Archive for the ‘ Interviews ’ Category
We catch up with Laidback Luke & Gina Turner to discuss the new single ‘Chiuso’, how they work together under their Nouveau Yorican production alias, and whether they have plans for a Nouveau Yorican album next year…
Source: Defected Media
Music software developers FXpansion are known for their excellent drum plug-in GURU. We love GURU, and we just started using its rather excellent successor GEIST. So FXpansion thought it was the right moment to sit down with us and ask us some questions.
Source: ChocolatePuma.com
With their new project Nouveau Yorican, Gina Turner and Laidback Luke have created as close to a ‘new sound’ as you’re likely to find in modern-day house music. ‘Chiuso’ is original, frighteningly catchy and set to cause serious damage over the festive period, so we caught up with the both of them to give us the lowdown…
Source: Defected Media
Pro Audio Star paid a visit to Mr. Bananas in his new Brooklyn, NY studio space – peep it!
Source: Fool’s Gold
In every major dance club across Europe, DJs are spinning the new track from the producing duo Duck Sauce. It’s near the top of the charts across the continent — at No. 1 in Belgium. The radio version has just one simple lyric that doubles as the song’s title, and it’s spoken, not sung: “Barbra Streisand.”
The video for “Barbra Streisand” became a huge viral hit, and it features cameo appearances from Kanye West, Ezra Koenig, ?uestlove, Pharrell, DJ Premier and others.
Canadian DJ Alain Macklovitch, also known as A-Trak, is one half of Duck Sauce. He says the song has nothing to do with the singer. “There really is no relation nor rational reason behind the lyric and the title ‘Barbra Streisand,’” he tells Weekend All Things Considered host Guy Raz. “We just thought it would make people laugh.”
Source: NPR
Check out exclusive video coverage of France’s The Phantom’s Revenge rocking out live at BOOM le CHIC in Hamburg, Germany.
BOOM le CHOC LIVE feat. The Phantom’s Revenge from Malte Goy on Vimeo.
An interesting marketing tactic by Solid Bump Records to raise awareness of the new Ghosts of Venice release “Her”. Grace Jones, Johnny Carson, 1985 – this is an entertaining, throw-back experience.
Allindstrom.com sits down with DJ A-Trak to discuss his independent label Fool’s Gold. For those that don’t know, Fool’s Gold was the home for KiD CuDi, The Cool Kids, Donnis, and a slew of other acts from different genres. In the first part of our interview, A-Trak talks about how Fool’s Gold tows the line between an indie and major label. He then goes on to explain the appeal on an independent label, and how a majors difficulty in developing artists adds to it.
Source: Allindstrom.com
When A-Trak (Alain Macklovitch) and Armand Van Helden teamed up as Duck Sauce for last year’s dance hit, “aNYway”, we were surprised, then pleased, then completely addicted. The production duo shares roots in old-school hip-hop and club-friendly, sample-based dance production, but come from entirely different worlds. To give an idea: In 1997, a fifteen-year-old A-Trak was busy winning the world DMC Championship. He would spend that year, and the rest of his teens, known as one of the youngest, most talented scratch performers to ever exist. 1997 was also the year that Armand released his Greatest Hits compilation (on infamous house label, Strictly Rhythms) and Sampleslaya–a party breakbeat album. His next single, “U Don’t Know Me”, dropped later in the year and went to the #2 spot on Billboard pop charts.
Since then, A-Trak has gone from scratch champion to Kanye’s DJ to Fool’s Gold label-founder and production guru. Armand has continued to put out hit records– most recently, 2006′s “My My My” peaked at #2 on Billboard’s dance charts, and 2007′s “I Want Your Soul” did the same. With the wave of disco revival that has been sweeping through dance music in the last few years, it was only a matter of time until these two met. The result of that meeting? The birth of Duck Sauce, creators of delightfully nonsensical and catchy club bangers. The pair’s second single–debuting a year after their first go– had quite a buzz before it even came out. This probably had something to do with the title–”Barbra Streisand”–but it also had a lot to do with the fact that the song turned out to be insanely catchy. The star-studded video–featuring Kanye, Pharrell, Questlove, and Ezra Koenig–didn’t hurt either. We caught up with the A-Trak and Armand yesterday (the day of the single’s official release) in Union Square to chat about the project.
Source: Village Voice
Grum is an artist of widespread international press acclaim. He has a top-5 selling album in the US electronic music chart. This year alone he has completed two sell-out DJ tours of the US with a third currently taking place. UK and international summer festival appearances included Creamfields, Get Loaded… Rockness and Australia’s Parklife festival. He has taken remix commissions from Lady Gaga, Axwell, Passion Pit, Marina & The Diamonds, Goldfrapp and The Wombats plus received a request to produce a track for the next B.O.B. album. Last week he released the single ‘Through The Night’ – a brilliantly care-free song, which he coined ‘sun-kissed cosmic electro’ – and all this within a little over six months. Graeme Shepherd aka Grum shouldn’t need any introduction but with a list of credits like this an interview is necessary.
Source: M Is For Music
Studio Apartment and Rae compile and deliver mixes of quality, depth and personal flavor. DJ Masa of Studio Apartment features brand new releases from the likes Gregor Salto, DJ Gregory and Andre Torquato Project. But Masa isn’t just about the freshest music, here he includes tracks that have become anthems in the clubs of Tokyo; Martjin Ten Velden’s ‘Cowbell’, DJ T’s ‘Dis’ and ATFC’s ‘Guru’.
Rae makes her compilation debut with the second mix. Having to whittle down a whole heap of your favourite records past and present to just 15 tracks was not an easy task for Rae, wanting to make sure what she delivered what is a true reflection of her style, and she’s got it bang on! Perfectly combining the upfront tracks smashing her dancefloors, own productions and personal favourites; anyone wanting to get the perspective on what a Rae DJ / Performance set is like should look no further. Tensnake’s ‘Coma Cat’, the Daddy’s Groove mix of Louie Vega’s ‘Diamond Life’ and Riva Starr’s smash cut up of Butch’s ‘XTC’ are all on here before ending on one of Rae’s all time classics, G Club’s ‘Guitarra G’. This is a mix displaying her diversity and eclecticism as a house DJ.
Source: Defected Media
Pre-order: Defected In The House – Tokyo ’11
Defected In The House – Tokyo ’11 – Rae Track Notes
Defected Interview: Rae
For the past few years, the DJ and producer born Ashley Jones has been making it rain in the disco with innovative remixes and original tracks. Jones is far from a new jack, having racked up over a decade of international club experience and studio chops as part of the beloved drum & bass group, Evol Intent. Yet as Treasure Fingers, he’s found a way to merge his diverse influences and deep history into a signature sound, packed with intricate basslines, chopped-up, gritty synth melodies, and party-ready drum breaks.
Now, after success on A-Trak’s Fools Gold imprint, he’s about to drop his first EP on Defected, so we thought it was about time to find out a little more about the man with the midas touch…
Source: Defected Media
If you didn’t already know who Tensnake was, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a name for new heavy metal band or magician with a weird serpentine routine. He is in fact neither of these things, but actually the super cool German producer responsible for a plethora of disco and early 90s inspired remixes and productions that people are currently sucking up like an icy cola on a summer’s day. Presently, he’s riding the wave of hysteria that surrounds his most recent production ‘Coma Cat’ a track that is leading the way to the new sound of the 90s revival which is clever, innovative and inspirational. It is currently being supported by everyone from Aeroplane and Friendly Fires to Pete Tong and Annie Mac.
Here he tells us about his background, his influences, his ultimate DJ line up, why he owes Resident Advisor a pint and why he is so excited about his new album…
Q. If you could have your own club night and five of your ultimate DJs playing, who would they be?
Well for many years, I’ve been a massive fan of Maurice Fulton. He was one of the best DJs I have ever heard in my life when he played in Hamburg two years ago. Who else? I think definitely Prins Thomas would also be on there, he’s one of the best DJs for me. I really enjoy his sets, when we play together or whenever I hear him. And, let me think about it. I think the Metro Area guys. It’s difficult just to pick your favorite! I would also like the add the ghosts of Larry Levan and DJ Harvey! Read more
Fitting that Rafael “Légo” Rodriguez should be the last video interview for 5 Magazine’s Anniversary Project, because he was the cover story for the first ever issue of 5 Magazine five years ago. Already one of Chicago’s most prominent DJs, his production career began in in the mid-1990s with his hit remixes of the Ralphi Rosario & Donna Blakely track “Take Me Up” and “Wanna Give It Up” featuring disco legend Linda Clifford. He later released the modern classics “El Ritmo de Verdad” and “When I’m With You”.
Filmed where it all began for him in Logan’s Square, Lego here talks about his early beginnings, the emotion that goes into a solid production and what it means to be a DJ from Chicago.
Source: 5 Magazine
Lego: “Lost in the Deep” (5 Magazine’s Anniversary Project)
Lego for 5 Magazine from Czarina Mirani on Vimeo.
