DJ SOLUTION BLOG: 2009

Monday 14 September 2009

Brilliant, kicks off @3:50

Monday 7 September 2009

10 electronic music genres you never heard of...

This is a weird and wonderful world we live in.

These days, people will call anything music, and other people will rip them off, up the tempo and call that different music. It's hard to keep track of the massive variety of genres out there - so here's a quick refresher course to get you up to date.

Here's 10 of the most obscure electronic music genres out there...

1. Baile Funk

Also known as "Funk carioca" - this is a bouncy, hip-hoppy genre that grew out of Rio de Janeiro - lots of repetition and generally has an emcee saying something (in)appropriately sex-oriented and misogynistic over the top. Lots of sampled trumpets and bongos going on. You can't help but dance.

2. Drone Music

Sounds exciting, right? For those of you that think ambient is too up-beat, have a listen to drone music. Imagine playing an epic pad on your new synth - that's pretty much a drone music song.

3. Terrorcore

Slightly different to Drone Music, Terrorcore is pretty much the most violent Techno you can imagine, with Tempos between 180 and 350 bpm. This is less melodic than Gabber, another headache-inducing genre, so be sure to bring your earplugs if you go to see a terrorcore DJ.

4. Hi- NRG

Quite an old (1980s) electronic music genre, Hi-NRG is faster disco music, with staccato synth sounds and octave basslines. Seriously Funky.

5. Jtek

Well, they have JRock and JPop, the Japanese had to make their own take on Techno as well! With high pitched anime-esque samples interspersing high-speed techno, this happy and intense genre sits nicely among its home country's catalogue of musical styles.

6. Cybergrind

Ouch - have you ever accidentally put a distorted percussion sample on a really small loop and heard it clipping at high speed? You're close to what cybergrind is all about. This is one of those genres where the definition of music is pushed to its limits.

7. Chiptune

Dance music made on game boys. 8 bit sounds combined with soaring, blippy melodies and massively bit-crushed drums in its most authentic form, with people circuit-bending their SNES and Game boys to see just what they can do. This is a wide spanning genre, with sub genres such as chip-hop taking it into the next generation of 8 bit music!

8. Liquid

Shortened from "Liquid Funk" or "Liquid Drum and Bass", this is a melodic, ambient take on Drum and Bass, with a heavy jazz/funk influence. Less intense than its daddy Drum and Bass, but it's kept the pace up nicely.

9. Broken Beat

A clever name for a clever genre - another DnB subgenre, but this one is staggered beats with silence between them, along with some interesting melodies. Generally considered DnB for musically sophisticated people (Along with "Intelligent DnB" - another subgenre).

10. Nitzhonot

A crossover between Goa and uplifting trance, this is one of the most epic styles of trance music about. Generally made overseas in Israel and around the Middle East, this is heroic, intense and less oriental sounding than Goa.

Will you be the next musician to give invent a new and obscure genre?

Friday 4 September 2009

DJ Muro DJ Booth

Is it a car... etc
Respect DJ Muro

Monday 31 August 2009

New Stanton Midi Controllers

By combining two of the Revolutionary SCS.3d controllers with the new SCS.3m MIDI mixer, plus including Native Instrument's Traktor LE software, Stanton has put together the most popular SCS.3 configuration, all in one box ready to go.

AKAI APC40 In Action

CJ Mackintosh back in the 80's

Sunday 30 August 2009

Crazy Vid, check it out

Wednesday 26 August 2009

The Missing Link?

Denon have just announced a new product which aims to provide the missing link for Scratch Live (SL1 & SL3) users.

DJ's can now activate the keyboard functions on this natty little midi controller thus expelling the 'checking the email' syndrome.

Time will tell if this is the missing link but for Video Djing this thing looks great.

Monday 24 August 2009

iDJ - Scratching for the iPhone

Tonetable by Inklen Ltd

Ok, so it's not the 'future of DJing' by any means... but it sure is fun!

Having downloaded the Tonetable app a few days ago and plugged it through Serato SL1 (1.9.1) I can truly say it's a wonder to behold. Although the scratching is slightly sticky - probably due to the screen on the iPhone more than the app - it is still an amazing little tool, and at £4.99 it's a snip.

It's a great bit of fun at home, and a 'worse case scenario, everything else has gone down' piece of kit for your DJ bag!

See what you think.

Friday 21 August 2009

A Tour of LA's Village Recording Studio

Les Paul, Guitar Innovator, Dies at 94

Les Paul, the virtuoso guitarist, entertainer and relentless innovator whose drive to produce the sounds he wanted from his recordings and instruments helped pave the way for rock 'n' roll, died today. He was 94.

Les Paul 1915 - 2009

Paul died of complications from pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in New York state, said a spokesperson for the Gibson Guitar Co. He had been in failing health for some time.

Les Paul, who changed the face of modern music through his development of the guitar, has died aged 94.

According to a statement issued by the Gibson Guitar Corporation, which first released the seminal Les Paul guitar model in 1952, Paul passed away today (August 13) due to complications arising from a case of pneumonia. He died at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York.

Wisconsen-born Paul, real name Lester William Polsfuss, was a musician before he turned his hand to inventing. He recorded as Rhubarb Red as well as playing in bands including the Les Paul Trio.

Through Gibson he released the Les Paul Goldtop guitar followed by the Les Paul Custom and the Les Paul Standard – the current edition of which is hugely popular today.

Paul was influential in the rise of multi-track recording – allowing musicians to record different musical parts and vocals separately then fuse them together as a complete recording.

Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson, paid tribute to Paul in a statement.

"The world has lost a truly innovative and exceptional human being today," he said. "I cannot imagine life without Les Paul.

"He would walk into a room and put a smile on anyone's face. His musical charm was extraordinary and his techniques unmatched anywhere in the world."