Soon we’ll be starting a podcast for the blog, which will be available on this site and itunes. Blake has done some extensive work to make this happen and I think the Twilight Frequencies community is stoked to hear some of the upcoming DJs we have lined up. This is the new cover art for Laces upcoming DJ mix. Laces is actually my band, and we’re delighted to have worked on this for the upcoming podcast. Below you will find a mix description,and artwork. Stay tuned for more music releases from the band, and a Laces music player with new tunes. We hope to have an album ready by July of this year, but if not, there will be plenty of tunes floating around this here atmosphere. Peace!

“The multiplication of sounds through other sounds, equals the distance between the beginning and the end.” –Laces–

Volume One by Laces called “SPUR” features The Flaming Lips, Bob Dylan, Cassius, The Sea and Cake, Andrew Bird, and Neon Indian. This first go around also includes (among other things), The Velvet Underground and an original song by Laces called “Generations Games,” which is off the upcoming record.

In this Volume, Laces uses an experimental means to project the tone. It’s a mash up, coupling unlikely artists to form an adventure, glimmering with enough changes to keep the mood shifting.

Stay Tuned for Volume Two by Laces, and the upcoming record.

Volume One will be coming very soon!

In other news, click here to listen to the new song called “Heady May” by Laces featuring BlakeAndrew.

Finally, officially released in the US… Vitalic, Flashmob is out today (11/3) on Different.

If your heavy into  electro, disco, aggressive bass lines or dance pop this album is sure to please. Tracks such as “Poison Lips” will undoubtedly bring a new crowd to Vitalic’s fan base and convince ol’ school dance addicts to explore further into the album… while bringing dark, electro-heads into a euphoric dance club state. “Chicken Lady” combines grimy 8-bit video-gamish sounds, razor-sharp bass and comedic vocal samples for a silly but extremely danceable track. “Your Disco Song,” the albums single, borders on a club killer from Daft Punk that begs for peak play but doesn’t leave you feelin used and exploited. “One Above One” mirrors the likes of Ladytron as straightforward bass flows freely through delicate female vocals. “Still” gets more IDM and shows Vitalic’s keen sense of melody and charming vocal edits and effects. “Terminateur Benelux” pushes you forward with solid bass and far-out synths adding movements with edits and accurately place vocal stabs. The track is then chopped at the limbs in preperation of a funky breakdown… only to mold this beast back into a full fledged killer. The tantalizing subtle nature of “Allen Dellon” begs for peace as the synthy tones are plucked out of a scenic shot from a late ’80s sci-fi action flick.

Vitalic has blown me away with this album, a follow up to his much praised 2005 debut Ok Coyboy; an album that left my tastes in need of a pallet rinse.  Flashmob is a perfect blend interesting electro, fun dance tracks, crushed low-fi samples and production edits that keep you guessing. A must have.

Movement Torino kicks off today (VENUE: Pala Olimpico Isozaki di Torino). Movement Torino is the European version of Movement in Detroit (the Detroit Electronic Music Festival aka DEMF), one of the largest, longstanding and most influential dance music festivals in the world. Movement, started on Memorial Day weekend back in 2000, then called the Detroit Electronic Music Festival or DEMF, a name still used by many. The event was free that first year in 2000; a weekend that can never be matched. It was the best weather I’ve ever witnessed in Detroit on Memorial Day. The music was hot and stayed true to tha D. The festival was pure and poetic: unpaved by company banner Ads, the scent of carny sweet and misfit freak-shows who dig out lonely Halloween costumes to give the Hart Plaza bums something to laugh at besides mental anguish. Back then it wasn’t a bottom line that drove the artists to the stage but the dark and gritty, once industrial giant city that demanded it. Whispering admiration echoed through the abandon streets until the oceans heard Detroit’s gift to the world load and clear. It was the largest free event in the world… and an important time in history for electronic music.

Although the music expanded the event grew worse. More commercialized and less organized. It had a few bad years, though still pulled impressive artists. Thankfully Paxahau took the event over and things have seemed to run smoothly ever since. They have since moved their expertise and success with Movement overseas. The first event of this kind was staged on December 15th, 2006 by Movement Europe srl together with Derrick May, Movement founder and world ambassador. The third edition of Movement – Torino’s Dance Music Event in 2008 attracted 13 thousand people and established itself as the World’s Best Halloween Indoor Music Event. Now being paired as Movement Torino and Movement Detroit – Paxahau have recently signed a strategic partnership aimed to strengthen the two events and the Movement name across language barriers and country borders.

VENUE: Pala Olimpico Isozaki di Torino
—Palaisozaki, Corso Sebastopoli, 123, 10134 Torino, Piemonte

Friday:
Location: Pala Olimpico Isozaki di Torino
Artists: Luciano, Derrick May, Phil Weeks, Chris Carrier, Hugo, DJ Torpez, Sten, Gambo
Live Bands: A Mountain Of One, Motel Connection

Saturday:
Location: Pala Olimpico Isozaki di Torino
Artist: Richie Hawtin, Ricardo Villalobos, Stacey Pullen, Mike Huckaby, Krakatoa, Michel Cleis, Didier Alline, Danny Fiddo, Vasta, Frola

The Winter Music Conference is now in it’s 25th year. This is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated and publicized global gatherings for pioneering artists, innovators and professionals in the electronic and music industry as a whole. The event will still be in Miami Beach at the bold new Eden Roc Beach Resort & Spa, March 23-27, 2010.

This event has long been regarded as an essential proving ground for new releases, artists and technological advances. Not to mention “it’s the place to be” for artist networking and a hotspot for parties including top names from across the globe. To put this event into perspective, WMC 2009 attracted over 70,000 event attendees, 503 accredited journalists and 3,228 industry delegates from 62 countries who participated in 52 industry panels, seminars and workshops as well as 1,910 artists and DJs who performed at a total of 506 events presented at 127 venues across 6 days in Miami Beach and Miami.

Highlights of the WMC 2010 will include the IDMAs (International Dance Music Awards), also in its 25th consecutive year, where the music business converges to honor exceptional achievements of industry, artists and innovators in more than 50 categories. The IDMAs is one of the only longstanding industry events of its stature where the fans decide – generating over a million votes from music fans in 183 countries last year. The online ballot will be posted in November.

WMC will also present the 3rd edition of South Beach Sessions, a new perspective on the traditional WMC panel program. Founded on the principles that make music compelling – individual expression, empowerment, creative thinking and collaboration – the program’s mission is to create greater exposure for artists and ideas. Pioneers in music, art, fashion, technology, business, education and the environment participate in one of the most inspiring and epic programs of the week. SBS has featured some of the industry’s most pioneering champions of positive change from Richie Hawtin to Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am.

Even though a majority of DJ’s have gone digital these days, there has been a recent spike in vinyl sales and there will always be die-hard collectors. Honoring the 12″,  WMC 2010 will also host the 4th edition of the Record Collector’s Show – an international hub for buyers, sellers and traders of rare and collectible vinyl, tapes, and music memorabilia which assembles the best record dealers and features some of the rarest music in the world.

Your WMC badge will also include entry to the 12th Annual Ultra Music Festival, the largest event of its kind in the US.

Currently the WMC industry badge is being offered at a promotional Early Registration rate of $235 until November 11th, which includes access to all official WMC events across the conference dates. Marketing opportunities are currently discounted by 40% through December 18, 2009.

More information @ wintermusicconference.com

Ready for the Weekend, by Calvin Harris is out today. I really don’t have much to say about it. Nothing struck me as impressive with this release. Check it out and tell me if I’m wrong.

Now available for download is the TwitterDJ application. DJ pioneer/Producer/Label Owner Richie Hawtin and his Minus label helped develop this application that tweets each track a DJ plays during a set in (nearly) real time. You can see the application in action @ his twitter account, www.twitter.com/rhawtin. The app utilizes an updated version of Traktor’s standard broadcasting technology and the popular social site twitter.com. Traktor being the Djing software that allows you to mix digital music internally within the software or externally with a standard mixer, turntables or CD decks and timecoded vinyl or CDs; depending on the software version (just in case you’ve been locked in a padded room flippin old tresor wax for the last decade and finally decided to conform).

TwitterDj is currently only available to run on Intel based Macs running OS X 10.5 and Xcode software. You will also need Native Intruments Trakt5o Pro 1.2 and Icecast 2.3.2 or higher.

This type of technology is an excellent step in promotional advancement for digitally released music. This gives an artist, and typically their independent label, the opportunity to gain further recognition for their music as its being played by a performer. How many times have you heard a track at a party, then again at another, frantically needing to add it to the collection but every pain-staking effort to find it on the small information you have is entirely fruitless? Yes, it may take a little something away from those diligent heads who scour through dusty crates and scan thousands of samples before finding those gems; only to broadcast your find to the world so it can be soaked up by some brat who lets his software beatmatch for him. But there are inventive ways around such things. Maybe counterproductive, but there’s always a way… Or, like a good friend pointed out to me, how annoying will it be with a bunch of techie-hipsters standing around at a club, too cool to dance, face lit up from the warm glow of their iphones, anxiously awaiting the next track tweet.

But (after years of denial and sly looks in the mirror) I excepted the fact that you must embrace technology and the information trade. The faster technology is adopted and the more it is exposed leads to faster development. It’s just the way it is, you can either your turn your back on it in denial… or except it. It will still continue to exist either way.

New Music: Deadmau5, For Lack Of A Better Name is out today (9/22/09). A bit too mainstream dance anthems for me, but this Toronto native has dropped some heavy hitters in the past and he is an in-demand remixer and dance producer.

The last sense to be featured before the launch of the new beatport is touch. I have to say, they’ve saved some of the best additions for last (as they should). What’s the real focus? Functionality. A very inventive piece, for any website, is the new docking feature. Both the playlist and MyBeatport can be docked into the side of the site. You can dock one on either side of the site, or both on one for space conservation. They’ve also added a few new, cool track features. One is adding track art to each song; sounds minuscule, but who wants to scroll though all those default “music note icons” in iTunes Cover Flow view? Two is increasing the preview quality of tracks, definitely a plus in the decision making process; I’ve squashed a few tracks because of shitty sounding previews and later heard them rocked at a party…ouch. They’ve also added a link and rss button to every page on the site. RSS is very nice if you want quick updates on your favorite artists, genres or labels and the link button is great for artists who want to conveniently help promote their own music on Beatport. Another nicely added feature is keyboard commands for for lightning fast browsing (check the tutorial vid for all commands). Hands down, the best feature in this sense…the site now better communicates with your browser. Whats that mean for you? The browser back button acts as it would on any other website. Much, much needed.

Ahem. Excuse me, let me remove my foot from my mouth. Last entry I told you the biggest piece the MyBeatport section was missing, the ability to mark individual tracks as favorites. Well, instead of adding it to the MyBeatport section, they’ve decided to add a whole new separate function labeled the Hold Bin (better idea actually). Where you can obviously hold tracks for a later purchase date. Hey, I’m not embarrassed to say I blogged too soon. In fact, I’m glad I did. It shows that they actually did solve my biggest issue with the site; and apparently it was a lot of other users biggest issue as well, ’cause the say it was the most requested feature (probably why they saved it for next to last to announce, you know, anticipation and all). The Hold Bin looks and acts similar to the crate and you can purchase your held tracks right from the bin; which can hold up to 200 tracks. Also in the new “see” announcement is improved functionality of the crate itself, allowing you to see more detailed information on your purchase and more editability before you checkout. 15 more days till 4.0 drops; we’ll see what the last announcement will be.