We’re kicking off our new podcast that will feature mixes the world’s top DJs and DMb’s resident DJs as well as showcasing some of dance music’s top podcasts. If you have a dance music/electronic music podcast be sure to leave a comment with a link and a brief description to your podcast and we’ll check it out for a possible inclusion in a future broadcast.

To start things off we have the first part of 4+ hour mix by our own DJ Nth that spans Progressive, Techno, House, and Prog Trance over the course of the mix with both new tracks and a few older favorites. Check out past mixes from Los Angeles’ DJ Nth at www.DanceMusicblog.com and www.DJNth.com

Mix Info & Tracklisting
DJ Nth – BlueShift Part 1

01. Dirty South & Sebastian Ingrosso – Meich
02. Loco & Jam – Medusa
03. Deepgroove – Spike (Mark Broom Remix)
04. Sam Paganini – Zoe (Funkagenda Re-Dux)
05. Ido Ophir & Miki Litvak – Shnorkel (Dousk Remix)
06. Mark Knight & D.Ramirez – Columbian Soul
07. D-Unity – Afrika (Tribal Mix)
08. Peace Division – Eh Oh Um
09. Locodice – Phat Dope Shit (Saeed’s Shit Base Mix)
10. Marshall & Baldo – Swahili Song
11. Style of Eye – Air Race (Worthy’s Mid Air Collision Remix)
12. Deepgroove & Jamie Anderson – Juggernaut
13. Cirez D – Fast Forward
14. Alan Fitzpatrick – Static
15. Daniel Portman – Dark is the Night for All

ARTIST: Deadmau5

TRACK/ALBUM: For Lack of A Better Name (Mixed Album)

RATING: (3/5)

This album is a compilation of Deadmau5’s original productions spanning the past two years and serves more as a showcase for his diversity as a producer than his skills as a dj.  Short cross fades and minimal overlays that can easily be done in a number of software programs these days, is less than impressive.  Especially given the potential for layering and EQ work with the more minimal percussive tracks, like “BOT”, later in the sequence.  Based on the technical mixing skills usually highlighted in a “mixed” cd, this seems like a bit of a misnomer.

The album does includes some of his popular electro house tracks like “Ghosts N’ Stuff” (featuring the vocals of Pendulum’s Rob Swire) and “Hi Friend” to get things moving towards the beginning.  But seems to flounder in the middle with the more minimal techy tracks that fail to resolve the conflict between the rhythmic shuffle and the sudden halt created by the breakdown of sweeping synth chords and arpeggiated crescendos to nowhere.  While his new releases contain some interesting ideas, the execution is somewhat lacking in terms of integrating them into a cohesive whole.  “Soma”’s deep bass and techy groove is hijacked by a piano interlude that feels out of place. “The 16th Hour” starts as a dark driving progressive trance track that is starkly contrasted by the uplifting melodic breakdown. Concluding the cd is “Strobe” that begins with an orchestral, cinematic introduction and builds to a more dance floor friendly, melodic track in his signature style.  Leaning more towards trance than the electro house, fans of his earlier work will still be pleased with this one!

For Lack of A Better Name (the mixed album) traverses several areas of the electronic music realm from the booty shakin’ club hits to the more introspective soundscapes, demonstrating his range as a producer.  And perhaps a glimpse into where he may be heading… film score by Deadmau5?

KVR’s Developer Challenge for 2009 is winding down and voting is currently underway so go vote.

There are 42 entries: 40 of these are available for Windows, 6 for Mac OS X and just 1 for Linux. 39 are in the VST plug-in format, 1 is an AU plug-in and 3 are stand-alone applications. Go check out the free downloads and donate to the prize fund for the winners.

Continue for a complete list of entries

For reference, the entries:

* amphetamine by easytoolz (by NEK-X)
* Anawave (by Lithium)
* Antopya (by L-Day)
* Armchair Guitarist (by Minouris)
* Barberpole Tuner (by Christian Budde)
* Black Ops (by gpunk)
* dimensional vector spider (by afdarhus)
* Drum Synze (by Longsoft)
* dschlon_nzElektrik (by Michael Benjamin)
* Eigenmode (by eigentone)
* EQUINOX (by IIRs)
* Explor3r (by thelowerrhythm)
* FerricTDS (by bootsie)
* FMMF (by de la Mancha)
* Harsh Digital Nose (by insertpizhere)
* HybridReverb2 (by c.borss)
* In-Kult (by mickygemma)
* JBM Jagular (by jobromedia)
* LISAROCK V1.0(VST/AU) PLUGIN (by seibel1)
* massTURBOtar (by LpD)
* MIDI LFO (by gertius)
* MoarF VSTi (by __F__)
* NCL Phase EQ (by matt42)
* New Blend (by xoxos)
* PanCake (by Jakob / CableGuys)
* Phase Shifter (by Astralp)
* Phonics/Attack Entrancer (by nix808)
* Piezo Drum Pad Pack (by FrettedSynth)
* pk_hui (by discodaniel)
* Prodigious Synthesizer (by synthescience)
* Psychic Modulation – Metatron (by Jack R)
* RA Mowg (by Chris Roberson)
* sg-grainbot (by synthgeek)
* SIMPLICITY (by BONES)
* SpectroBits (by g200kg)
* Stolon (by novaflash)
* SynekDC (by duncanparsons)
* The Marcus Johnson Collection (by sunahura)
* Transistorhead (by sonicase)
* Twin Engined Verb (by daz.diamond)
* unicycle (by spacedad)
* _02.circles (by rl)

With the success of his State of Trance Podcast and the chart-topping productions he cranked out this year it’s no surprise that Armin took the coveted #1 DJ in World spot yet again. If you’re in LA be sure to catch him this weekend at Monster Massive.

Here is the complete list for 2009:

1. Armin van Buuren (non-mover)
2. Tiesto (non-mover)
3. David Guetta (up 2)
4. Above & Beyond (non-mover)
5. Paul van Dyk (down 2)
6. Deadmau5 (up 5)
7. Ferry Corsten (down 1)
8. Markus Schulz (non-mover)
9. Gareth Emery (up 14)
10. Sander van Doorn (up 3)

11. ATB (up 14)
12. Infected Mushroom (down 2)
13. Sasha (down 6)
14. Axwell (up 6)
15. Andy Moor (up 3)
16. Bobina (up 12)
17. John Digweed (down 8)
18. Carl Cox (down 6)
19. Cosmic Gate (up 43)
20. Steve Angello (up 43)
21. Roger Shah (up 37)
22. Aly & Fila (up 9)
23. Paul Oakenfold (down 9)
24. John O’Callaghan (up 36)
25. Sebastian Ingrosso (new entry)
26. Benny Benassi (up 13)
27. Laidback Luke (up 19)
28. Richie Hawtin (down 13)
29. Fedde Le Grand (non-mover)
30. DJ Feel (up 25)
31. Lange (up 6)
32. Hernan Cattaneo (down 16)
33. Daft Punk (up 5)
34. Eric Prydz (down 13)
35. Bob Sinclar (up 5)
36. Joachim Garraud (down 9)
37. Kyau & Albert (down 15)
38. James Zabiela (down 21)
39. Umek (down 6)
40. Christopher Lawrence (re-entry)
41. Eddie Halliwell (down 22)
42. Simon Patterson (up 22)
43. Offer Nissim (up 8)
44. Judge Jules (down 12)
45. Sean Tyas (up 9)
46. Dubfire (down 16)
47. Martin Solveig (up 5)
48. Sven Vath (down 24)
49. Richard Durand (up 17)
50. Marco V (down 6)
51. Kaskade (new entry)
52. Tydi (new entry)
53. Erick Morillo (up 17)
54. Matt Darey (down 20)
55. Astrix (down 12)
56. Menno de Jong (down 8)
57. The Thillseekers (down 12)
58. Nick Warren (up 26)
59. Dirty South (up 15)
60. Roger Sanchez (down 3)
61. Mark Knight (down 19)
62. Wally Lopez (up 13)
63. Leon Bolier (down 32)
64. Blank & Jones (down 3)
65. Justice (up 8)
66. Laurent Wolf (up 1)
67. Astral Projection (up 27)
68. Boys Noize (new entry)
69. Ronski Speed (up 28)
70. Sander Kleinenberg (down 11)
71. Ricardo Villalobos (down 35)
72. Chuckie (new entry)
73. Sharam (new entry)
74. Marcel Woods (up 9)
75. Lisa Lashes (up 2)
76. Moonbeam (new entry)
77. Rank 1 (re-entry)
78. Sebastien Leger (up 11)
79. Marcus Schossow (new entry)
80. Steve Lawler (up 11)
81. Skazi (re-entry)
82. Super8 & Tab (new entry)
83. Pete Tong (down 5)
84. Tocadisco (up 14)
85. Sied van Riel (new entry)
86. Tiga (re-entry)
87. Daniel Kandi (new entry)
88. Mike Koglin (down 1)
89. Luciano (re-entry)
90. Yahel (down 34)
91. Myon & Shane 54 (new entry)
92. John B (new entry)
93. Simon Posford (new entry)
94. Fatboy Slim (down 2)
95. Robbie Rivera (re-entry)
96. Antoine Clamaran (new entry)
97. Nic Fanciulli (down 1)
98. Gui Boratto (new entry)
99. Alex M.O.R.P.H. (new entry)
100. Andy C (down 50)

It might seem like an anachronism, yet King Cannibal is not alone. The past year or so has seen acts turn to dubstep to try and revivify drum and bass, the apparent backwardness of it being that dubstep was innovative where drum and bass was tired. Then again, why shouldn’t updating the genre be a valid thing to do? The preponderance of bad, banal dubstep made by precisely the people who have been willing to collaborate with drum and bass producers is one kind of answer.

King Cannibal, real name Dylan Richards and elsewhere known as Zilla, is caught in this movement. Let the Night Roar is a collection of dark tracks built of low frequencies, lyrical aggression and dystopia, and drums and rhythms combing dancehall, drum and bass and dubstep. By featuring MCs like Sasha Perera of Jahcoozi, Face-A-Face and Daddy Freddy, Richards situates his project in an international and intergenerational pool of artists producing different derivations of dancehall and everything after it. He is comparable to the likes of Canada’s Ghislain Poirier, Austria’s Stereotyp, or fellow labelmate and Londoner The Bug.

It’s a sub-genre of horror that’s most convincing when he puts the best qualities of his influences to work. The disharmonious energy of ragga propels Virgo, where Face-A-Face’s French lyrics fight with tense build ups, and lead single So… Embrace the Minimum is suspended ominously around the kind of space that the best dubstep producers used to capture the world’s attention. Onwards Vultures would be perfect for a horror film soundtrack, while Daddy Freddy’s distorted, crunching fast-chat is truly cannibalistic on Dirt.

But the fusion of drum and bass and dubstep is the problem. Too much of the album is lost to clichés from both genres, grating sounds that Renegade Hardware and Photek wore out years ago and the pointless, flatulent noises that dubstep is currently wasting itself on. So it will divide both those that appreciate such things, and individuals that find them an instant turn off. In case of the latter, it’ll be a shame, given Richards’ idiosyncratic focus and evocative abilities.

via: BBC

Actually a decent Trance video. Kinda reminds me of the Honda robots.

I have very fond memories of watching Eat Static perform live for an L.A. massive many years ago and was blown away when a four legged mech thing came out onto stage with them. It was quite the amazing performance, but scouring Google images I was unable to find any photos of the above mentioned mech leaving me to believe it was all a figment of my imagination. If anyone else saw this please let me know, I would love to know I’m not losing my mind.

So we just found out Laptoprockers have announced a Remix Contest with Psytrance pioneers Eat Static. Winners grab some plugins and the top remix to be released by Eat Static!!

Featuring a drum & bass track, a rock ballad and a synth-pop song in previous remix contests, this time Laptoprockers have joined forces with pioneers of psytrance ‘Eat Static’ to offer remixers two great tracks to play around with. ‘Sin Quest’ is an upbeat dance track with a classic psytrance feel, while ‘Up Periscope’ explores the more downtempo psychedelic avenues. The tracks are off Eat Static’s two most recent albums, De-Classified and Back To Earth.

“Both tracks unmistakeably carry Eat Static’s signature sound and make up for great remix material,” Laptoprockers said. “And as it is the first time Eat Static source material is available from the Internet in a remix contest, this unique opportunity caters for something extra. We’ll have winners for each remix track, and the best overall remix will get a very special bonus.”

As on earlier occasions, Laptoprockers offer a generous prize pool for this remix contest. LinPlug donated six of their best plug-in synthesizers for you to win! “Three prizes for each remix track is only adequate,” LinPlug commented on their contribution, “so each track will have three separate winners.” Prizes include LinPlug’s all in one drum solution RMV, their sample mangling plug-in ChronoX, and FM Synth Octopus and represent over $900 total value.

But there’s more at stake! The icing on the cake comes with a bonus for the best remixer overall. “We definitely will be able to release the best remix,” Eat Static’s Merv Pepler revealed, “we have several options in the coming months for that.” Need say more?

Laptoprockers is a webzine about making music digitally and related topics, featuring daily news and interviews. This is their fourth remix contest.

via: Laptoprockers

Xone delivers a top of the line DJ controller to put all others to shame. Check it out:

After weeks of speculation and buzz around the industry, Allen & Heath and Serato Audio Research have announced the launch of the Xone: DX, a new Plug’n'Play DJ controller, the result of close collaboration between the two companies. The DX, another development in Allen & Heath’s Xone: D range of controllers, is a 20-channel USB soundcard and features total integration of the brand new 4-deck Serato ITCH software.

Boasting the ability to send up to 168 individual MIDI control messages, a 20-channel 96kHz/24-bit USB 2.0 soundcard, two dual layer deck simulators, and RIAA/phono inputs for external decks, as well as the central 4 channel mixer section which directly manipulates the DSP mixing within the computer, the Xone: DX is the most versatile, high specification professional DJ controller to date. A full version of the new Serato ITCH software is supplied with the DX, providing unique 4-deck control, and a comprehensive set of digital DJ FX, as well as looping and time-stretching.

“Serato has always been an admirer of Allen & Heath’s DJ hardware and we’ve watched the development of the Xone: D series of controllers with keen interest. In our opinion, Allen & Heath design some of the best music production software controllers in the professional field,” explains Serato MD, Steve West. “Rather than a partnership to simply bundle our products, we wanted to collaborate with A&H at the drawing board stage, and design a product that would fully manipulate the new version of ITCH.”

The Xone: DX is also fully compatible with other leading DJ software brands, and has Allen & Heath’s customary pro modular design build and high quality components. It also has bi-colour LED feedback layer assignment, UV light sensitive legend, mix outputs on RCA and balanced XLR, a separate booth output, and measures 50mm deep to fit conveniently in a laptop bag.

“Ever since we launched the MIDI-enabled Xone:92 in 2003, followed by the multi-media Xone:3D in 2005, we have strived to design controllers that would fulfil a digital DJ’s wish list. The Xone: DX is the next step in this journey, with a versatile and wide-ranging set of features in a compact package,” comments Xone designer, Andy Rigby-Jones.

Suggested retail price is £999 shipping in November 2009.

More info at Xone Website

Euphoria and Trackitdown recently held their annual Trance Awards and below are the listed winners…no surprises really. *Yawn*

Best DJ
1. Paul Van Dyk
2. Armin Van Buuren
3. Tiësto

Best Producer
1. Paul Van Dyk
2. Armin Van Buuren
3. Tiësto

Best Label
1. Armada
2. Vandit
3. Anjunabeats

Best Remixer
1. Tiësto
2. Gareth Emery
3. Paul Van Dyk

Best New Face
1. Claudia Cazacu
2. Mat Zo
3. Ashley Wallbridge

Best Club
1. Judgement Sundays @ Eden
2. Cream @ Amnesia
3. Armada @ Amnesia

Best Event
1. Global Gathering
2. Trance Energy
3. Nature One

Best Website
1. Trance.nu
2. Afterhours.fm
3. Trackitdown.net

Best Resident
1. Armin Van Buuren @ Armada Ibiza
2. Tiësto @ Privilege Ibiza
3. Paul Van Dyk @ Cream Ibiza

Best Album
1. Armin Van Buuren – Imagine
2. Paul Van Dyk – Volume
3. A State Of Trance 2009

Best Radio Show
1. A State Of Trance – Armin Van Buuren
2. Trance Around The World – Above & Beyond
3. Club Life – Tiësto

Best Track
1. Paul Van Dyk Feat Johnny McDaid – Home
2. Paul Van Dyk – For An Angel 2009
3. Dash Berlin – Man On the Run

From Trackitdown.net
On Friday night thousands of people turned up at The Gallery @ Ministry of Sound nightclub for the Trance Awards ceremony. The party went off like a particularly well-primed firework. Markus Schulz, Menno De Jong, Simon Patterson, Sean Tyas, Claudia Cazacu & Jerome Isma-me all stepped behind the turntables and laid down the trance law! Over in the annex room Al Excess, Laura May, Hidden Agenda, Ryan Wilkinson and Intertek – the winners of the Trance Awards DJ Competition – did similarly fine work making their Ministry debuts!

Thanks to everyone for their support. The official Trance Awards Euphoria 2009 album is out now.

via: TrackitDown

Erick Morillo interviewed Steve Angello, sent it our way to pass on to our readers, and is giving us 3 copies of Steve’s new double mix CD to give away to our US readers (sorry rest of the world we’ll try to make it up to you.) So drop us a comment and tell us where you’re writing from and we’ll do a drawing 24 hours from now for the 3 double packs. We’ve also got a audio player below the interview so you can preview the mixes.

Erick, take it away…

When you first started out did you wish you could be Erick Morillo?

Erick’s a big inspiration for a lot of DJ’s, you can see a little bit of him in everyone from David Guetta to us and to anybody. I think he’s a really big inspiration to house DJ’s.

At what point in your career did think ‘This is it, I’ve made it!’?

I still don’t think I’ve made it yet. There’s still so much more you can do and you can always achieve and accomplish more than what you’ve done. So I’m still waiting for that moment.

Tell me about your passions outside of music.

I’m definitely into cars and watches and food! I have 5 cars, 11 or 12 watches.

What’s the difference in your sound when you’re playing a stadium to when you’re playing an underground club?

When you play a stadium you can play the bigger music, you can drop the classics such as The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers and you can do boot-legs and mash ups. I think when you play clubs you can go a lot more intimate and sexy and more bass-line based, more so than you can do at festivals.

Describe the style of your set.

The style I like is to go up and down and left to right with the music and I just try and make the people enjoy themselves and I think the way to do that various from different clubs and different cities and different parts of the world. In South America you have a certain sound, the same goes for America. I think in Europe you have to be more picky because the dance music culture has been there for a much longer time so I think the crowds in Europe are more educated than other places.

What’s this thing with Pharrell? Why are the big Hip Hop stars looking to top European DJ’s all of a sudden?

I think America has recently seen just how good dance music is. There’s a lot of energy in it with a lot of people having a good time. Me and Sebastian worked with Pharrell, and I worked with him again after that and I think they are trying to explore new genres to get involved in because everybody gets bored of doing whatever they do. So as much as they come to us, we’d like to work with them because they give us something that we don’t have and vice-versa.

Who would be your ultimate pop/rock hook-up?

I don’t set goals on artists. Madonna would be an achievement but there’s so many big acts around that you just have to find the one that fits you rather than just going for the biggest ones.

What is it about the Subliminal sound that you’re so attracted to? What have they got right?

Subliminal has been a label that, since we started DJ-ing, had the biggest output of music that we actually liked. It’s had a big impact on us as DJ’s because when we started out all the big records were subliminal records with Erick and Harry Choo Choo Romero and Jose Nunez, so I think Subliminal has a big impact on house DJ’s career’s rather than the sound.

Can you outline some of the labels and tracks that have inspired you over the years?

I get inspired from everything from techno to RnB to rock, so it’s a very broad spectrum that we’re looking at. I think that the tracks that we’ve done such as ‘Leave The World Behind’ and ‘Show Me Love’ inspires me for my next record because they’ve been such a big success.

You’re about to release a new mix compilation on Subliminal. Tell us about it and its vibe.

The vibe of the mix is pretty much what I do – I take a 7 hour set and squeeze it down to CD’s. It’s like my business card to the scene and I’m just showing what I’m doing. I think it’s pretty much like my set in a club but obviously a shorter version that fits onto a CD.

What tracks and producers can you tell us about that feature on the mix and are any of these guys inspiring you at the moment?

I get inspired by a lot of people and Dirty South is one of my boys from Australia and then we have Joris Voorn, Cirez D is on there (the compilation) which is Eric Prydz and I’ve got some stuff on there. I get inspired at certain times by artists, I just tend to move on all the time and at this point these guys are inspiring me.

Are there any exclusive tracks on the compilation?
Yes we’ve got Gel Abril’s ‘Marir’ which is an exclusive and we’ve got my track ‘Tivoli’ which is also an exclusive. There’s another one of my tracks called ‘La Candela Viva’ which is exclusive. So yeah lots of exclusives!

You’re playing with the Swedish House Mafia this November in the Brixton Academy. What’s so special about this?

The biggest achievement with the Brixton show is that we’re actually doing it. The fact that the Swedish House mafia have managed to sell out a concert in England is a big achievement. It’s going to be fun to do and we are going to give the crowd something they won’t forget.

You are the Chief A&R guy at ‘Size’ Records. What records do you think have put the label on the map and what can we look forward to in 2010?

We’ve got a lot stuff coming out – my little brother Anton, myself, there’s also tracks from Kim Fai and a track from Christian Smith. There’s a lot of good stuff coming out right now.

I’m assuming you’ve seen the new CDJ that’s coming out in November, and I know that you’re one of the DJ’s who have resisted from leaving using CD’s. Do you think it’s only a matter of time before you start to use the computer based software?

I think you can still play the CD’s and I like the fact of having a CD because I don’t want to have to pull up a screen and find the track, but the thing with this new CDJ is that you can connect a little device to it and that then this links to all of the players. It has a big screen and it’s very good and you can just scroll down and you can do folders in itunes.

It gives you more than just a CD, you can prepare a whole set and you can prepare loops, you can set cue and loop points etc… I think the CD is going to disappear but it’s going to take a while because guys like me are still going to stick around with a case.

What is it about tattoos that you really like?

I love tattoos. Its art. Sometimes I regret ones that I’ve had done but others I don’t ha!