Monday, February 28, 2011

Fiona Apple's Interview at Andrew Zuckerman's Music




Fiona Apple is one of the most talented artists of the past decade or so. I've watched this video of her a dozen times and it gives me goosebumps every time. She just nails on the head, what it is to be a musician and what it feels like when your in tune and in sync with the other musicians your'e playing with. Sometimes your fortunate enough to tap into something special. Once you feel that inspiration, you'll be on a constant quest to get that feeling back.

Fiona Apple is such an amazing artist in the world of cookie cutter hacks we're bombarded with on a daily basis. Do yourself a favor and listen to anything she's put out. My favorite is still "Tidal"  but all of her work is worth listening to. I believe she has a new album coming out in the next couple of months. Can't wait.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Ed E Ruger -Ziplocked and Loaded

Workingman’s grind: Ed E. Ruger’s new album is a slice of blue-collar hip-hop life
Outside Greene Street Club during a show by Big KRIT on a Sunday night in late January, a champagne sedan with its headlights killed rolls up the dark alley from behind the club. The driver rolls down his window to meet Ray Armfield, who hands over a wad of bills just pulled out of his wallet. The scene’s not what it sounds like, but it’s not an atypical Sunday night for Armfield, otherwise known as Greensboro hip-hop artist and promoter Ed E. Ruger. The guy in the car is Young Stacks, an up-andcoming rapper with LGI Entertainment who was getting paid for playing a show with Ruger two nights before.
“We back here makin’ deals,” Ruger says with a wink. “But man, y’all takin’ all my money. I’m ballin’ like a midget,” he adds, a reference to a well-received single he dropped a few years back that wound up on his 2009 album Lights Out.
The show in question was the CD release party for Ruger’s latest work Ziplocked & Loaded at that very club, and like any show where Ruger is involved, it was a demonstrative slice of Triad hip hop. Names like Illpo, J. Harris, Scottie Flippen, UpRite Lions, Phillie Phresh, Ty Bru, Kayo Bracey, and Stitchy C aren’t simply artists on the bill, they’re his friends. But like any set by Ruger and fellow Iconoclast Crew associates, things can sometimes be unpredictable. In this case it was a surprise appearance by Rugged N Raw, a young rapper signed to hip-hop icon Immortal Technique’s Viper Records, who came down to support Illpo.
Big shows seem to be coming more often these days for Ruger, who just recently opened up for noted producer RJD2. It’s all about networking, he explained as he walked through Greene Street, slapping hands with Joe Scudda and bumping fists with Sadat X. But like he outlines so succinctly on the new album, the grind never seems to get much easier. “All these shows I’m doing, man you think I’m ballin’/but you got to add up how much this promos costin’/I can barely pay the bills on the phone y’all callin’/bungee cord on my Accord to keep the trunk from fallin’,” he rhymes on “Luck’s for Losers.”
Whereas Reloaded was the outlet for his anger over the death of his close friend and mentor Tre’ Stylez and Lights Out was an assertion to his place in hip-hop, Ziplocked & Loaded is without a doubt one of the most introspective works of Ruger’s career. “I don’t feel right every day punching the clock,” he states almost immediately on the album’s first track “40 Bars,” but it’s about more than the juxtaposition of being a working Joe while pursuing a hip-hop career at night.
“I’ve grown up a lot since the last one. I still talk a little s***, but this one is more about what I’ve been going through the past couple of years, raising my little girl, all the tours we’ve been on and actually making some money on this,” Ruger said. “To me, it’s the best mix I’ve had ever.”
His flow is strong and flexible on every track, a versatility he partially credits to close listens to Alabama rapper Yelawolf during the recording process, and production on the album matches him track for track.
Iconoclast producer JJ the Jenius put beats to 11 of the album’s 16 tracks, with folky chords hacked and chopped amidst blaxploitative funk and stoner grooves to match the litany of smoker references.
“It has a couple of radio singles, but damn near every track has weed references,” Ruger said. “That’s what I do, I can’t get rid of that.”
As much as it is a part of his persona, it’s his brand as well, and as Ruger’s matured as a businessman, consistency has become as important as frugality. Throwing dues to Rugged N Raw and Young Stacks days after the show comes a little easier as he parses out his production expenses. He cut more than $500 off album costs simply by going with plastic sleeves over jewel cases.
“People literally throw the CD in their computer and toss the jewel casing anyway,” he said. His next release, due in April or May, will cast off the packaging entirely, as Ray Lock: The Missing Links goes entirely digital. “We tried to be a little clever with the links reference, I just hope people get it,” he says with a big grin.
In the meantime, Ruger has been recording with another mentor, veteran Greensboro emcee Celinski, along with a separate project with legendary Brand Nubian member Sadat X, which will also feature frequent Ruger associates Genghis Khan and Ty Bru. Ruger’s work with Bru, which includes a dubstep project with DJ Phillie Phresh and Dubkiller known as DubBoro, landed a track on the new season of Breaking Bad, and nearly goes back to a former life: the days when Ruger was simply known as E Dot. A dispute over trademarks with a producer on Uncle Howie Records, however, forced the change.
“I’m sure there’s a million other E Dots, but there ain’t too many Ed E. Rugers,” he said. “I’m the best one, that’s all that matters.”

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Joshua Smeaton




I happen to have a very talented brother that designed and drew the artwork for my DUBKILLER release. www.dubkiller.com. He happens to have his own blog that you should check out.

http://joshuasmeaton.livejournal.com/


He is also the author and artist for a really cool graphic novel called "Haunted".  Do yourself a favor and check it out here.

http://joshuasmeaton.com/

Free synth patches...

Check out http://www.synthsoundz.com/ for free synth patches. There are some nice ones for Logic ES2, Albino and looks like they will have some for massive soon.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Spectrasonics "Trillian" The Ultimate Bass Plug in?


I acquired Trillian today. It's installing as I write this. It requires a massive amount of free hard drive space at 35 gigs. I have one terabyte on my macs internal hard drive but I've decided to install it on aan external hard drive.

So I got to play with this plug-in a little bit at a West L.A. Music expo a couple of months ago. The bass sounds I heard we're nothing short of phenomenal. I've been salivating for it ever since. Can't wait to start making music with this.

To quote my production partner and friend. "Trillian has bass for days".

This is not a payed endorsement however should spectrasonics want to.....  I'd be willing to accept.

"The only bass plug-in you need? Absolutely… if you can't find the bass you need here, you're doing something wrong."
-Future Music

"A musical instrument that begs to be played, Trilian isn't just the best bass instrument on the market, it sets the gold standard for years to come."
-Keyboard



www.spectrasonics.net

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Making Of Test Run



We had a great time making this song and the video. Watch the process of how this song is made. It even turns into a music video. Enjoy.... we did.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Reporter tells co-anchor he has a small penis on live TV




WOW!!! So this is not music related but WOW just WOW!!! Nothing like a woman scorned.

A comical look at the creative process

I know first hand how difficult the creative process can be. It seems like a constant battle. One day I feel invincible like I've mastered my art I every idea I have is pure genius. Other days I feel like a completely worthless hack. Unfortunately the latter of the two seems to be the more common.

One thing I believe though is that you have to work through the crap. You have to put in the time and effort in order to get to the good stuff. To feel that "inspiration" if you will. For the truly gifted that seem to be be able to create greatness at will. I hate you. Not really, but it must be nice.

Anyway I have to get back to working through the uninspired crap to find that creative gem.

Later,

DUBKILLER

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Hey producers remix Martin Solveigs "Hello" and win $7000!

So if you haven't heard Martin Solveigs super catchy "Hello" featuring vocals from Dragonette you must be hiding from the radio. Heres your chance to win $7000 in prizes. All you have to do is submit the winning remix to the contest sponsored by Beatport.


If you've never done a remix before. Its a great exercise and it should help you understand song structure. Its always cool to hear where someone can take an already familiar song. Check out all the details at beatport.com. Good luck!

How To Enter
1. Feb 15 - March 7: Download the remix parts of " Hello," bundled for $1.99 USD.
2. Feb 22 - March 7: Upload your remix toBeatportal.com/remix 
3. March 8 - March 22: "Spin" your favorite remixes on Beatportal.com/remix
For full stages and rules please visit our "Hello" contest page.
Martin Solveig
The French house producer turned electro-pop star Martin Solveig caught the world's attention last year with "Hello," an infectious single featuring vocals from Dragonette and a chorus that wouldn't quit. Get in on the action with the "Hello" remix contest.
Martin Solveig Remix Contest
Win The Biggest Remix Contest Prize Ever
Contestants will have a shot at over $7000 USD in prizes. The Grand Prize pack includes:

1 - Digital release on Mixture
1 - Native Instruments Maschine
1 - Novation SL MKII 61 keys + Novation Launchpad 
1 - Arturia Bundle V-Collection + Analog Laboratory 
1 - FXpansion Geist and DCAM Synth Squad
1 - Ohmforce ALL ALL bundle
1 - Online Course from the Point Blank Music School 
1 - $200 Beatport pre-paid card
1 - Big Beat T-Shirt 
1 - 1 year subscription to Future Music Magazine 

For 2nd and 3rd place prize details, visit our "Hello" contest page.
Beatport's Sounds To Sample
Enhance Your Remix With New Sounds To Sample Libraries
Progressive Tools 4 
Hy2rogen
Haka
Sonokinetic
Deep Percussive Tech
Sounds To Sample
MPC60 Vol 1
Goldbaby
Riemann Special: Synths 01
Riemann Kollektion
Paolo Mojo Future-Tech House
Sample Magic
Tech-House
Sample Magic
Crazy Arps
Diginoiz
Dr. Fink's Funk Factory
Sony
David Lynch Remix Contest
Upload Stage Now Open
Join the ranks of Underworld, Sasha, Boys Noize, Ratcliffe, Diskjokke and Skream by remixing David Lynch's brand new single "Good Day Today." While Lynch is best known for The Elephant Man and Mulholland Dr., the iconic director's surreal vision has similarly translated across his latest release for Sunday Best Recordings.

The winner will take home a $200 Beatport gift voucher; Native Instruments' Traktor Pro software, Audio 2 DJ interface, Traktor Kontrol X1 controller, and an X1 bag; a Sunday Best goodie bag; and, finally, the choice of one of two online music-production courses from Point Blank,..read on.
Round Table Knights "Say What?!" Remix Contest
Stay Tuned For The Winner
You sent in your remixes and voted for your favorites - and now deliberation begins for the winning remix of Round Table Knights' "Say What!?." Keep an eye out on Beatportal for the winner, to be announced on or around March 1.

The winning remix will be released on Made To Play and will receive free enrollment in an online course in music production from Point Blank, Traktor Pro software and Audio 2 DJ soundcard from Native Instruments, a $200 Beatport voucher, plus a signed copy of the album, a t-shirt, and a year on Made To Play's digital promo list.

Watch for the winner on Beatportal.
If you have any questions, please contact ourcustomer service team

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Beatport.com 
Play with Music 
2399 Blake Street Suite 170 
Denver, CO 80205 USA 

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