Bon Iver return with new, self-titled album!

The self-titled effort will be released on June 20, via Jagjaguwar in the States and 4AD in the rest of the world. It’s comprised of ten new songs, and though Justin Vernon is very much charge, writing all the material and handling those distinctively layered lead vocals as ever, Bon Iver are this time around presented as a group rather than a solo project. Something of a departure from the hermetic minimalism of Vernon’s acclaimed debut LP, For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver features electric guitars, pedal steel, keyboards, drums, “processing”, horn and string sections supplied by a personnel of 10.

Written and recorded over the course of three years, the LP was recorded and mixed at April Base Studios (a converted veterinary clinic, apparently) in Wisconsin. 

Bon Iver Track Listing

1. Perth

2. Minnesota, WI

3. Holocene

4. Towers

5. Michicant

6. Hinnom, TX

7. Wash.

8. Calgary

9. Lisbon, OH

10. Beth/Rest

Tobias’s Ostgut Ton LP features Atom™ and Hercules & Love Affair’s Aerea

tobias. – Tobias Freund – will release a new album on Ostgut Ton on July 4.

Tracklist:
1. Girts
2. Party Town
3. Voices Told Me to Do That
4. Skippy
5. Zero Tolerance
6. Free No.1
7. Leaning Over Backwards
8. Observing the Hypocrites
9. The Key feat. Uwe Schmidt
10. She Still Calls Me Mister
11. We Stick to the Plan
12. Now I Know

Yeees! We are back....

53rd GRAMMY Awards Slated For Feb. 13, 2011

:: Winners ::

1. Record Of The Year

  Need You Now

Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum & Paul Worley, producers; Clarke Schleicher, engineer/mixer

Track from: Need You Now

[Capitol Records Nashville]

 

2. Album Of The Year

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire & Markus Dravs, producers; Arcade Fire, Markus Dravs, Mark Lawson & Craig Silvey, engineers/mixers; George Marino, mastering engineer

[Merge Records]

 

3. Song Of The Year

Need You Now

Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady

Antebellum)

Track from: Need You Now

[Capitol Records Nashville; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing/DWHaywood Music/Radiobulletspublishing, EMI Foray Music/Hillary Dawn Songs, Year of the Dog Music, Darth Buddha Music]

 

4. Best New Artist

Esperanza Spalding

 

5. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Bad Romance

Lady Gaga

Track from: The Fame Monster

[Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope]

 

6. Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

Just The Way You Are

Bruno Mars

[Elektra]

 

7. Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

Hey, Soul Sister (Live)

Train

[Columbia Records]

 

8. Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Imagine

Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare

Track from: The Imagine Project

[Hancock Records]

 

9. Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Nessun Dorma

Jeff Beck

Track from: Emotion & Commotion

[Rhino]

 

10. Best Pop Instrumental Album

Take Your Pick

Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto

[335 Records, Inc.]

 

 

 

Nominees And Winners

http://www.grammy.com/nominees

The british princess Maya Jane Coles - Play the Game is @ No.2 in the Beatport Deep House Chart !!!

:: Artist To Watch in 2011 :: STEFFI , Berlin

Biography

Embracing to music, art and counter-culture, Dutch born DJ and producer and label owner Steffi has become an important figure in the realms of contemporary club music. With the experience that comes with promoting underground parties for over a decade, and running two successful labels - Klakson,
Read more

Embracing to music, art and counter-culture, Dutch born DJ and producer and label owner Steffi has become an important figure in the realms of contemporary club music. With the experience that comes with promoting underground parties for over a decade, and running two successful labels - Klakson, and her new Dolly imprint - Steffi has also developed a natural and professional balance between DJing and producing. As a resident of Berlin's Panorama Bar she forged a growing a relationship with the club's label, Ostgut Ton. Building up her production knowledge and collection of gear since her move to Berlin in 2007, she now has a fully fledged studio in which she has created a very respectable sound indeed. Her warm, classic-inspired and analog-proud productions have featured as various singles on the label and her first full-length artist album, „Yours & Mine“ plants her firmly on the map as a deft hand at song writing and production. Tracks like the unmistakable „Yours“ featuring Virginia, or pumping warehouse moments like „Mine“ and „Nightspacer“ are undeniably impressive, as is the entire album; an emotional journey reflecting her love for real, uncompromised club music. Steffi also collaborated with the dedicated Restoration Records as „Third Side“ alongside Lucretio and Marieu, offering up a raw and historic 4 tracker. Also branching out on US label Underground Quality, her smooth night-driving „Reasons“ EP again features Virginia's wonderful vocal encouragement. Steffi's productions explore the many channels of her love with house music, just as you will also hear when you see her controlling the sound system in the club. Always presenting a rich, versatile selection with her skillful, creative mixing style, Steffi continues to distill her huge knowledge and love for this music into her DJ performances. With increased touring and world-wide appearances becoming more and more regular, while also maintaining her residencies in Berlin and at Berns Salonger in Stockholm, Steffi is a talented, passionate and aware member of today's music culture. A culture whose very strength relies on dedicated artists such as herself.

:: Track Of The Day ::Tom Middleton - Cicadas (Maya Jane Coles Remix)

:: Pick Of The Week :: Max Cooper in Athens at Skull Bar

Max Cooper (Traum Schallplatten / Bedrock / Veryverywrongindeed)
www.maxcooper.net

Steve Sai (Rhythmetic Records),
www.myspace.com/djstivsai,http://soundcloud.com/steve-sai

Alex Sense (Phoenix Groove/Uxmal/Movement)
www.myspace.com/djalexsense

Skullbar - L. Katsoni 11 & Ippokratous (from Alexandras ave).

:: Track of the day :: Steffi - You Own My Mind

Top 5 labels of 2010

What makes a good record label in 2010? There are, of course, multiple answers to that question: some of our favourite imprints this year excelled because they lovingly dug up unappreciated gems from the past, restored them and made them available to a new generation, while others were totally focused on exploring hitherto unexplored terrain with new and exciting music. What unites them is passion; a group of hard working individuals who put a focus on quality over quantity (although some manage to do both), with painstaking attention to detail put into every lovingly packaged release. Without further ado, we present the top 5 labels of 2010.

5. Ostgut Ton

A bastion of stripped back house and techno it may be, but Ostgut Ton’s year began with the release of Scuba’s excellent Sub:stance mix, a dubsteppish exploration that featured the likes of Shackleton, Mala and Ramadanman and debuted Joy Orbison’s then unreleased “The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow”. This was followed by a steady stream of stellar 12″s from members of the label’s tight knit roster including Steffi, Marcel Fengler, Tama Sumo, Prosumer and, most memorably, Luke Slater’s sprawling 12 minute “Take It Down In (dub)” under his LB Dub Corp alias. There were also albums from Marcel Dettmann and Shed; Dettmann’s much anticipated debut LP was a brooding exploration of crackly, dubby techno, while Shed’s The Traveller was a worthy follow up to 2008’s lauded Shedding The Past.

The impressive Berghain 04 compilation saw Ben Klock step up to the task of curating the fourth instalment of the club’s mix series (following on from André Galluzi, Marcel Dettmann and Len Faki), and it was a challenge he tackled with aplomb. The subsequent 12 inch releases that accompanied the mix were equally superb – especially the Kevin Gorman/James Ruskin double header. The cherry on the icing on the cake, however, was the 2xCD (or 7xLP, depending on how you roll) Fünf compilation, which saw the Ostgut family make tracks using field recordings gleaned from within the walls of the label’s associated club(s) Berghain and Panorama Bar. A more appropriate concept for a label compilation we have not seen or heard in a long time, and it rounded off an exemplary year for the Berlin imprint.

4. DFA Records

As we mentioned in our 2010 overview, what’s considered as contemporary disco has fractured off in several directions this year with everything from throwback proto house rhythms to sprawling, almost cosmiche jams packaged under the disco umbrella. As you’d expect, DFA seem to have been responsible for the best in all the differing strands of disco, thus their inclusion in our Top 5 Labels was a must. In terms of twelve inch releases alone DFA have enjoyed a superlative year, with the continued support and artistic freedom allowed to Gavin Russom delivering the most rewards for music consumers. The raw orgasmic energy of Russom’s Black Meteoric Star project impressed last year, but the two twelve inches he delivered as The Crystal Ark demonstrate Russom is now dancing to an increasingly psychedelic and hypnotic beat. In addition, Russom obsessives were latterly treated to the belated and much overdue release of “Track 5” his aged collaboration with Delia Gonzales which was culled from their cult DFA album and never fully heard or released (oh and Ame remix too? Wow!)

Taking their cue from Russom in the sonic experimentation stakes were nDF whose debut for the label “Since We Last Met” was an equally enchanting eleven minute sojourn through kaleidoscopic hypnotics that made no allusions towards the dancefloor. The fact that the track was not overawed by the accompanying Villalobos remix shows how much we rate it. Complementing this were a raft of straight up dancefloor cuts throughout the year from a cast including Ray Mang, TBD, Woolfy, Jee Day, Discodeine and Shit Robot. The latter also graced the album shelves with a long player that disappointed only with the slightly underwhelming name (the collaboration with Nancy Whang has remained a perennial Juno Plus favourite). It is however the exhaustive and always enlightening Peter Gordon retrospective that fully secured DFA amongst the upper echelons of our favourite labels.

3. Night Slugs

Night Slugs have enjoyed such a rich vein of success in 2010 it’s sometimes easy to forget Alex Sushon and James Connolly only started putting out records in January. The year has been a microcosmic story of accomplishment that most labels might hope to achieve in a lifespan. Widespread media coverage from Dazed to Pitchfork and feverish anticipation amongst the more discerning corners of the internet have been an organic side effect for a label whose every release has retained the standard in quality set by that inaugural white label from L Vis 1990. It’s pretty hard to find any new superlatives to pin on the label, and Juno Plus is unlikely to be the sole voice of praise in this season of lists and features. What has really impressed throughout the year is the determination of Sushon and Connolly to mould discontent with the direction their musical surroundings was heading into something nascent and exciting.

Central to this of course was the selfless drive of Sushon and Connolly to use the label as a platform to open the music of their friends and contemporaries to a wider and more than willing audience. Let’s not forget they are both respected DJs and producers in their own right, but other label endeavours have floundered by pandering to the egotistical endeavours of the decision makers. Night Slugs have succeeded because no one else was putting out Kingdom tracks and Egyptrixx somehow couldn’t get a DJ gig in hometown Toronto. It’s hard to even pick an outstanding release from the catalogue, although Girl Unit’s “Wut” has been rightly feted because it’s a track that demands to be played loud in clubs to really bask in its crunk glory. The label has really ended on a high with the unveiling of Jam City’s “Magic Drops” and Jacques Greene’s gloriously R&B soaked house anthem “(Baby I Don’t Know) What You Want”.

2. R&S Records

Of all the labels to capture our attention in 2010, R&S stood as perhaps the most smile inducing. Techno fans of a certain vintage have fond memories of R&S, the label founded by Renaat Vandepapeliere and Sabine Maes back in 1984. But after a long line of seminal releases from the likes of Model 500, Aphex Twin, Carl Craig, Derrick May, Joey Beltram, CJ Bolland and Kenny Larkin in the late 80s and early 90s, the label slid into obscurity for many a year. Step up British A&R Dan Foat and label manager Andy Whittaker, who have reinvigorated the label since its relaunch in 2006, scouring the furthest recesses of the musical landscape in search of new talent. Clearly they are men of fine taste: in 2010 Shlomi Aber, James Blake (twice), Fabrice Lig, Pariah (also twice), Space Dimension Controller and Untold all released 12”s on the imprint, along with Model 500’s first new record since 1999’s Mind & Body, which was, of course, released on R&S 1.0.

The two jewels in the crown were James Blake and Space Dimension Controller. Blake released two wildly different EPs on R&S this year, namely the R&B soaked CMYK and then Klavierwerke, on which he was given the freedom to depart from the confines of the dancefloor and enter a realm where there is only a passing reference to rhythm-based music. Space Dimension Controller meanwhile is musically impossible to pin down, with a sound and style all of his own, and the 19-year-old Belfast producer popped up with a six-track double-EP in October that cemented his reputation as one of electronic music’s most distinctive talents. Effortlessly joining the dots between deep house, Detroit techno, 80s soul, P-funk, space disco, IDM and classic 90s ambient house, R&S was in many ways his perfect home.

1. Rush Hour Recordings

We ran out of gushing words of praise to describe Rush Hour in about June, so let’s just stick to the facts: 2010 saw the label in unparalleled form, with a tireless release schedule that included new material, reissues and combinations of the two. Reissuing the seminal Virgo LP gave Eric Lewis and Merwyn Sanders some long overdue time in the spotlight, and was closely followed in the masterstroke stakes by the Space Dimension Controller and FaltyDL remixes of Detroit legend Anthony Shake Shakir. A comprehensive retrospective of Recloose was also released, as well as a welcome oddity from Robert Hood’s little known disco-house alias Floorplan. Some thundering 303 house from Gene Hunt/Ron Hardy was also reissued, and we were treated to three volumes of the new House Of Trax series, the highlight being a previously unreleased version of Jamie Principle’s “Bad Boy”. The recurring appearance on the label of Cosmin TRG gave the label a contemporary sheen to sit alongside its retro leanings, with a particularly memorable release seeing the Romanian producer trade remixes with New Yorker FalfyDL aka Drew Lustman. FaltyDL turned “See Other People” into a crazed futuristic techno R&B hybrid, while on the flip “St Marks Place” got a truly menacing techno funky rerub from Cosmin.

Several straight up house and techno 12”s served the role of Rush Hour’s bread & butter, and with Kirk Degiorgio, KiNK & Neville Watson, Hunee, Marcello Napoletano and Nebraska all on board, bread and butter never tasted so good. The Tom Trago-curated Voyage Direct series continued to impress, with the most recent instalment seeing Dutch producer Danny ‘Legowelt’ Wolfers deliver an impeccably atmospheric vintage house jam. Like The Godson’s recent underground hit “Analog Love” – with which it shares vocal and organ samples – “Love & Happiness” was an exercise in classic analogue deep house that oozed with warmth. The Direct Current series hit its fifth release with some classic Aardvarck given a future flex by that man Cosmin TRG and Nubian Mindz. The label continued to work with Rick Wilhite, and released the Rick Wilhite Presents Vibes New And Rare Music compilation which boasted contributions from the likes of Glenn Underground, Marcellus Pittman, Kyle Hall and some young chancer named Theo Parrish. What began as a humble record store on Spuistraat in Amsterdam now stands as one of electronic music’s proudest empires. Long may it continue.

:: RIP Gary Moore :: Still Got The Blues (Live)

Theo Parrish’s house refix of Amerie’s ’1 Thing’ is now available on limited edition vinyl.

Let’s face it, the original 2005 R&B scorcher – produced by Rich Harrison and built around a sampler of The Meters’ ‘Oh, Calcutta’ – is pretty much impossible to improve. Nonetheless, Theo’s edit is hard to ignore. Rechristening it ‘Just1LoveBug’, the Detroit producer makes full use of Amerie’s airy vocal, strapping it to a steady 4/4 and uppity bassline; once you hear it, you’ll want to own it, despite the hefty price tag. It’s a single-sided pressing, courtesy of Brooklyn’s peerless Dope Jams.

The Amerie version is just one of several Theo releases hitting the market right around now. Soon to drop is the Sketches CD, an album compiling tracks from that brace of ultra-limited, blink-and-you-miss-’em spray-painted 12″s that emerged earlier this year, and a new Sound Signature 12″ with two of the best  (‘Feel Free To Be Who You Want To Be’ and 360@129on696) cut nice and loud.

Then there’s a new instalment due in Parrish’s ongoing – and eminently collectible – Ugly Edits white label series, this one featuring his takes on BT Express’s ‘Peace Pipe’ and Jacky Beavers’ ‘Mr Bumpman’. Amsterdam’s Rush Hour-affiliated Kindred Spirits imprint has secured what must rank among Theo’s heaviest, most direct dancefloor productions of recent years, the incredible ‘Traffic’ (feat. IG Culture), for a hand-stamped 12″ release; they’ve also repressed his classic, sprawling remix of Sun Ra‘s ‘Saga Of Resistance’.

Last but not least, Archive Records have a 12″ out now featuring two new versions of Tulio De Piscopo‘s cult ’84 Balearic anthem ‘Stop Bajon’. Isoul and Mark De Clive Lowe team up for an edit that plays to the original’s strengths, but needless to say the main event is Theo’s none-more-languid A-side take – all trademark drunken drums and displaced acid jabs.

David Lynch remixed by Skream and more for deluxe double-pack

Hollywood director David Lynch’s new single, ‘Good Day Today’, will be remixed by a selection of big name dance musicians, including Underworld, Basement Jaxx, Skream, Sasha and Jon Hopkins.

The news was announced this morning by Rob da Bank, whose Sunday Best record label released the single. The list of remixers are, in da Bank’s own words:

- “First up, Underworld”
- “The bad boy, Skream”
- ‘Then Sasha”
- “And of course, Boys Noize”
- “From Scandinavia, Diskjokke”
- “Simon from Basement Jaxx”
- “And last but not least, Dan le Sac.”

The remix package, which also includes a remix from Brian Eno collaborator Jon Hopkins, is due out in January, as part of a deluxe vinyl edition of the release, spread across two heavyweight 12″s and housed in a bespoke triple gatefold sleeve. It’s been crafted by The Vinyl Factory, designed by Vaughn Oliver (whose past work includes Cocteau Twins, Pixies and more), and includes a signed print by the artist and a CD with all the tracks from the vinyl and digital versions.

:: Track of the day :: Agoria - Kiss My Soul (Featuring Kid A)

Pioneer unveil Serato & Traktor DDJ controllers

The DDJ-S1 comes with a suggested retail price is €1299/£1099 including VAT and will be available from mid April 2011.

Tommy Four Seven preps debut album

 

Cavernous techno specialist Tommy Four Seven will release his debut album, entitled Primate, in March via Chris Liebing’s CLR imprint.

The British born, Berlin based producer, best known for his releases on CLR and Speedy J’s Electric Deluxe, eschewed standard techno instrumentation such as hi-hats, snares, shakers or claps when producing the album. Instead, field recordings were collected and manipulated to create the album’s rhythmic thrust, while vocal recordings were used in lieu of synthesizers.

The press release suggests the final result is “at the same time deep and hypnotic, driving and exhilarating, with downright unorthodox beat structures and sequences” – a description that has everyone here at Juno Plus salivating.

The young producer has excelled in the past 18 months, having been taken under the wing of Liebing, with several 12″s released on CLR as well as the collaborative Bauhaus project, which released a brace of apocalyptic tracks last year appropriately titled “Mallet” and “Sledge”. The CLR head honcho also applied some final production touches to the album.

Tommy’s early productions veered towards tech house before he found his niche with dark, pummeling techno. One of the first examples of this was a remix for London pop outfit Man Like Me, with Tommy transforming their well known single “London Town” from radio friendly singalong into a dark, brooding beast.

Primate will be release on March 28, 2010, with a sampler 12″ featuring two album tracks (“Armed 3″ and “Ratu”) 

Tracklisting:
1. Sevals
2. Talus
3. G
4. Ratu
5. Track 5
6. CH4
7. Snout
8. Verge
9. Armed 3

The Artist :: Pantha Du Prince :: Documentary

Review :: Mode Machines Xoxbox ::

The legendary Roland TB-303 synthesizer is probably the most famous piece of kit in dance music’s history. Manufactured for a period of approximately eighteen months in the early eighties, it was far from an overnight success, failing to hit the spot with the guitarists it was marketed towards as a bass accompaniment. 

Some years later its full potential was realised by legions of electronic music producers, starting with the early US house pioneers such as Adonis, DJ Pierre and Fast Eddie. It wasn’t long before word of the new found use of the instrument spread across the Atlantic to the UK, where, thanks to the likes of artists such as Baby Ford and A Guy Called Gerald, acid fever started taking over. Later in Europe, German duo Hardfloor picked it up as their signature sound before the London acid techno scene pushed the little silver box to its extremities.

Since then it’s been a mainstay of the devoted and has recently enjoyed a renaissance, especially with the current wave of re-issues and producers craving that original stripped-back Chicago acid sound. Sadly there’s not many of them up for sale these days and those that do become available usually end up selling for more than the value of your average electronic musician’s summer holiday. But thanks to a group of German students who have reverse engineered the 303 using almost all of the original components and matching all the critical and intrinsic parts of the original bassline, we can all have a piece of the action.

“There’s not many 303s up for sale these days, and those that do become available usually end up selling for more than the value of your average electronic musician’s summer holiday. The makers of the Xoxbox have reverse engineered the 303 using almost all of the original components and matching all the critical and intrinsic parts of the original bassline”

The Mode Machine Xoxbox (pronounced ‘zocksbox’) is an open source project that is being constantly updated and improved by means of free downloadable 3rd party OS updates, which are transferred via USB from your computer. Measuring up at 27.5 x 19.5 cm x 9 cm and weighing in at 1KG, it is available in a variety of different formats, including the kit version, which you’ll need a basic level of soldering to attempt building, or the manufactured models which are available with either blue, red, white or purple LEDs. The Xoxbox comes complete with a sequencer, mini-keyboard and all of the beloved controls of the original model. You can also store 128 banks of track memory and 64 banks of pattern memory. It’s got a total of 40 LEDs, three encoders, seven rotary parameter controls, 10 utility keys and a waveform selector switch.

“The note nudge is a tasty feature which means you can play around with a notes position, jumping forward or backward within a sequence, and you can make your Xoxbox stutter in time (a nifty trick used by early acid bad boys)”

At the rear of the black sloping case you’ll find MIDI in, out and thru ports, DIN Sync, USB and 3.5mm CV and Gate outputs. The audio in, out and headphone sockets are quarter inch jacks and in the far right you have the 9V AC power adaptor and on/off switch. The user interface is almost the same as its silver predecessor, the controls being slightly better in their positioning, resulting in a much smoother tweaking experience. From left to right along the top panel you’ve got the sawtooth or square wave oscillator selector which was previously positioned at the rear of the 303. Then there’s the classic tune, cutoff, resonance, envelope modulator, decay and accent rotary controls which are bigger than those of its ancestor. On the next row down you’ll find the tempo encoder which increases or decreases by one BPM with each directional click. It has a range of 20 through to 300 BPM and can also be used as tap tempo when pressed in time. The bank encoder has 16 grids and each position represents a separate bank. In the centre of the console is the function knob which is used to select one of the 16 operating modes. The volume knob completes the rotary line up.

Moving downwards, Mode Machines have supplied us with a strip of 16 LEDs to display the position when the sequencer is running. The keyboard is in the same format as the 303, although the buttons sit a little higher and you can move the octave up or down with the transpose buttons. Below these are the multifunctional rest, accent and slide buttons. Their behavior depends on which mode you are in – for example hitting accent in ‘pattern edit mode’ will result in the respective note in the sequence being emphasised, whereas in ‘pattern play mode’ each note of the sequence is played with emphasis for the duration in which the button is held down. Then there’s the prev and next buttons which are also multifunctional. The run button is used to start and stop the sequencer and you can link up to 32 patterns together using the chain button.

“The sensitivity of the controls make sculpting almost any kind of acid sound possible and you’ll notice how bold, clean and powerful the sound is as soon as you turn it on”

Using the Xoxbox’s is straightforward and, unsurprisingly, very enjoyable. You can use your own MIDI keyboard or enter notes on the unit itself sequencing them via a computer (or other external device) and it’s possible to switch the internal clock on or off depending on your master/slave setup. The real fun starts when you program your own patterns in step-write mode, entering each note individually whilst static or while the sequencer is running, then saving your creations complete with rest, accent and slide information to memory. You can change the swing timing of your patterns, adding a bit of shuffle or jam in loop mode, cutting up your patterns and reversing them. The note nudge is a tasty feature which means you can play around with a notes position, jumping forward or backward within a sequence, and you can make your Xoxbox stutter in time (a nifty trick used by early acid bad boys).
When all is said and done, it’s the sound that really impresses. It is in fact technically purer than you’ll get from the Roland TB303 due to the now worn, ageing components of the original which degrades the sound (although some enthusiasts will argue that this degradation is what makes the 303 sound as it does). The sensitivity of the controls make sculpting almost any kind of acid sound possible and you’ll notice how bold, clean and powerful the sound is as soon as you turn it on. Check out the video below for an example of the kind of performance you are likely to expect. The drums are from a Roland TR808, which we very much hope is the next project from Modemachines!


Watch on youTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT141CXrgc4&feature=player_embedded

You can buy it at. www.touched-by-sound.com  
Review: Dicken Lean

Ultra Music Festival Phase 2 Line Up Revealed

 

ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL
THE FIRST MAJOR U.S. MUSIC FESTIVAL OF 2011
ANNOUNCES SECOND PHASE LINE-UP

DURAN DURAN,
UNDERWORLD, ARMIN VAN BUUREN, MOBY, KASKADE,
ERICK MORILLO (LIVE), WILL.I.AM, THE DISCO BISCUITS,
SASHA (VORTEK LIVE), AVICII AND MORE ARE ADDED TO THE BILL

The first major U.S. music festival of 2011–ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL (UMF)–which takes place March 25, 26 & 27 at Bicentennial Park in Miami, FL–has announced the second phase of its line-up. Joining headliners Tiësto, deadmau5, The Chemical Brothers, David Guetta, Carl Cox and Empire of the Sun are exclusive performers Duran Duran, Underworld, Armin van Buuren, Moby, Kaskade, Erick Morillo (live), will.i.am, Sasha (Vortek live), The Disco Biscuits, Avicii, Fedde Le Grand, ATB, Scream! & Benga, The Glitch Mob, Fake Blood and more.

Appearing for the first time ever at the ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL are Duran Duran in support of their Mark Ronson-produced 13th studio album ALL YOU NEED IS NOW (which will be out March 22 on S-Curve Records). Like UMF alumni performers The Cure, The Killers and Black Eyed Peas, Duran Duran have long been trailblazers in crossover dance and pop.

Also new to the festival as it expands for the first time as a three-day event this year is the addition of Armin Van Buuren’s A State Of Trance 500 area on Sunday, March 27. Named after his extremely popular internationally syndicated radio show, van Buuren will be joined by titans of the trance genre Ferry Corsten, ATB, Gareth Emrey, Sander Van Doorn and more. In addition, this year’s UMF marks the debut of live shows by Erick Morillo and Sasha (Vortek).

The complete line-up for ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL by day and per stage to date is:

Friday, March 25: Main Stage: Tiësto, Duran Duran, Pendulum (live), Erasure, Benny Benassi, Fedde Le Grand, Tinie Tempah, Dada Life, Dimitri Kneppers, Cato K. Live Stage: Röyksopp, Trentemøller, STS9, Carte Blanche, Designer Drugs, Mustard Pimp Carl Cox & Friends: Carl Cox, Laurent Garnier, Loco Dice. Mid Park Tower: Avicii, Martin Solveig, Roger Sanchez, Chris Lake, Sidney Samson, Cedric Gervais, Funkagenda, Rodrigo Viera. Root Society Dome: Joachim Garraud, Jefr Tale, LA Riots, Harvard Bass, Stripe, Elite Force, Jelo, Rob G, Electric Soulside.

Saturday, March 26: Main Stage: deadmau5, Underworld, Armin Van Buuren, Kaskade, Afrojack, Avicii, Sander Klienenberg (live), Hernan Cattaneo, Sunnery James/Ryan Marciano, Jerome Isma AE, Riotgear. Live Stage: Empire of the Sun, Cut Copy, Sasha (Vortek live), Boys Noize, Steve Aoki, Simian Mobile Disco (live), The Klaxons, Mr. Oizo, Bag Raiders, Conspirator. Carl Cox & Friends: Carl Cox, Moby, Fedde Le Grand, Jors Voorn, Yousef. Mid Park Tower: Rusko, Scream + Benga, Andy C & MC Q, NERO, Excision & Datsik, Feed Me, Goldie, Fresh, Netsky, Toddla T & Red Light. Roots Society Dome (Dirtybird Records Showcase): Claude Vonstroke, Justin Martin, J. Philip, Christian Martin, Worthy / Mowgli, Detroit Grand Pubahs, Elio Riso, Remo, Donald Glaude, Filthy Rich.

Sunday, March 27: Main Stage: The Chemical Brothers (live), David Guetta, Erick Morillo (live), will.i.am, Laidback Luke, Wolfgang Gartner, Gui Boratto. Live Stage: Crystal Castles, The Disco Biscuits, MSTRKRFT, Chromeo, CSS, Fake Blood, Hybrid (live), Subfocus (live), !!!, Afrobeta. A State of Trance 500: Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, ATB, Gareth Emery, Sander Van Doorn, Alex M.O.R.P.H., Cosmic Gate, Marcus Schossow. Mid Park Tower: The Glitch Mob, Skrillex, The Gaslamp Killer, 12th Planet, Dieselboy, Super Mash Bros., Daedelus, Ed Rush & Optical, Drop The Lime/AC Slater, Kill The Noise, Plastician. Root Society Dome: Dada Life, Congorock, Alex Guadino, John Dahlback, Pleasurekraft, Steve Porter, Remady, Will Bailey, Hatiras, Lazy Rich.

Three-day combo tickets are now available for *$219.95 with VIP three day tickets for *499.95 for a limited time via www.ultramusicfestival.com.

About ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL:

As the world’s most famous outdoor electronic music event, UMF has won “Best Music Event” by the International Dance Music Awards (IDMA) from 2005 – 2010, “Best International Dance Music Festival” by the Ibiza DJ Awards in 2008 and “Best Festival” by the Village Voice Media New Times consecutively five years running from 2005 through 2009. Originally created as a pure EDM (electronic dance music) festival in 1999, UMF has grown through the years to present not only the genre’s hottest, biggest and best headline artists (The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Tiësto, deadmau5, David Guetta, Underworld, Moby, Fatboy Slim, Carl Cox, Paul van Dyk, Armin Van Buuren, Erick Morillo, and Paul Oakenfold, to name a few), but also crossover headline bands that incorporate EDM elements in their music and have a history or new beginning in the EDM community and culture (The Cure, The Killers, The Black Eyed Peas, Santogold, The Ting Tings, The Bravery). In 2010, UMF was recognized as the fourth Top Grossing Concert by Pollstar’s mid-year issue and saw more than 100,000 attendees coming from 68 countries and territories and all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. In addition to the annual Miami festival, UMF continues expanding internationally this year with UMF Ibiza and UMF Brasil in Sao Paulo on November 6. The sold-out festival featured Fatboy Slim, Carl Cox, Moby, Above & Beyond and more. In 2010, UMF had its most successful year with two sold-out days drawing over 100,000 people, featuring more than 350 international leading electronic music performers, DJs and cutting-edge bands alongside Miami regional artists. With the continued support of the biggest artists in the world, UMF is leading the charge of what’s hot in live music for North American festivals as the first major U.S. festival of the year.

Fans of UMF can watch a preview video for the three-day festival here: http://vimeo.com/17834483

*Price does not include service charges, state taxes and fees.

Carl Craig celebrates Twenty F@#&ing Years of Planet E

As previously announced, Carl Craig is this year celebrating the 20th anniversary of his Planet E label.

February 22 will see the release of Twenty F@#&ing Years – We Ain’t Dead Yet, a 25-track digital compilation that serves as a “best of” – including time-honoured classics like Moodymann’s ‘Dem Young Sconies’, Urban Tribe’s ‘Covert Action’ and Innerzone Orchestra’s ‘Bug In The Bassbin’ alongside more recent bangers like Tres Demented’s ‘Shez Satan’ and Martin Buttrich’s ‘Full Clip’, and a previously unreleased C2 (Craig) remix of Kenny Larkin’s ‘You Are’.

The compilation will also appear in a vinyl box set edition later this year, its tracklist decided by fans (details of how to contribute are forthcoming).

Planet E is also preparing to reissue a number of classic singles from its catalogue, each chosen by a notable artist and backed with a new remix by that artist. These include Richie Hawtin, Ricardo Villalobos, Francois K, Luciano and Mike Banks.

Check Craig’s new website for more information on all of the above, including a track-by-track breakdown of We Ain’t Dead Yet and details of the imminent Planet E world tour, which will touch down in London’s Ewer St Warehouse on March 4 with Craig, Kenny Larkin, Paul Woolford, Psycatron and Read Truth at the controls.

We Ain’t Dead Yet digital tracklist:
Moodymann – Dem Young Sconies
Attias – Analysis
Martin Buttrich – Full Clip
Lazy Fat People – Pixelgirl
Recloose featuring Dwele – Can’t Take It
Quadrant – Hyperprism
Jona – Altiplano
Gemini – Moment of Insanity
Paperclip People – Clear & Present
Urban Tribe – Covert Action
Balil – Route North
69 – Jam The Box
4th Wave – Electroluv
Innerzone Orchestra – Bug in a Bassbin
Urban Tribe – Repeating Decimal
Future/Past – Clinically Inclined
Flexitone – Pulse of Revolution
Carl Craig – Dominas
Niko Marks – Chune
Naomi Daniel – Stars (DJ Dos Mix 2)
Tres Demented – Demented or Just Crazy
Ican – Pa Mi Gente
Tres Demented – Shez Satan
Kenny Larkin – You Are (c2 rmx)*
Tribe – Livin’ In A New Day