Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Downtime
So I haven't been on here for a couple of weeks. I haven't posted any new music or anything... I broke my laptop and lost my phone! Got two pieced with no fries. But I got blessed with another laptop, not quite what I had but at least I can write something. So I'm gonna make an effort to do some different things and return with some new material... Peace and thanks for clicking through.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Roots - With Louie Vega & Kevin Hedge at Cielo
If you like to dance and you like soulful house, this is definitely a can't miss party on a Wednesday night. Drink special before 11 is awesome (open vodka bar). And last night was a special treat being that it is the week right before WMC so many of the tracks played last night were unheard and very well received. If you got the time, check it out. Bring a date or not... either way there's a good time to be had.
Roots - With Louie Vega & Kevin Hedge at Cielo
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Monday Night Starr's @ Two Sha's
On a cold, wintery Monday night in the Bronx, you will find a corner spot full of the grown and sexy from Uptown and The Boogie Down. Hosted by DJ Mell Starr with Frank Jugga on the mic, the party heated up early. Opening at six, DJ Money Ern held down the spot with a blend of new R&B and Hip-Hop. Up around 9 o'clock and continuing with the theme "Lady Starr's", DJ Ms. Chu tore up the place going from new school to old school to reggae and more. With a plethora of Tru School royalty coming through, the party stayed jumping and the drinks kept flowing. The kitchen in the back was serving up tasty hot wing and finger foods. The selection of grown and sexy ladies kept the fellas coming in. If you're uptown and looking for a nice spot to party, meet and greet, this is definitely a top flight choice. Monday Night Starr's @ Two Sha's. 2576 3rd Avenue Bronx, NY... Photos to follow soon.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Not Really DJ Related But Dope Anyway
Learn More Here
Rest In Power Big L
Listen Here
Mission statement for DJ Administer
Next is the digital side of things and even that hass an analog/digital type of war going on. The Serato vs. Traktor debate. The skillful non-inclusion of Torq, Virtual Dj, Mixvibes, PCDJ and more. Also the many, many DAW's that are out there factor into this. Ableton, FL Studio, Ms. Pinky. All of this software is available for any use to try and delve into, but traditionalist DJ's lean toward Serato because of it's simplicity. And yet as of late, Serato has gone to great lengths to position itself alongside DVS powerhouses like Traktor which seemed to have masterfully bridged the worlds of DJ'ing and production in one software application.
DJ Controllers have been popping up all over the place, but I am of the opinion that they have been around since before DVS systems came into existence. Endless rotary encoders, keyboards, touchpads, X/Y pads, and midi treats of all kinds have been available for use since the 70's. DJ's have been using echo chambers and effects boxes since the 70's as well. It only made sense looking at the explosion in electronic music in the eighties that this technology would creep into the hands of Turntabilists and DJ's alike.
Left out of the conversation for the most part is one of the longest standing providers of DVS systems, Ms. Pinky whose proprietary timecode has been used for several other DVS systems including Torq (one of my favorite pieces of software still). Ms. Pinky in and of itself is a stand alone DVS that can be used as a VST instrument in virtually any DAW giving the user vinyl control over whatever parameters they choose. Ingenious, but here in the States, not included in the conversation.
I could delve deeper into all of the different technologies that are available to DJ's out there to use but that would just sidetrack me from the point I am trying to make. When Hip-Hop first started (and any other musical genre for that matter) it was about who had the best sound. Of course if you had the best and the latest gear you were the man but let's not forget some things:
1 - Some guy named Joseph Sadler from the Bronx who became synonymous with a swift footed comic book character who changed the entire way DJ's performed by adding a horizontal fader to a nondescript mixer so he could fade between the two record players he was using.
2 - 3 guys from Long Island and their producer decided that their Hip-Hop album should have witty commercial breaks between songs, virtually mastered the art of sampling and got sued out of their socks for all of it.
3 - Kanye West went all Marilyn Manson on us in his latest offering after fighting for years to heard as an MC and reminding us what traditional Hip-Hop beats are supposed to sound like.
4 - Popping and Locking crews, danced... instead of killing each other.
The point is... it is about the creativity. Whatever tools you use, master them. Word to Rob Base, just make the music dope! Oh yeah, subscribe, comment and everything else. I am open to suggestions and looking for contributors!
Artwork Courtesy of AngryTalic
Friday, February 14, 2014
De La Soul To Give Away Entire Catalog TODAY
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
R.I.P. Whitney Houston (I Wanna Dance Pon De Flo)
This is a remix I normally do live. I decided to record it in honor of Ms. Houston (Mrs. Brown's) passing. Artwork by Feohria.
Download Here
Download Here
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Autograph from Q-Bert
Unfortunately I lost my phone and couldn't get pics of the in-store at Rock and Soul with Fat Fingaz, Shiftee, Ease and special guest NYC Regional DMC judge, DJ Q-Bert, but I did get an autograph.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Just My Imagination (Just A Little Darker)
This remix from 2008 I finally edited (a little)... Enjoy!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
2014 NYC DMC Regionals Finals Winner - DJ Dwells (13 Year Old Phenom)
(As Quoted from Facebook)
2014 DMC NYC DJ Battle results!
Congrats to:
1st: Dwells (13 yr old from CT)
2nd Dj Ease (NY)
3rd DJ Dirty Digits (NY) aka Dan Chaves (all vinyl sets!)
4th DJ Roli Rho (NY)
Top 6 Finalists also included
DJ Rugged One (NY) aka Greg Fils-Aime
DJ Remedy (MD)
After the Elims: Remedy was tied with Djsupreme Grandmastar for 6th place - each having a full 2 points (meaning one judge put each DJ in 5th place) - but the judges deliberated and selected Remedy to advance. D Spliff also had 2 points but they were two 1 points (meaning two judges gave him 6th place). DJ Revelation (CT) aka Steve Solomson and DJ Shame (NY) each received 1 point (meaning one judge selected them a their choice for 6th place. Oh I am getting way too sleepy! will write more tomorrow God willing! Thanks to everyone who battled and who came through to make this night the best!! DJ Precision, As One and AJ didn't battle
Photos By Ignacio Soltero
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Friday, January 31, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
Wonder (Mr. Speaker's Keep From Going Under Remix) by Adventure Club ft. The Kite String Tangle
This is a remix submission. If you like it, stop over to this page and cast a vote.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Feburary 1st 2014 - Webster Hall DMC NYC Hosted by Lord Finesse ft. DJ Q-Bert
Click Here For Facebook Info
Sat. Feb. 1, 2014: Rane in assoc. with DMC USA presents The 2014 DMC NEW YORK CITY Regional DJ Battle with special guest DJ QBERT and host: LORD FINESSE @ Webster Hall 125 E. 11th St. New York NY 10003. WebsterHall.com Ages 19+. $15 adv./$20 day of. Judges: DJ Slyce, DJ Spictakular and more tba! Buy tickets here!
Sat. Feb. 1, 2014: Rane in assoc. with DMC USA presents The 2014 DMC NEW YORK CITY Regional DJ Battle with special guest DJ QBERT and host: LORD FINESSE @ Webster Hall 125 E. 11th St. New York NY 10003. WebsterHall.com Ages 19+. $15 adv./$20 day of. Judges: DJ Slyce, DJ Spictakular and more tba! Buy tickets here!
DJ Mell Starr Presents "The Dedication" - It's All About The Ladie DJ's In February
3 Years of Soulection... Free Download
The Soulection record label has released a 32 album compilation entitled "3 years of Soulection"
THIS IS A FREE DOWNLOAD... Head to Bandcamp and get sum today.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Blu Martini
So I sorta picked up a gig at The Blu Martini in Greensboro. Dope venue! Unfortunately kinda slow on Wednesday night. Hoping to turn that around.
Amp Fidler - Basementality 2
A soulfully crafted, Amp Fidler returns with some treats for the ears. Check it out... and support the artist.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Georgian Kiss - Souleance
A very fresh groove. Available for download on First Word Records along with 11 other gems. Take a listen then by all means download.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
With These Hands DJ Comp, Table Kingz, UNC Charlotte
I wanna give a big shout out to Claude at With These Hands and all of the competitors from last nights event. DJ Ease (Follow him on Twiiter, he's a bad, bad man on some 12's) took home the top prize just edging out DJ SPS (who was on all vinyl I might add). DJ Aquaria, DJ Scooby, DJ Manish, DJ Jaybee, DJ Q-Base, DJ Gabie The Gift, DJ Bamboo, DJ Moto and DJ DA Smooth all did their thing. I unfortunately stunk up the place. I'm not ashamed to admit it but here, but who gets riding a bike right the first time! I took a few flicks but not many and I will post them here. The event was top flight though.</p>So, yeah, I'm nervous. I'm about to walk into an arena with some of the top DJ's in the world to compete in a field that has been a staple of hip-hop for over 20 years. If I had eaten some spaghetti before hand, it probably would have been all over my sweater. Thanks for the heads up Em. So I arrive at UNC Charlotte... on the wrong side of campus, but thanks to a beautiful young co-ed, whose name I did not get because I was FOCUSED MAN, I made my way to the theater at McKnight Hall. Once inside I was introduced to the man of the hour, Claude Whitfield, founder and director of With These Hands DJ Academy and his team. Mr. Kevin Hyrams of Softwired Syetems assisted in directing the battle. We were all read the rules of the competition and re-familiarized with the format... One 30 second scratch round for each competitor and then a 3 minute battle elimination round followed by a special performance by guest judge Chris Karns. After that, the 3 minute championship round for the grand prize of $500.
Since I had the fewest votes online, I got to go first in the scratch round... Way to throw me under the bus people. Anyway, my entire battle segment was plagued with off timing. I didn't do the one thing I kept telling myself over and over to do... keep it simple stupid. Anyways, my scratch round was anything but spectacular and my three minute round was so off that even I didn't want to finish it out. But I'm giving myself points for showing up and trying. I know that with a little more practice and effort, I can make a decent showing. Practice being the optimum word here. But the truth is that all of the other competitors showed up. And not only that, they introduced the world of turntablism to college kids and some younger kids who might have never known this world existed. From Chris Karns' magnificent display to SPS and Ease's sudden death round thriller, the crowd was captivated. The online twitter and text voted provided by Sprite kept the crowd engaged and gave a live contrast to the Judges, all of whom were turntablist champs in their own rite, DJ Skillz, DJ REd, DJ Mvee, DJ EU, DJ, SOden, DJ Dexter Dynamite and DJ Chuck T.
The battle between International DJ Ease (NY) and DJ SPS (Orlando, FL) was intense. SPS on all vinyl showcased the skills that make for legendary DMC champs. Ease, however, came through with some wicked mixes and cuts that entertained and showed that he can do this, with ease.
The first round of the championships ended in a draw. The second round was even closer but a few needle skips gave the edge to DJ Ease and he took home top honors.
Topping the night off, we headed downtown to Snug Harbor to watch Stranger Day and Elevator Jay do their thing with backup from A Huf, J. Overcash and Famous Jason. Live hip-hop, yeah! The night was closed out by Chris Karns on the 1's & 2's rocking hip-hop, trap, club and electonica. Needless to say, it was dope.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Remember When Records
OK... so looking for record shops, I came across this gem on High Point Rd. in Greensboro, NC. I walked in and saw expertly organized rows of LP's, 45's, 12" singles as well as CD's and DVD's. There was an old Jukebox in the corner right near the door. I immediately thought "digger's paradise". So I began to peruse the items in the rows and began to notice the graded labels and the various pricing of the albums. I made my way toward the back and asked the shop owner if he had a portable record player. I was informed that all albums were cleaned and sealed and not available for play unless purchased so that their value was maintained.
I was impressed. So I began to peruse the albums again. Country-Western, Rock, Metal, Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, R&B, Folk. You name it, they had it. I then asked the owner about the grading system. He then explained to me that only about 10% of what he gets makes it into his store. And those ten percent receive one of four grades, Mint, VG+, VG- and G. A meticulously kept store that culminates every week with a Sabbath Sunday of cleaning and organizing the well over 150,000 pieces of vinyl in the 3200 sq ft. store. Every piece kept in order by genre, artist and grade. "Make sure you put it back where you found it!" was the commandment I received and I made sure to abide by it.
I now struck up a conversation with the man who introduced himself as John Hiatt. We began to talk about how hard it is to maintain a record shop in the new digital age and how his shop was once full of DJ's but now not so much. We got into the merits and detriments of MP3 vs. Vinyl and how the art of album making was changing. We got into the almost artificial sound of some digital recordings (I'm partial to FLAC and WAV myself) and how vinyl just has so much warmth and captures the flavor of the microphones used in the recording process. I began to tell him about some notable vinyl party's I've attended and how artists have begun pressing up special edition vinyl and selling that along with digital copies. I guess I was trying to allay his apparent fear that vinyl, as a format, was dying.
It was a fun, albeit short conversation, one I'm glad I happened upon. It was a new battle scene so to speak. It was brick and mortar America battling against the throes of a digital revolution. A battle I am all too familiar with and stuck smack dab in the middle of. The young vs. the old... I Robot. But somehow, this aging man, whose purpose is to preserve the American music past, is making a stand and maintaining an old standard that we all know as "Mom and Pop". Every album in it's place and a place for every album. And the battle was being won, not with quantity, but with quality. And then, I read this article... "Remember When | Our State Magazine" and realized, there was so much more.
Remember When Records 1989-2013
2901 High Point Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27403
John & Brenda Hiatt
(336) 297-1999
Mon - Sat 10-6
I was impressed. So I began to peruse the albums again. Country-Western, Rock, Metal, Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, R&B, Folk. You name it, they had it. I then asked the owner about the grading system. He then explained to me that only about 10% of what he gets makes it into his store. And those ten percent receive one of four grades, Mint, VG+, VG- and G. A meticulously kept store that culminates every week with a Sabbath Sunday of cleaning and organizing the well over 150,000 pieces of vinyl in the 3200 sq ft. store. Every piece kept in order by genre, artist and grade. "Make sure you put it back where you found it!" was the commandment I received and I made sure to abide by it.
I now struck up a conversation with the man who introduced himself as John Hiatt. We began to talk about how hard it is to maintain a record shop in the new digital age and how his shop was once full of DJ's but now not so much. We got into the merits and detriments of MP3 vs. Vinyl and how the art of album making was changing. We got into the almost artificial sound of some digital recordings (I'm partial to FLAC and WAV myself) and how vinyl just has so much warmth and captures the flavor of the microphones used in the recording process. I began to tell him about some notable vinyl party's I've attended and how artists have begun pressing up special edition vinyl and selling that along with digital copies. I guess I was trying to allay his apparent fear that vinyl, as a format, was dying.
It was a fun, albeit short conversation, one I'm glad I happened upon. It was a new battle scene so to speak. It was brick and mortar America battling against the throes of a digital revolution. A battle I am all too familiar with and stuck smack dab in the middle of. The young vs. the old... I Robot. But somehow, this aging man, whose purpose is to preserve the American music past, is making a stand and maintaining an old standard that we all know as "Mom and Pop". Every album in it's place and a place for every album. And the battle was being won, not with quantity, but with quality. And then, I read this article... "Remember When | Our State Magazine" and realized, there was so much more.
Remember When Records 1989-2013
2901 High Point Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27403
John & Brenda Hiatt
(336) 297-1999
Mon - Sat 10-6
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Table Kingz DJ Battle sponsered by With These Hands DJ School and Sprite
So I'm down here in N.C. and I find this battle going on in Charlotte. So I decided to enter... wish me luck. And if anybody in that region is interested in DJ school, check them out.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
DJ Cash Money live @ Guitar Center 2013
http://www.youtube.com/v/govaLkbYywA?autohide=1&version=3&autoplay=1&attribution_tag=D29F8rz4ddycVR84XJ_VpQ&feature=share&autohide=1&showinfo=1
Monday, October 28, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Vera Humanitas (A 9/11 Tribute)
So my homeboy pulled out some Fu-Schnickens vinyl and played "Tru Fu-Schnick". Hadn't heard that in a minute. After he played it, I was playing around in Torq and started finger drumming the beat to Beanie Siegel's "The Truth". So I pulled up the track and looped the first 8 bars. A commercial came on about a 9/11 special or news story or something and it made me think. So I sat there and listened to this loop for a couple of hours. Then I decided to chop up (cue points) "True" by Spandau Ballet and played it over top of the beat to see how it sounded. It sounded alright.
So I found some 9/11 sound bites online and as I listened to the speeches and the emergency responses audio, it struck me that so many voices were captured and extinguished in an incredible act of desperation. I say desperation because someone somewhere felt diplomacy was no longer an answer. But there was a real time human event happening on the ground and I wanted to capture some of that, albeit 12 years later. I guess it was a chance to vocalize some feelings I had about that time. Enjoy.
Friday, July 26, 2013
2013 Old School Remix Tape
These are a few joints I remixed back in 2009-10 but never got a chance to record and put together.
If any DJ's want HQ copies of the Vocal and Instrumental tracks, hit me up on the contact page.
Anybody interested in beats, hit me up as well.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Art Dept. & Thugfucker at Panther's Rooftop Grand Openeing
One of the more exciting and popping scenes in electronic music and all things funky, Williamsburg is home to quaint and intimate venue right next to Output called Panther (74 Wythe St.) Great sound system, the bass lines are thorough and solid. Highs are crisp without being earsplitting and the mids are strong enough too punch you in the throat, leaving you gasping for your next breath. The rooftop garden is spectacular, albeit a rainy night in metropolis. A nice gazebo style entryway emerges once you enter after crossing over the stairway bridge which beckons you to party or intermingle with other party goers. Facing north, views of the riverside; south, overshadowed by the also funky Wythe Hotel, which served as kind a big brother/sister protecting it's younger sibling in the event of something unspeakable. To the east, a deck perched upon the edge of the building and offering a great view of the buzzing streets below.
The club itself had an amazing decor centered around, you guessed it, the DJ booth. It's the first thing you pass entering the club. A raised fireplace near the entrance and stairs, exposed wooden beams and an open floor plan with a balcony on the second floor overlooking the main floor gave the space a very mountainesque vibe right in the middle of the city. I really felt like I should've have had some ski equipment on hand for a quick morning run.
That being said, let's get to the music.
I arrived with my compadres around midnight. Typical for NY partygoers, so I didn't catch the early sounds. As we entered, Art Departments Jonny White was spinning with Kenny Glasgow jumping in here or there. 3 CDJ 2000 Nexus's and an N.I. F1, alongside a Macbook Pro comprised the flight controls for the night. The two of them played together like jazz instrumentalists trading bass lines and riffs, cutting highs and lows, and offering an eclectic mix of transitions that kept party goers moving. I felt that there was a little too much eq'ing for my taste and occasionally the crowd seemed stiff but overall the sound was pretty even toned and kept a decent vibe... I spoke to a fan and a regular and she told me, they were experimenting for the night. My attitude changed. I understood that sort of musical quest and opened my mind to what they were trying to accomplish.
Next up was Thugfucker. Hell of a name imho. These guys closed out the night in grand fashion. They played some seriously off kelter grooves that didn't adhere to the typical 4 to floor mentality. There were 1/3's over 1/32's and then some; bass lines that took a couple of measures to really get into and some really dope synth work. Track selection was incredible. The night ended on a high note and I and my compadres, who happen to be very discerning music aficionados themselves, had had our fix. We were off.
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