music!!! That is right! You are limited to 40mbs and MP3 format but besides that you can upload your own music, works in progress, or favorite song not listed in the library. A huge concern is that if once uploaded will the song be added to the Turntable.fm library. The answer is NO BUT keep in mind that any user can add the song you play to their list. I’ve uploaded a few dubs that I have and realized later that others have added it to their list. No one can download it but I can see how some artist and people might be upset that some of their unreleased music is being played. The major plus of the que list is that Turntable.fm saves everything you’ve added to your list including the MP3 you’ve uploaded so you can have a giant list of music ready to go for whatever room you’re in.
The more points you get from people hitting Awesome allows you to unlock some sweet new avatars. Also keep in mind that you can tell who Awesome’d the song you are playing by seeing who is bobbin’ in the room. There’s nothing like the rush you get from seeing the whole room just bobbin’ to your tune. You can also become a fan of someone in Turntable.fm. Right now it doesn’t mean much but the feature enables notifications to your e-mail about when someone you’re a fan of takes a DJ spot in turntable.fm. This allows you to know when someone you follow is in a specific room so you can go listen to them DJ.
The last thing I want to mention about Turntable.fm is how there are Owners and Mods for rooms. If you create a room you’re allowed to Boot people from the room or remove them from the DJ spot. The owner of the room also sets the room description and creates the rules. The mod of the room is usually the owner of the room but if the owner leaves the room the person who has been in the room the longest is assigned as the mod. If the owner returns he still maintains authority without having to worry about it. If the mod leaves the room it is passed on to the next person who has been in the room the longest.
Why is Turntable.fm so addicting?! The chat room, hearing new music others play, seeing what people enjoy, talking crap to people who play terrible music, networking with other similar likeminded DJs or producers, and most of trying to acquire as many points as you can and flex your musical taste. I’ve been recommending Turntable.fm to everyone I know because it’s a great way for producers to connect and network with their fan base. I run a run a room on Turntable.fm that has guest appearances by Mexicans with Guns, +verb, Ben Samples, Elfkowitz, Michael Menert, Protohype, Subsynthesis, etc… Overall it’s a great way to connect with other people who enjoy the same style of music. My room is: Glitch / Chill Dubstep / IDM you can generally find me in there throughout the entire week while I’m at work. Come out and check it out! Be warned though… Only rule implemented is NO BROSTEP! So no aggroo basslines! Keep it chill for the most part so we can all jam and enjoy music while we work or hanging out online.
Things I’d like to see added to Turntable.fm:
iPhone APP
Owner/Mod can skip a song
Avatar add-ons: hoola hoop, poi, glowsticks, etc…
More Avatars
Afro Monk
October 6th by Mr Ed 
Tags: Devil In The Machine, El Diablo, Liquid Stranger, Mallabel Records, Megalodon
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