City of Bass [Dispatches from Vocode Project]

Five Thousand Reggae Worshippers

2013-04-30T23:05:00.001-06:00

"muffled drums beat out and nerve-scratching rhythms and red lights flicker hypnotically in the underground temple where five thousand reggae worshippers knelt and bassed themselves and ecstatically pressed foreheads against the cold and gritty cobbles as the trance took hold and the human rhythm rose in them"

City of Bass: I flux with it if its kopfnicken. Follow along via twitter, facebook or the RSS feed

[Video] Theo Parrish Slices Interview

2013-04-10T10:05:00.001-06:00

I was reading last night about the Nina Kraviz Resident Advisor video last night, which has caused quite a bit of controversy in the pop music end of the electronic music scene (sorry folks I don't consider the berlin hipster techno scene to be underground). After watching the RA feature on Kraviz, one commenter nailed it with this "Stupid plastic model s--t" - and that's exactly what it is. Miss Kitten and the Hacker made fun of plastic people in Frank Sinatra not too long ago, and it's ironic to see a plastic scene build up around what was a parody, but I digress.

I had to catch a bit of realness to offset all the plastic self-worship I'd been reading about, and came across this Slices interview with Theo Parish. The dude drops mad knowledge about DJing, music, being a selector and the core of what it's about, well worth the watch if you're passionate about this music scene of ours. One.

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[Electro] Ekman - M.S.P. - Solar One Music

2013-04-09T11:19:00.001-06:00

Straight from the Drexciya, Arpanet and Rother school of electro, this album is absolute killer. Pure 100% unkut from start to finish, after listening to the entire LP I understand why it's housed in this gorgeous packaging. A must have.

From the label:

Solar One Music is back with dark and eerie Electro Sound from the depths of The Netherlands. This time Ekman presents his new Album feat. 9 tracks full of darkness, frequencies and missing satellites. Nicely presented in a timber box. Limited to 100 handnumbered copies.

Release Date: June2013
Format: CD
Cat-Nr.: SOM023

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[Live PA] Alavux Live Performance @ Beat Makes Sense, Radio MOF (Skopje, Macedonia)

2013-04-04T16:33:00.000-06:00

Alavux live at Beat Makes Sense , Radio MOF (Skopje , Macedonia) promoting his new album "Phutura". The official City of Bass review is forthcoming, but you can skip my nice words and go ahead and purchase the Phutura album here. Words are nice, but money talks and I already paid for my CD. Why does that matter? Because I get promo's all the time, but I put my money where my mouth is when I pitch music here on CoB, and I only pitch it if I believe in it. Enjoy the live PA - hardboy electro techno business.

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[Studio] Silverbox 303 Goldbaby Tape 808 909 Refills and Midi-Mapping a Trigger Finger For Jam Sessions

2013-04-03T09:19:00.001-06:00

A few years ago I did a drop about an excellent free 303 emulator Combinator patch for Propellerhead's Reason software, and I thought I'd share with you brothers and sisters how I use that patch in conjunction with Goldbaby's excellent Tape909 and Tape909 Refills alongside an M-Audio Trigger Finger controller for meditational jam sessions.

There are infinite possibilities with software production, but let's keep it 100 - sometimes there's nothing like turning off the screen and jamming the funk out with a bit of hardware kit. If you're fluxin' with software, chances are you're not rolling in dough for vintage machines or excellent modern hardware interpretations of those machines right?

I'm in the same boat, so what I've done is taken the excellent Silver Box combinator patch, and added two ReDrum modules filled with 808 and 909 sounds, along with an additional mixer on board to wire everything together.

You can get as creative and complex as you want, but my particular method involves creating 8 patterns for the 808 so I can build, add and subtract drum tracks as necessary. I use the 909 for additional drum flavor, and then I program 12 acid patterns into the matrix (four each on 3 seperate banks), with each one building off the other. I usually assign pads on the trigger finger to launch sequences for the 808 and 909, and thus to overcome the lack of enough pads for the 303 patterns, I assign one of the trigger finger knobs to switch between banks on the Matrix, thus giving me a larger selection of acid pattern possibilities.

I assign four of the Trigger Finger knobs to rock the classic TB-303 controls, 3 more knobs to run select effects to for the 303 (in essence servicing as wet/dry knobs for delays, distortion or whatever else.)

At that point, I set up an external recording device routed from my main hardware mixer, turn off the monitor and start jamming. I can literally get lost in this for 20 to 30 minute marathon sessions. Some people do Yoga, other smoke herb ... I get lost in acid.

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[Electro] Morphogenetic - Techno Bass Is Back - Zero One Music

2013-04-01T11:55:00.002-06:00

When he's not busy running Technobass.net or FBI Recordings, the man with a plan Morphogenetic is busy producing 100% pure unkut electro funk and recruiting some of the biggest names in the scene to provide their touch on the remixes. Out now exclusively on Juno for two weeks, with the rest of the digital retailers following suit, this one doesn't need a narrative, just listen. Remix's from DJ Xed, Will Web Zero, Sbles3plex and DJ D'ijital as well as the big one featuring Maggotron, DJ Q-Bert and Dynamix II. Recommended, listen and purchase here.

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[Studio Gear] Sampling & Producing on the Roland JP-8080

2013-04-01T10:34:00.001-06:00

About 5 years ago, right before one of my homies moved to the left coast, I borrowed his classic Roland JP-8080 tabletop synth and spent a weekend multi-sampling and tweaking patches to create a Propellerheads Reason Refill. What's most interesting to me with playing on classic synths like the JP-8080 is that I always wind up making completely different grooves and styles than I do with software emulations or custom software synths - I can't explain why this happens, but it happens consistently enough that I've been struck by the difference.

This extends even to multi-samples of hardware, but only in the case when I sample the hardware itself. Confusing? Maybe, but I'm going to guess that a piece of the JP-8080 machine soul embedded itself in my brain, and even though I wound up producing songs with those multi-samples using software, I was channeling the production style the way I would if the synth was right there in front of me. Brilliant bit of kit, sadly the homie Lex Luthor wouldn't sell it to me and this particular Roland still haunts my dreams to this day. "Wax, we can make dope beats together"

It's not that I can't find another JP-8080 on ebay, rather that I think I and Lex's JP-8080 bonded in some wierd way ;) Now that I've outed myself as a complete audio studio nerd, enjoy some JP-8080 jam sessions below.

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[Studio Gear] Thorens TD 125 Turntable Rocked Crowds Before The Industry Standard Technics

2013-03-28T16:15:00.001-06:00

There are a million vintage turntables around, so why am I putting up this drop about the Thorens TD 125 on City of Bass? Simple - this is the turntable that the legendary Francis Grasso was using in the 60s to rock the Sanctuary Nightclub, thus laying down the foundation for the Loft, Paradise Garage and the whole damn entire club culture. Before the Technics 1200 MK II was the industry standard, its spiritual forebear was rocking the dancefloor helmed by a true pioneer. I'm down with this.

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[Video] Jay Shells Rap Quotes Street Art Project

2013-03-27T10:40:00.001-06:00

Cracker street art is all about shock value, but Jay Shells keeps it hip hop by installing street signs all over brooklyn with hip hop lyrics that call out specific neighborhoods and streets name-checked in classic records. Brilliant

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[DJ MIX] Unreleased Electro Boogie 3 by Dave Clarke

2013-03-26T14:27:00.002-06:00

This is an absolute stunner - Dave Clarke unearthed the 3rd edition of the now legendary Electro Boogie mix series which was never released, for whatever reason. He's still looking for disc one, but here is disc 2 up on soundcloud. Enjoy Dave Clarke 'Electro Boogie 3'

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[Video] Reel-to-Reel Tape Machines Live Techno Performance

2013-03-26T13:13:00.003-06:00

Inspiring, for the music, for the concept and for arts sake itself. Check this video of a producer using multiple reel-to-reel tape recorders to create a real time minimal techno track, including custom delays and effects. 100% analogue, brilliant.

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[Letter from the Management] 1000 Blog Drops - Thank you

2012-10-19T11:15:00.003-06:00

Cheers for reading and supporting City of Bass - it has been, and continues to be a fun journey.

#Salutes

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[DJ Mix] Darkfloor - Mantis Radio 117 Featuring Scape One

2012-10-19T10:08:00.000-06:00

One of the most consistly dope electronic music radio shows out, Mantis Radio brings the mighty Scape One as the feature guest on episode 117. Listen below, and follow Mantis Radio on Soundcloud and Mixcloud. Excellent

Mantis Radio 117 + Scape One by Darkfloor. on Mixcloud

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[Video] London Modular Alliance Live Electro PA

2012-10-19T09:30:00.001-06:00

Pip Williams, Koova and Yes Effect form like Voltron as the London Modular Alliance, a live PA act dedicted to performing with all analogue gear, no computrons, just like everyone did back in the day. Wicked sounds, wicked vibes and a nicely done video giving you a taste of their live essence. Watch below, and find them on soundcloud here.

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[DJ Mix] Deep Luscious House via Darrell Foxx Live @ Satori Nightclub

2012-10-19T09:06:00.000-06:00

Darrel Foxx is one of those DJs that influenced me tremendously in terms of how important selection is .. mixing and layering .. all those things that make a DJ stand out from above the crowd. I've seen this man control a dancefloor like none other. Even if house isn't your bag, you can learn a lot from watching a master at work. Check this deep luscious set of house music recorded live at the debut opening night of Satori night club in Denver. Enjoy

This is my opening set recording from SATORI night club denver with Miguel Migs. by Dj Darrell Foxx on Mixcloud

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[Letter from the Management] Skunk Works

2012-10-11T16:30:00.000-06:00

I'm going dark for a few days to work on an overdue music project. See you next week.

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[That Brand New] Paul Blackford - Oh Yeah Sneak Preview

2012-10-11T14:30:00.000-06:00

new Paul Blackford joint.

"Designed to test your subs with guest vocals from the Atari ST. Taken from the forthcoming EP "Oh Yeah!" with remixes from various Electro & Bass headz." - Paul Blackford

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[DJ Mix] Dusty Mixtape Recorded Live @ SPECTRUM, London

2012-10-11T12:29:00.001-06:00

I love the interwebz. Live recording on cassette from the legendary Spectrum nightclub in 1988, London. Spectrum, Shoom - the beginnings of the acid house revolution across the pound after it ported over to Ibiza. Lovely.

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[Video] 1988 London Acid House Documentary

2012-10-11T10:30:00.000-06:00

"I've got acid ... on the brain". Check out this 1988 London Acid House Documentary. Along with the interest view points on how acid is destroying Britiain's youth, spot those vintage 1980s computer terminals when they show the press room!

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[Video] The Story of Acid House by Cajmere & Wayne Williams

2012-10-11T08:30:00.000-06:00

The story of acid house by Cajmere and Wayne Williams, the early years. Nice one!

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[Video] Producer Tips - Furious Basslines with DNB's Fracture & Neptune

2012-10-10T16:30:00.000-06:00

Holy flux that bassline.. for my gear heads, this video is for you. How to build a wicked bassline using a Roland TR-808 and E-mu 6400 sampler, with drum n' bass producers Fracture & Neptune. Enjoy

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[DJ Mix] DJ Stingray New Forms Electro Mix

2012-10-10T14:31:00.002-06:00

Great feature mix from the mighty DJ Stingray for New Forms. Check the mix and full tracklist here.

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[Downtempo] How To Flip A 50s Crooner Record Into Pure Gold

2012-10-10T12:30:00.000-06:00

Brilliant flip of a Dean Martin record. I can't turn this one off repeat, the very definition of kopfnicken. Action of course kills it on the MC flow which you can hear here if you're into hip hop, below is the instrumental. Produced by Fools Gold producer Party Supplies.

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[Interview] Forbes Magazine Feature on Jeff Mills

2012-10-10T10:30:00.000-06:00

This one caught me by surprise - kind of like the first time I saw the techno viking video. What I love about Mills is when he talks that talk in the only way he knows how, I'm totally onboard and feel like I'm hearing from a visionary. When Richie Hawtin does it, I just think 'giant wanker' - Read the full story over at Forbes

And the legendary ....

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[Electro Mixtape Roundup] Kopfnicken Business for October 10 2012

2012-10-10T08:30:00.000-06:00

File this under 'the platters that matter', or 'this dj just made my day' or 'hey mr dj' .. get 'em while they're hot

DJ Di'Jital Feature mix for Oct 2012 Technobass - OG Business - Right Click/Save As to Download

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