There is some synergistic magic going on right now with electronic dance music, and the long-coveted United States market.  They’ve been talking about how clubbing would take over American for almost 20 years. 

Maybe they’re right - now.

Give “Titanium” a listen - Guetta is one of the world’s biggest dance music producers, and for good reason.

Right place, right time, right sound, right everything. 

Guetta has figured out how to cross dance music over to the R&B crowd.  Tough to do, since so much of it’s shite.  That being said, he chooses great talent to work with, has a fantastic management team around him, and if you ask anyone who knows what’s going on - he’s the real deal.

This track features Zero 7 vocalist (and has one hell of a solo career) Sia Furler.

Dubstep is NOT for everyone - not even close.  It’s Jungle’s darker, less-optimistic younger brother.  And we all know that youth is all about being angry, and mostly having no idea why.

Musically, that’s dubstep…

At the intersection of electro-house and hip-hop (much of which based off old techno sounds, anyway) lies a fairly shallow puddle of big subwoofer-testing sounds and ideas lifted from other artists, decades, genres.

To get all meta on it, it’s too dark, creepy and slow for girls to dance to - but, if you’re 20 years old and on drugs, this crap probably sounds amazing.  It’s the sound-of-the-moment, and for the moment, it’s fine.

In small doses…

Thankfully, the geniuses at Ninja Tune Records gave us this 4 minutes of lovely fury.

I’ll say it over and over.  There’s no need for 4 hours of ANY one genre.  Let’s start with a powerful 4 minutes, and go from there…

Two Fingers, “Fool’s Rhythm”, from the amazing 2010 compilation, “XX: 20 Years”.  If you’re bored with your current music selections, here’s a free Amazon.com/Ninja Tune 20 20 sampler...

Slinky and sleazy downtempo electro…

Wonderful re-edit (taking the existing parts of a “regular” song, and then dissecting it, and rearranging the parts) of Nordic production genius Lindstrom’s “Lovesick”.

Think Studio 54 at closing time, and you’re right there.

A full listen @ Soundcloud, with a shout out of respect to DJ Vins for the edit…

Music for the elliptical, treadmill or torture device of your choice…

Guess who decided to get in shape?  Guess what gets me through cardio?

DJ mixes.

Hot on the iPod this month is a 2-hour set from Techno pioneer (we can call him a legend now, right?) Richie Hawtin, recorded live in Paris, June 21st of this year.

DISCLAIMER - This is not one of the those harsh, repetitive, techno mixes.  Hawtin’s 120-minute mix is a hypnotic ride.  Techno (especially) is perfect for cardio - it’s all about repetition, and musically, it’s all about the gradual changes and evolution of the beats. 

No divas singing, no samples, nobody rapping.  It’s a tough sell for many.  But trust me on this one.  Put on some good shoes, jack up the incline on that treadmill and get into the groove.

http://soundcloud.com/r_co/richie-hawtin-live-red-grand

PS.  He gives you a nice 5-minute ambient break at around 56:00.  Sets you up for Hour 2 - an even deeper set.  Enjoy it…

A change in the music-sampling landscape (finally)?

Philly-based DJ & producer (MIA, Major Lazer) Diplo is part of a new company that tackles a massive problem for many upcoming artists and producers.

Sampling.

Ugh - what a pain-in-the-ass.  Always has been, ever since The Turtles starting suing Biz and De La back in the day.  So much red tape - if you didn’t have an entertainment attorney, you weren’t using the sample, period.

Say hello to Legitmix…

…a new platform that allows musicians to legally sample music from other sources— and sell it— without going through the sample-clearing process. Through this particular bit of technology, you can recreate an artist’s DJ set or remix or whatever on your own computer, using the original material that the artist sampled.

If you’re an artist or producer, read that paragraph again.  THIS is progress.  Personally, I’m baffled that artists (especially catalog artists, whom I’m sure could use the dough), haven’t been pressuring the labels to do this a long time ago.

Does this ignite or destroy the mashup/remix market?

Just found this on the BIM hard drive, and had to share.  Wonderful remix of UK funk-tronica producer Skeewiff’s take on “Man Of Constant Sorrow”…

Dutch producers/remixers/DJ’s Kraak & Smaak dial back the ‘billy backing track, strip it down and add a bit of dread.  An interesting take on it that not only works, but surprises.

Available for a FREE download here - and in the words of Brody Stevens, enjoy it!

WhoMadeWho’s recent move to Germany’s KOMAPKT Records (one of the oldest and highest quality techno labels in the world) makes sense.  Take “There’s An Answer”, the above track.  Darker, moodier, and more involved than previous work, it’s got a lovely bit of schaffel techno and an oboe(?) in it.  

Wonderful vocal electro-pop that deserves to be heard with headphones.  It’s special…

So sorry it’s been a moment.  Life got hectic.  Not to trivialize my lack of participation in this musical back & forth, but it was muggy in LA today.

I encourage you to roll around in it, and enjoy it - let it wash over you, if you will.

Watch Roger & Pete’s very visceral reaction to having their classic “Love Reign O’er Me”, leveled at the hands of under-appreciated soul legend Bettye Lavette.

I’ll be back as I can.