Filter27Filter27Filter27 is a blog about electronic dance music, global clubbing, nightlife and DJ technology. Articles
The History of Chicago House
2008-01-08 11:51:00 Vinyl Life Music has stumbled upon this interesting academic thesis discussing the roots and development of Chicago house and techno. The author, Hans T. Zeiner-Henriksen, is a PhD-student at the Department of Musicology at University of Oslo, Norway. The essay discusses how do changes in music production processes appear in the music of the club-culture of Chicago at the beginning of the 1980s and the transition from studio-recorded acoustic material to the use of drum machines, synthesizers and sequencers, mainly Roland TB-303 (pictured on top), TR-808 and TR-909. Check it out: Chicago house and the "democratization" of music production. More About: House , History
Reminder: Music Industry (Still) Clueless
2008-01-08 11:00:00 Popular technology blog TechCrunch recently reported that Sony BMG will become the last of the big four record companies (Sony MBG, Warner, EMI and Universal) to sell music without the handicap of digital rights management, effectively putting the final nail into the music DRM coffin. USA Today has the inside scoop here. So, get this: The No. 2 record company [Sony BMG] after Universal Music will sell plastic cards, called Platinum MusicPass, for individual albums for a suggested price of $12.99. Buyers enter a code from the card at new Sony BMG (SNE) site MusicPass.com to download that card's album. What a joke. As far as I'm concerned, digital downloads are all about instant gratification and convenience, so making the customer leave their home or computer and forcing them to make a trip into the actual store first completely defeats the purpose. It makes me wonder how those major record companies are still in business and who the idiots are that make up these pathetic and la... More About: Industry , Clueless , Reminder
Liquid Level - Redemption LP
2008-01-07 00:25:00 Aside from German One Bit Wonder netlabel, Deepindub.org has been one of my favorite "free" online music resources for a few months now, always releasing interesting dub techno and deep house material with layered hypnotic sounds and heavy reverbs. The imprint is kicking off 2008 with another interesting release: this time it's a new album from Croatian producer Liquid Level (a.k.a. Juraj Stumberger) entitled Redemption . The LP consists of six dubby cuts with deep basslines and lots of random vocals. Favorites? "Dark Voices" and "Protox". You can download the album here (ZIP archive or individual tracks, all encoded at 320kbps) Download: Liquid Level - Dark Voices [320kbps MP3, ~16 MB] Download: Liquid Level - Protox [320kbps MP3, ~10 MB] Format: Digital download Label: Deepindub.org Release date: Out now Tracklist: 01. Curse 02. Dark Voices 03. Highway 04. I?m The Thruth 05. Protox 06. Repent [Warning: Explicit lyrics]
Linkage: January 5, 2008
2008-01-06 05:14:00 - According to Nielsen SoundScan figures released Thursday, physical album sales in the U.S. plunged 9.5 percent last year from 2006 while digital downloads were up 45 percent to 844.2 million, compared with 588.2 million in 2006, with digital album sales accounting for 10 percent of total album purchases. - Ars Technica is reporting that the European Union wants to standardize content distribution as well as DRM (Digital Rights Management) standards. Under the proposals, the EU would regulate the market by creating a single, European market for online music, including films and video games. - FriskyRadio is set lo launch a record label, friskyRecords. Frisky founder Faisal Sultan writes on his personal blog: "friskyRecords will be an offshoot of friskyRadio and I hope to release only the best progressive house and electronic dance music (EDM) on it. After months of being pretty tight lipped about it I will finally start to talk openly about it here in the coming days and weeks a... More About: January , Linkage , 2008
The State of Trance
2008-01-05 01:05:00 LA CityBeat music critic Dennis Romero has been getting some heat for his claims that trance music is about to die very soon, if not dead already. "I have to come out of the closet: I'm an anti-trancite," Romero writes in his latest Groundswell column. He also calls for leaving this "tired genre to the trendy and aim for real innovation". Well yeah, tell me something new. "If electronic dance music is a beacon for the future path of pop music, trance has become an anchor of same-old sounds. The ultra-arpeggiated sound of trance hasn't much evolved in the decade since it first appeared. ... But by the millennium, trance had melted down into an ecstasy-fueled orgy of synth arpeggios-gone-wild." Basically, Romero claims that trance is lacking proper innovation and hasn't progressed much over the past decade. That, in fact, is 100% correct.Looking back, trance and the whole glowstick culture that is often associated with it both seem to be the victims of its own success. The part... More About: Trance , State , The State
Linkage: January 3, 2008
2008-01-03 18:35:00 - TechCrunch reviews Freemusiczilla: "Freemusiczilla is desktop based software that basically lets you download any song you can stream on the Internet. There are lots of services like it, but none are as easy to use, or work as well, as Freemusiczilla did in my testing." - Ministry Of Sound interviews Chilean DJ, producer and Cadenza label boss Luciano about his experiences running a label and his plans for 2008 . - Issue 111 (Jan. 3 - 16) of Earplug is out, featuring first-ever year-end special as well as preview of forthcoming 2008 releases. - LMFAO: CD Liner Notes of the Distant Present: A Moment with the RIAA. Owning a CD and not being arrested can sometimes be difficult. Hilarious! More About: January , Linkage
Download: Leftfield - BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, 1994-08-06
2008-01-03 06:40:00 Here's a classic Essential Mix from the legendary UK-based electronica duo Leftfield (a.k.a. Paul Daley and Neil Barnes) broadcasted on UK's BBC Radio 1 on August 6th, 1994. If you haven't lived under a rock (or in a cave) for the past decade or so then chances are you probably have both Leftfield LPs ? Leftism (1995) and Rhythm & Stealth (1999) ? in your music collection. If not, then you better run to your nearest record store and buy them ASAP. Absolutely essential. Download : DivShare [192kbps MP3, ~160 MB] Tracklist: Leftfield - Melt // Hard Hands PiL - Radio 4 // Virgin Jam & Spoon - Hispanos In Space // Dance Pool Beamont Hannant - Sym-Phone 5 // GPR Edge Test - untitled // white label Happy Larry's Big Beat Orchestra feat. Shaggy Wonder - Lego Beat // Beep Distraxion Cool Breeze - C'Mon // Dorado Danny Red - Riddimwise // Columbia Dust Brothers - Dope Cal // Junior Boys Own Up Bustle & Out - Too Many Tricksters // Ninja Tune Mike Dread - Machine Codes // Kosmik Konund... More About: Radio 1
Linkage: January 1, 2008
2008-01-01 08:45:00 - According to the Washington Post, the RIAA has filed a lawsuit against a dude named Jeffrey Howell for ripping 2,000 songs onto his computer - from CDs he actually owns. Engadget digs deeper. - A new service called DearRockers encourages people to write letters to their favorite musicians ? including compensation for unpaid-for music ? and upload images of the letters and payment for all to see. - New label alert: Shoreless Recordings is focused on the abstract side of music, in the spheres of ambient/drones/deep electronics. Their music will be released in physical, tangible formats, and strictly limited. - January 2008 issue (No. 40) of Textura is out. Discogs user Numanoid reviews Tiesto's In Search Of Sunrise 6 - Ibiza compilation: "I've been into all facets of the electronic music field for the best part of the last 15 years, but I can't really remember there being a time that music was so consistently good as it has been in 2007. I'm no big fan of Tïesto (he is far... More About: Linkage
Reminder: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
2007-12-24 09:00:00 So this is it for us. It's time to wrap things up for a while and take that well-deserved holiday break. Let's shut down computers, turn off CD players, iPods and turntables and spend some quality time with family and friends. Have a peaceful time filled with all the joys of the season and see you all in 2008! "A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to the world!" ?Charles Dickens Photo credit: Splat Worldwide, via Flickr. More About: Happy , Happy New Year , Merry Christmas
Linkage: December 21, 2007
2007-12-21 10:28:00 - James Wignall concludes in his blog post today over at Guardian that vinyl records bundled with a free digital downloads offer the best of all possible worlds: "It's hardly fair to criticise record labels (especially indies) for focusing on cost-efficiency in manufacturing CDs, but in a climate where illegal downloading is rife, the MP3-vinyl could provide an answer. ... It's a long shot, but if all record companies, including the majors, adopt the digital-vinyl format, then vinyl could stop being arcane and curious, and be restored to its rightful position as the people's choice." - Gridface lists his top albums, singles and EPs of 2007. "For me, 2007 was a period of transition, from IDM back to techno and from CDs to vinyl and downloads." Very nice selection! - Thom Yorke and David Byrne talk music business in December '07 issue of Wired. - Mixmag finally declares that DJing is no longer enough. Good morning. More About: Linkage
Download: Scion - Live DJ set on HR-XXL Nightgoove, 2001
2007-12-19 03:50:00 Here's a rare live DJ set from German dub techno outfit Scion (a.k.a. Rene Löwe & Peter Kuschnereit, Substance & Vainqueur). The mixing is pretty sloppy at times but the quality of tunes justifies that. In related news, the duo recently launched a new label called Scion Versions, mainly as an outlet for releasing their own material. So far they've put out five superb 12-inches, including the re-release of their classic tune "Emerge" (originally released on Chain Reaction back in 1995). The label's primary distribution format is vinyl, however, the tracks are also available in MP3 format from Beatport. Download : DivShare [VBR MP3, ~ 90 MB] Tracklist N/A Photo credit: slimdandy, via Flickr. More About: Live
Download: Akufen - Live at Soundstream at Club Rogue, Dublin, 2007-12-08
2007-12-19 00:00:00 Here's a recent mix from French DJ and producer Marc Leclair, a.k.a. Akufen. The set was recorded live at Soundstream @ Club Rogue in Dublin , Ireland a little over a week ago. Download : DivShare [192kbps MP3, ~190 MB] Tracklist N/A. More About: Live
Diynamic 010: VA - Four Seasons EP
2007-12-13 11:15:00 Young and promising Hamburg-based Diynamic Music, one of our favorite labels of this year, is ending 2007 in style (and also celebrating a little anniversary) with their 10th release ? a four track 12" titled Four Seasons EP. On the A side, H.O.S.H. kicks things off side with deep and percussive "Drums Of Spring" infused with tribal Afro vocals, followed by Gruber & Nürnberg's dark and trippy "Floating Clouds In Summer" with a nice break towards the end of the track. Stimming's hypnotic ride with a minimal edge "1000 Words In Autumn" ? easily the best track on the EP ? will grace your ears on the B side along with label boss Solomun who wraps things up with "Second Kiss In Winter".Another great release from a very consistent label well worth checking out. You can prelisten all four tracks here. Format: 12", Digital download Label: Diynamic Music Release date: Out now Tracklist: 01. H.O.S.H. - Drums Of Spring 02. Gruber & Nürnberg - Floating Clouds In Summer 03. Stimming - 100... More About: Four Seasons , Nami
Filter27 Best Of 2007
2007-12-12 09:40:00 Here's our first annual rundown of notable albums, compilations, singles and EPs (all listed in no particular order) that impressed us this year.Standout albums of 2007 include Burial's near-perfect second LP, Untrue, a superb new longplayer from Detroit-based dub techno pioneers Rod Modell & Stephen Hitchell (a.k.a. Echospace), third album from Ulrich Schnauss ? and finally the rather 'tasty' debut, From Here We Go Sublime, from Swedish producer Axel Willner (a.k.a. The Field). Also featured are two albums that don't really fit into the 'electronic music' category, however, the influences are clearly there: Panda Bear's third solo effort, Person Pitch, and new instrumental LP, Dealin With Signal And Noise, from Michael Lueckner (a.k.a. Guitar). As far as compilations, London-based Fabric imprint hit the spot this year with incredible mixes from Ellen Allien and Ricardo Villalobos, including a mix to remember from Ewan Pearson. Then there's a live recording from Henrik Sch... More About: Features
Linkage: December 12, 2007
2007-12-12 08:40:00 - TechCrunch is reporting that MOG, the blogging network for music lovers, has just launched a new version of its website packed with features, most notably integration with Rhapsody's music service that allows you to stream full songs and albums through MOG itself. - Independent has the music lover's guide to the net: "There's a whole lot more to music on the internet than iTunes and MySpace. Whether you want to remix Radiohead's latest release, watch Arcade Fire play in a freight elevator, or find out what's hot in Harare, there's a site to cater for you." - Little White Earbuds talks to Simian Mobile Disco's Jas Shaw about the road, remixes and kids who enjoy nibbling on cables. - New label alert: Dalaki. Founded by Joerg Schuster, the label's focus is a blend of deep tech, glitch, jazz, electronica, experimental and anything in between, releasing limited (physical) editions with unusual packagings. Digital distribution starts January 3rd, 2008. More About: Linkage , December , December 12
Video: Peter Hook at EXIT 2006
2007-12-11 06:19:00 Here's a short video showing New Order bassist Peter Hook DJing ? or should we say "pretending" to DJ ? on MTV Free Your Mind stage at EXIT 2006. Did you notice what's wrong with his performance? Well.. he's clearly faking it because he didn't even touch the turntables or CDJ's and just keeps turning the effects/volume knobs. He's also about to get a heart attack any minute... Worst. Performance. Ever. More About: Video , Artists
Quote: Burial
2007-12-10 23:40:00 "Most of the tunes I like, I never knew what the people who made them looked like anyway. It draws you in. You could believe in it more. I like it if it's more secret, people can get into the tunes more. I just want to be in a symbol, a tune, the name of a tune. It's not like it's a new thing. It's one of the old underground ways and it's easier." ? British dubstep producer Burial talks to Mark Fisher about his second album, Untrue, his musical influences and M R James ghost stories in December '07 issue of The Wire. Interview: Burial [The Wire] More About: Quotes , Quote
Download: Nic Fanciulli & James Zabiela - BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, 2007-1
2007-12-09 07:00:00 British DJ duo Nic Fanciulli & James Zabiela, better known together as One+One, provided this week's Essential Mix on UK's BBC Radio 1. Download : DivShare [192kbps MP3, ~165 MB] Tracklist: Sunshine - Dying Sun Intro (Sunshine Samples) // Fox Stryke - Agape // Plastic City Incidental Space Music From 2001: A Space Odyssey // Warner Brothers Thom Yorke - Eraser (Xxchange Mix) // CDR ID Unknown - Down Seq // White Label Hardfloor - Da Rival // Brique Rouge Annie - Always Too Late (Joakim Mix) // White Label James Zabiela - No Other Way But Down // Renaissance Radio Slave - Bell Clap Dance (Sebo K Mix) // Rekids Jeron Verheij - Chica Go (Rejected Remix) // Rejected Future Sound Of London - Pulse State // Jumpin & Pumpin Milton Jackson - Cylces' / Interlude With Hal 9000 // Samples Stryke - Spiral // Plastic City Skylark + Mark Fanciulli - Blocked In (Album Version) // Saved Spencer Parker - You Got To // White Label Stockholm Syndrome - DJ's Take Control // White Label Samuel L Se... More About: Radio 1
Nominations announced for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards
2007-12-07 08:40:00 Another year, another Grammy s. Here's the nominations for this year's best recording, best album and best remix in Dance category. It's good to see Carl Craig's rework of Junior Boy's "Like A Child" from the excellent Dead Horse EP being nominated for best remix, but that's about it. Justice? Tiësto? Dirty South? Naaah. Category 12: Best Dance Recording - The Chemical Brothers - Do It Again // Astralwerks - Justice - D.A.N.C.E. // Ed Banger/Vice/Because - Mika - Love Today // Casablanca/Universal Republic Records - Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music // Def Jam - Justin Timberlake - LoveStoned/I Think She Knows // Jive/Zomba Category 13: Best Electronic/Dance Album - The Chemical Brothers - We Are The Night // Astralwerks - Justice - ? // Ed Banger/Vice/Because - LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver // Capitol Records/DFA - Shiny Toy Guns - We Are Pilots // Universal Motown - Tiësto - Elements Of Life // Ultra Records Category 94: Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical - Deleriu... More About: Awards , Contests , Annual , Grammy Awards
Download: Burial - Archangel (Boy 8-Bit Simple Remix)
2007-12-06 11:35:00 Here's an unofficial remix / re-edit of "Archangel," one of the best tracks from Burial's second LP Untrue, courtesy of recent Mad Decent signing Boy 8-Bit. Download : Burial - Archangel (Boy 8-Bit Simple Remi x ) // N/A [DivShare, ~11 MB] Many thanks to Diplo for sharing!
Linkage: December 6, 2007
2007-12-06 09:00:00 - Pitchfork is reporting that British electronica duo Autechre will release their ninth LP, Quaristice, on Warp Records in March 2008. - Berlin-based DJ and production duo M.A.N.D.Y. mix Fabric 38, due in January 2008. "On one CD, it's hard to capture everything you want to do within a certain amount of minutes. We try to always be ? well, not to be minimal, of course not, because that's not us, but ? we try to be subtle." - Resident Advisor catches up with Irish producer Brendan Gregoriy, a.k.a. Chymera. "I do get quite frustrated when I go onto Beatport...and you?re just wading through literally thousands of tracks of shit and you find, like, five good ones." - Do you know where to post your music for free and have it matter? If not, Lx7 has a bunch of tips for you. - Beatportal has a short interview with techno legend Dave Angel. More About: Linkage , December
Download: Terry Lee Brown Junior - Clubnight on YouFM, 2007-12-01
2007-12-04 20:52:00 Here's a recent set from German tech-house DJ and producer Terry Lee Brown Junior (a.k.a. Norman Feller) broadcasted last week on YouFM's Clubnight radio show. The two hour mix packs tracks and remixes from the likes of Mountain People, Martin Buttrich, Francois Dubois, 3 Channels, Dubfire and Satoshi Fumi. The mix also features plenty of fresh and unreleased material from the Plastic City label catalogue. Download : DivShare [192kbps MP3, ~166 MB]Tracklist: Wollion Harada - Rushhour // Blu Fin Martin Buttrich - Hunted // Cocoon Mountain People - Mountain 003 // Mountain People Office Gossip - Carbon Copy // Winding Road Johnny D - Walkman // 8Bit Ulysse - Sometimes // Liebe*Detail Internullo - Sentimente (Nea Marin Remix) // Desolat 3 Channels pres. Catz 'N Dogz - Fixation // Dirtybird Terry Lee Brown Jr. & Greg Parker - Untitled // Plastic City Scope - All Night Long // Urbantorque Andy Cato - Cosmic Force (Francois Dubois Remix) // Pack Up And Dance Satoshi Fumi - Micro No'...
Mr. C says Vinyl is Art. Who says it isn't?
2007-12-03 16:20:00 UK-based DJ and producer Mr. C recently posted one of those long and passionate 'vinyl vs. digital' rants on his MySpace blog, simply titled "Vinyl is Art!" Mr. C writes: "It seems today that we move further & further into the digital domain as far as DJing is concerned & as our piers & contemporaries move into this domain there's an added pressure for all & sundry to follow suit. The whole world seems to be going digital & our beloved analog is slowly disappearing from our lives." Well, yes. This process is called evolution, or is it adaptation?"As an aging DJ who's been a professional in the art of spinning records for over 20 years there is always the temptation to switch to digital from vinyl. ... I understand that the DJ does not want to carry heavy records anymore as I'm so there myself but the DJs are getting paid a hell of a lot of money for this small piece of labour. Too much to ask?" You know, we're all for vinyl here, but to see other people criticizing things...
Linkage: December 3, 2007
2007-12-03 15:20:00 - Textura lists ten of this year's favourite record labels: Anticipate, Buzzin' Fly, Cold Blue, Community Library, Dynamophone, Hidden Shoal, Op.disc, Symbolic Interaction, Western Vinyl and Yore . - Little White Earbuds catches up with Matthew Dear. - Resident Advisor takes a closer look at Cocoon, Sven Vath's own club/restaurant located in Frankfurt, Germany. More About: Linkage , December
Easy Rider?
2007-11-29 22:48:00 Today's New York Times has an interesting feature about folks from the streets of Queens, NY, who build massive stereo soundsystems for their bicycles. Car batteries power these 'mobile' stereos, tricked out with amplifiers and powerful speakers. Some of them also pack decorative lighting, DVD screens, iPods and other ridiculous things. Woot! Bicycles That Carry Powerful Beats, and Even a Rider or Two [NYTimes] Photo credit: NYT More About: Technology , Easy
Filter27 Playlist - November 2007
2007-11-27 07:25:00 Pole - Steingarten Remixes LP // ~scape After four limited edition 12-inches of remixes of Pole's (a.k.a. Stefan Betke) fantastic album Steingarten (released in March on his own ~scape imprint) the remix package now finally gets a CD release. Reinterpretations were provided by Shackleton, Gudrun Gut, Melchior Productions and others. But it's the Deadbeat's insane remix of "Sylvenstein" that stands above the rest. Burial - Untrue LP // Hyperdub Burial's much anticipated followup to his 2006's self-titled debut delivers something that people will be talking about for months to come. Seriously, if you are interested what music of the future will sound like then this album is a good place to start. Echospace - Spatial Dimension 12" // Echospace [Detroit] The first Echospace (a.k.a. Rod Modell & Steve Hitchell) 12-inch release since the duo's well received The Coldest Season LP (out on Modern Love) delivers two hypnotic cuts filled with reflective chords and deep basslines.Ricard... More About: Playlist , November , November 2007
Download: Umek - BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, 2007-11-24
2007-11-25 20:30:00 Slovenian DJ and producer Uro? Umek, a.k.a. Umek, provides this week's Essential Mix on UK's BBC Radio 1. Download : DivShare [192kbps MP3, ~165 MB] Tracklist: Intro Einmusik - Tisoca // Italic Jitzu & Sire G - Cyclette // Austin Tiger Stripes - Survivor // Get Physical Music Daley Padley & Chris Special - Electro Is Dead (Kamo Remix) // Noir Music Kolombo & Compuphonic - Anzimatter // Turbo Recordings Marc Antona - Vitamin D // Micro Fibres Gold Ryan & Tapesh - Collapse // Timbe Tiefschwarz - No More Trouble (Turntablerocker Remix) // Souvenir Music London Kleer - Bias // Parallel 125 Marc Romboy & Gui Boratto - Unknown (Eurasia Fae & Luciana Vilanova Gus' S Version) // Systematic Tommy Declerque - I Don't Know // Jesus Loved You Kaliber - Kaliber 15 EP ? B1 // Kaliber Marcel Thompson - They Call Me Superman // Rakija1 Marc Depulse - Antres // Play With Us Phil Kieran - Again To The End // Flying Cabbage Goldfish - Panic (Jochen Trappe Remix) // Hifreaks James Mowbray & Leiam ... More About: Radio 1
Linkage: November 21, 2007
2007-11-22 03:00:00 - Richard Brophy offers a very insightful commentary on the collapse of UK-based Amato Distribution: "While Amato closing will lead to a shake-up, this is not necessarily a bad thing: there is still a shockingly high level of sub-standard music making its way onto all formats, which Amato's demise may address, while the other players in vinyl distribution..." - Earplug, Issue 108, is out. - Billboard.com is reporting that according to a new report from JupiterResearch, digital music sales will not offset falling CD sales anytime soon. More About: Linkage , November
Glander - Vate
More articles from this author:2007-11-20 10:35:00 German producer Glander recently released a very solid album on the ever-satisfying One Bit Wonder netlabel. To be perfectly honest I have no idea who Glander is; all I can tell you is that he's from Berlin and ? according to his rather short Discogs page ? he's been producing music since 1999. Anyway, the album is called Vate and consists of six excellent dub techno (a la Rod Modell / Basic Channel / Chain Reaction) tracks, all infused with melodic chords, deep atmospheric echoes and bouncing basslines. Standouts are "Drift" and Daniel Stefanik's (Moon Harbour, Cargo Edition) excellent 14-minute rework of "Zavial". You can download the entire album for free (all 256kbps MP3s) here. Download: Glander - Zavial (Stefanik Reshape) [MP3, ~26 MB] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
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