London based music magazine and website INVERTED AUDIO were today announced winners of the 'Battle of the Blogs' music category.
Between 1st - 7th March 2010 Inverted Audio competed against Phuturelabs, a collective of music aficionado's from across the UK. The polls were open to the public for the entire week and resulted in Inverted Audio winning the battle by 64%.
]]>London based music magazine and website INVERTED AUDIO today announced the launch of their dedicated online music community to their readers.
The COMMUNITY is similar to Facebook. Users can upload and embed all varieties of media, MP3, video, photos and links. Members can comment and 'like' updates effortlessly.
Once you join the site, you are automatically set up with a profile. You can add your details, set up your Twitter, MySpace, Facebook and connect with others in the community.
The community allows members to post updates, videos, photos, links and MP3. Other members can comment and 'like' updates and share any content to their preferred social networks. Members can also post updates via email and mobile devices.
All content submitted to the community is automatically archived on the users profile 'Wall'.
*Record labels and event companies will be invited to join the community in the next few months, email to request an invite.
PRESS CONTACT:
TOM
info@inverted-audio.co.uk
RUMOUR HAS BEEN QUASHED - Panasonic have issued the following: "As a major global business, Panasonic keeps all of its operations under constant review. However, there are no current plans to discontinue the Technics brand and the production of Technics turntables." - SOURCE
Take a deep breath....this has to be the most earth shattering news of all time! The Panasonic Corporation have announced that production of the world famous Technics SL-1200 and SL-1210 direct drive turntables will stop at the end of February 2010.
Since the name Technics, pronouced 'techniques', was launched in 1965 for domestic premium loudspeakers, they have set the standard for high end audio equipment. In 1969, they introduced the SP-10, the first direct-drive model for the professional market, and in 1971 the SL-1100 for the consumer market.
The SL-1100 was the predecessor to the SL-1200 which, as the upgraded SL-1200 MK2, became a widely used turntable by DJs. The SL-1200 MK2 was a robust machine and incorporated a pitch control (or vari-speed), and kept the speed constant and the speed variability low, hence why it was adopted universally by 99% of all DJs and clubs.
In a statement Panasonic announced that they would cease the manufacture of Tehcnics turntables in February 2010, citing an increasing decline in sales as the motivation behind the line’s demise. The Australian arm of Panasonic issued a similar statement today, expressing their disappointment that the brand’s 35 years-and-running legacy was to be put to bed.
“It is a sad day today but due to low sales globally in analogue turntables a decision to stop production has been made on Technics Turntables,” Panasonic spokesman Ian North explained. “For Australia this means we will receive our last shipment in March.”
One thing that is clear is that the digital rollercoaster is showing no signs of slowing down. Technics have been the industry standard for over 35 years with this turntable and the SL-1200 is synonymous with the DJ culture. It has been released and re-released over 9 times with different models and numerous other manufacturers have tried to compete with this deck, but above all, the Technics SL-1200 & Technics SL-1210 are the undisputed number one deck in the world.
I can’t find a copy of the statement on any of Panasonic’s region sites, nor their Technics pages. It’s also unclear what the news means regarding the production of mixers and headphones under the Technics brand.
Recent years have seen a rise in the popularity of digital mixing systems, which either use CD or completely digital MP3-style mixing rather than classic vinyl. These setups are generally easier to transport, less prone to damage and allow for more flexibility in post-processing.The question that pops into my mind is, is this a mean viral marketing stratergy to boost global sales of their turntables? Either way its tragic to hear this news! If you dont own a pair of these iconic tutntables I strongly reccomend you do.
]]>Ok so if you're not familiar with the iPhone please for your own sakes go out and get one. Let's be honest this little phone has skyrocketed as the ultimate phone or shall I say icon for 2009. Ultimately Apple have brought together what we all want from a phone, whilst making it so earnestly simple to use my pet zebra Charlie could use it. If your into music you've probably got iTunes, Spotify and I hope the seriously suave Ghostly iPhone App. Now there's something to get your musical projects going wherever you might be.
In a nut shell Star6 is a highly-addictive sound remix instrument that allows you to create an infinite variety of amazing sounds from your own samples or by using their own free presets. Chop up beats with a flick of the wrist. Pitch any sample up and down like a Theremin. Use the iPhone's accelerometer to control Star6's powerful granular synthesis engine to change the pitch, speed, gate, sample order, sample size and randomness of the samples. Record it all with the press of a button and download recordings to your computer in a flash.
Before you start questioning how valid this App is, let me just give you a little insight. This App was created by musician Jason Forrest aka DJ Donna Summer. an electronic musician working in a variety of forms. His sample-based music has been a pioneering force in the experimental music community, and he has been credited as being a pioneer in the emergence of the Breakcore genre.
Star6 is the first fully-featured, performance-grade sample instrument for the iPhone. It's effortlessly simple for musicians of every skill level to use, so what are you waiting for go get it!
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Entitled Michael Mayer: Kompakt - The Early Years (1998-2004), Michael dug into the vaults of KOMPAKT and has come up with a remarkable journey of classic and forgotten tunes from KOMPAKT'S first 6 years of existance. Tracklisting below.
The mix begins with shimmering soundscapes courtesy of Wolfgang Voigt, blending live minimal percussion until Mayer blends them into Peter Grummich's interwoven abstract sounds of schleusen Auf #3 creating a buzzing whole.
To buy any of the tracks listed, click on them and you'll be redirected to KOMPAKT.
DOWNLOAD MIX MP3:
Michael Mayer: Kompakt - The Early Years (1998-2004)
Here it comes: the latest in an ever-increasing line of impressively slick but genuinely useful music applications for Apple's already-essential "lifestyle device". Ghostly International have announced a streaming radio station and mood-based music discovery tool called Ghostly Discovery.
According to Ghostly themselves, Ghostly Discovery is a free app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that lets you listen to the Ghostly International and sub-label Spectral Sound catalogs (full songs, nothing less) and share your favorites with friends.
When you save a song as one of your "favorites" in the app, you can access it immediately on the Ghostly Discovery website. Once there, you can play your saved songs, share them or buy them -- as a playlist or individually -- with anyone.
Straight off their cultured bat, Ghostly have invited a few of their friends to share their playlists with you - including Stones Throw, SV4's Playlist, RCRD LBL, Lost At E Minor, o2 Creative Solutions.
Needless to say, fans of Ghostly's prestigious output and indeed any iPhone/iPod touch user with a discerning taste in music is heavily advised to click here, immediately, to watch the demonstrative video and find out more.
Kompakt’s most anticipated annual release returns and this time its colored gold to celebrate 10 years of Kompakt.
This has to be THE most eagerly awaited release for 2009. Forget about MJ; this is MASSIVE news! Still standing stronger that ever before, the Cologne based uber-label returns with their annual tradition
Spanning the course of 2 CD’s and 3LP’s, Total 10 aims to be the collection of essential tunes from Kompakts catalogue. It highlights exclusive, new music from the likes of DJ Koze, Thomas/Mayer, Juergen Paape, Wassermann aka Wolfgang Voigt and others. What you'll immediately notice in comparison to other editions is the inclusion of remixes….the likes of Ivan Smagghe & Tim Paris aka It's a fine line tackling Burget/Voigt, Gui Borato’s remix of Sam Taylor Wood produced by Pet Shop Boys, Thomas Fehlmann’s stunning impression of The Field and of course finally available, the lost remix of Gotye’s hit “Heart’s A Mess” by Supermayer.
As always it excites me when a release features an unheard of Koze track. Total 10 first track is Koze's '40 Love'. Trust me this will not disappoint. I never thought he was a man for tennis, but clearly he is. He fuses the sound of twittering birds ladies tennis with his distinct bumbling techno beat.
Total 10 promises to be one of the most diverse collections of tracks that Kompakt has ever brought forward. Sit tight, it will be here soon. In the meantime, pack your bags for the Total 10 party, set to happen in Cologne on Friday 14th August featuring GusGus, Superpitcher, Michael Mayer, ADA, Justus Kohncke and more.
Tracklistings:
CD1:
1. DJ Koze - 40 Love
2. Thomas/Mayer - Total 9
3. Justus Köhncke - (It's Gonna Be) Alright (Dirk Leyers Mix)
4. Shumi - The Wind And The Sea
5. Sam Taylor-Wood produced by Pet Shop Boys - I'm in love with a German film star (Gui Boratto Mix)
6. Ada - Lovestoned
7. Coma - Sum
8. Gui Boratto - No turning back (Wighnomy's Likkalize Love Rekksmi)
9. Nicolas Stefan - Closer
10. Jonas Bering - Who is who
CD2:
1. Justus Köhncke - Give it to me easy
2. Matias Aguayo - Walter Neff
3. Mayburg feat. Ada - Each and every day
4. Gotye - Heart's a mess (Supermayer Mix)
5. The Field - The more I do (Thomas Fehlmann Mix)
6. Burger/Voigt - Wand aus Klang (It's a fine line Mix)
7. Wassermann - Berg und Tal (Instrumental)
8. Juergen Paape - Ofterschwang
9. Reinhard Voigt - Am Limit
10. Mugwump - Ignored Folklore
11. Pachanga Boys - Fiesta forever
3LP:
A1: DJ Koze - 40 Love
A2: Thomas/Mayer - Total 9
B1: Gotye - Heart's a mess (Supermayer Mix)
C1: Mayburg feat. Ada - Each and every day
C2: Justus Köhncke - Give it to me easy
D1: Wassermann - Berg und Tal (Instrumental)
D2: Juergen Paape - Ofterschwang
E1: Jonas Bering - Who is who
E2: Reinhard Voigt - Am Limit
F1: The Field - The more I do (Thomas Fehlmann Mix)
F2: Pachanga Boys - Fiesta forever
Robert Hood’s Minimal Nation is justly revered as one of the most important and defining techno records ever made. His iconic 1994 masterpiece stripped dance music back to the barest of elements yet retained a loose and dirty funk that many so called ‘minimal’ records lack today. Having inspired 1000’s of producers and DJs across the globe and starting a genre a decade before it was popularly recognized nothing before or since has sounded like it. We now welcome a re-mastered Special Edition of this classic release 15 years after it changed the face of techno featuring the unreleased ‘SH-101’ (made during the same sessions) and the very rare ‘Self-Powered’ (which only appeared on the Axis test press),
When first released as a vinyl double-pack ‘Minimal Nation’ not only sounded unlike any other record but also looked like no other, with each track finishing in a locked groove that forced the listener to flick the needle to the next track. Each groove was built from harsh angular elements that when combined created an alien funk not bereft of warmth or soul. A sound so unique that its single spark echoed around the world and took electronic music into new uncharted territory. As Rob Nash noted in The Sunday Times (December 2008) “minimal’s roots go further back, it was invented in 1994, not 2004, and in Detroit, not Berlin. Its inventor was Robert Hood. His 1994 album, Minimal Nation marked the birth of minimal techno.”
To this day Minimal Nation remains the benchmark, the ground zero of ‘minimal’. The first record to conceptually take the Pavlovian Dog’s principle of less is more straight to the dancefloor with its insistent loops and surging funk patterns. As Robert himself concludes, “Minimal Nation is not just a collection of rhythm tracks, but a supernatural work of art realized. I felt a strong sense of urgency to create a body of work that identified with what was placed on my heart, as opposed to what was on my mind. Regardless, of it's diminutive nature, one should never underestimate the neural potency of minimalism.”
This week, Robert Hood’s Minimal Nation gets its first full CD and digital release.
Warp Records is to launch a brand new website, for those of you that have never visited the site, please go and check it out, because visually it still looks stunning, and that’s pretty impressive as the site was originally launched in 2000. However this old horse has gotta go, but we’re pretty sure that Warp will do a great new job. Anyway this is what the guys from Warp have to say about the redesign.
"Since its launch to widespread adulation and award winning acclaim in 2000(!) this site has served us incredibly well and still looks amazing, a testament to The Designers Republic's inspired design, Kleber's ahead-of-its-time development and of course everyone at Warp who were involved!
But now its our 20th Birthday and there's a host of new features we're looking to launch, it feels like the right time to give it its well-earned retirement; an engraved pocket watch and a holiday home in the country.
As a fitting farewell, the first pages of news now host a collection of some of the most memorable articles across its 9 years. We've had to change the dates to make this work, but the publishing dates are in the articles themselves. Hope you enjoy reading them as much as we have, but there are loads more to explore by flicking through the pages of news.
We realise that there is a LOT to live up to with Warp's new home, and we've been working extremely hard to do it justice. Until then, and if you haven't already, Help us create the definitive warp album.
Warp x
PS. We are planning a tribute to this site on the new one. Send any comments to editor@warprecords.com and we'll include some of the best. Thank you all."
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On May 11th, Pinch, owner of Bristol based, dubstep imprint Tectonic Recordings, will release the second volume in the Tectonic Plates CD series and, my oh my, has he pulled together a diverse selection. The first disc, featuring 12 tunes from everyone from Skream to Flying Lotus, has a tracklist that pretty much reads as a who's who of dubstep in 2009. What we're most excited about is the fact that Shed is on the remix duties of a Peverelist tune and has seemingly returned the favour for Peverlist's sublime remix of "The Fall" which was released earlier this year. The second disc is a mix from Pinch, himself, containing a bunch of unreleased tunes but, as of yet, no tracklist.
For the vinyl massive, the eight out of twelve previously unreleased tunes will be made availbale in a four-part 12" series.
The first 12" with Martyn's "Yet" and 2562's "Kontrol" is out now and comes very highly recommended indeed.
The tracklist for the CD is:
01. Martyn - Yet
02. 2562 - Kontrol
03. Skream - Trapped In A Dark Bubble
04. Benga - Technocal
05. Flying Lotus - Glendale Gallereria
06. Joker - Untitled_Rsn
07. Pinch & Moving Ninja - False Flag
08. Peverelist - Junktion (Shed Remix)
09. 2562 - Greyscale
10. Skream - Precression
11. RSD - Forward Youth
12. Pinch – Joyride
Warp records has a man from LA known to them as Steven Ellison, and to us as Flying Lotus. His sound is electronic hip hop with elements of Prefuse 73 mixed in, altogether he's a genius, so luckily for us English folk he's set to tour the UK until the end of June.
He’ll be kicking off his tour right here in London, at the ‘LightBox’ club in Vauxhall, he’ll then be off to sunny Glasgow for a battered mars bar and a bottle of buckfast.
Fly Lo will also visit Leeds University at Mine Bar, Sheffield's Tuesday Club and London again for the Brainfeeder event. Last years Brainfeeder event in Shoreditch featured Flying Lotus, Digital Mystikz, Kode9, Hudson Mohawke and Rustie. I’m sure 2009 will present equally talented artists.
Here are the dates and locations of his tour:
2 Apr 2009 20:00 Light Box London / Vauxhall, London and South East
3 Apr 2009 20:00 Subclub Glasgow, Scotland
10 Apr 2009 20:00 Echoplex W/Kode 9 Los Angeles, California
11 Apr 2009 20:00 Mighty San Francisco, California
16 Apr 2009 22:00 BRAINFEEDER NYC pt.1 @ LOVE New York, New York
17 Apr 2009 20:00 American Museum of Natural History New York, New York
18 Apr 2009 20:00 Coachella Indio, California
25 Apr 2009 20:00 Bangface London / Camber Sands, London and South East
26 Apr 2009 20:00 Ostgut Berlin, Berlin
27 Apr 2009 20:00 Mine at Leeds University Leeds, East
28 Apr 2009 20:00 Tuesday Club Sheffield, London and South East
29 Apr 2009 20:00 De Kreun Kortrijk, Brussels-capital
30 Apr 2009 20:00 Bergenfest Bergen, Oslo
30 Apr 2009 20:00 Bergenfest Bergen, Oslo
1 May 2009 20:00 Trouw Amsterdam, Noord-Holland
2 May 2009 20:00 De Beurs Rotterdam, Noord-Holland
18 Jun 2009 20:00 BRAINFEEDER BARCELONA *off Sonar* Barcelona
20 Jun 2009 20:00 BRAINFEEDER London
Bleep.com have updated their online digital music store. For those of you that have not visited Bleep.com, you truly have been missing out from one of the best mp3 downloading services in the industry.
Welcome to 2009, we hope you celebrated your new years in superb style! Hopefully no one did a front flip over a table and landing yourself in a pit of glass... no just me then? Anyway, let’s put that to one side and let me tell you of some exciting developments from ze funky techno Kompakt label.We've been very much looking forward to our website relaunch and hope that you will enjoy KOMPAKT.FM as much as we do. Some may have already noticed the absence of our old mp3 shop KOMPAKT-MP3...no, we haven't forgotten about it - the reason for the shop's closure is completely intentional and probably the most radical part of our relaunch. After four years of pioneering electronic music's digital music shopping, we strongly felt that it was high time to cut down one of the most time consuming aspects of our company in favour of the true reasons why we started KOMPAKT in the first place. That's focussing once again on what we always did best; producing, discovering, distributing and releasing the most exciting music we can imagine.
We anticipate KOMPAKT.FM will be the source you can turn to for the latest (and for that matter, the entire) efforts of our vast exclusive label family, be informed about upcoming shows in your neighbourhood and ingest and share tons of information from and about your favourite artists.