TOMORROWSDJ: 2009

Touch Screen Midi Controllers Revisited

In my quest assemble the ultimate midi controller setup, without a doubt the question of touch screen controllers comes up. And why wouldn't it? The perks of touch screen lye in the flexibility, versatility etc. You simply cant beat a device which is completely customizable from the ground up- no more toying with having to upgrade a midi controller because it lacks what you need. Rather it requires a knowledge of programming and then you can rework your device to suit your needs. This is definitely the future of music production, although i still wouldn't trade everything in just yet.

These devices come with a few flaws that put me off a little, well enough to want to wait a bit. The first issue i have is cost, these devices are so bloody expensive ( see jazz mutant lemur) some running as high as (albeit the price has come down) $2000. Now of course there are other alternatives to this problem of cost, which is where monotouch live comes in. I had previously mentioned in an earlier post about monotouch live, mostly because it is really the only alternative to the lemur. and wow what a cost....free all you need is a monitor with touch screen capabilities and you are ready to go. well sort of. You still would need a copy of Cycling 74's Max Msp. And then theres more,

you need windows,
your computer must be able to support multiple monitors,
what if i want more than one...
then i would need a more powerful graphics card/cards......

The list goes on of problems that i find with this solution of using a touchscreen monitor as a midi controller, rather than a dedicated device. Which is where this comes in. This is called the Nanovision MiMo USB Monitor, thats right folks USB. The monitor is quite small too, boasting 7" and 10" models- a little smaller to the size of a lemur (which is at 12"). And runs at the price of about $220. Now of course this is just the start of the touch screen phenomena which seemed to burst when Daft Punk used a set of lemurs for their Grammy Awards Performance with Mr.West, but i can already see where this is going...and it will change how people produce and Dj again.

Cheers,

Azzo

OTTO- The Electronic Musical Instrument

OTTO is an electronic musical instrument which brings samples into your hands- literally. As the developer Luca De Rosso describes:

OTTO provides a tangible user interface designed with the aim of giving the user the feel of having the sample in his hands. The musician can manipulate an audio sample in real time through the use of a restricted number of simple physical buttons and switches.

Luca De Rosso .

To me this is definitely a giant leap forward for sample based music. This is an entirely new way of looking at the relationship between the physicality of digital music- where this goes not sure, but there is a huge potential for this device.

OTTO ~ Getting Started from Luca De Rosso on Vimeo.

OTTO ~ demo.01 from Luca De Rosso on Vimeo.

Enjoy

Azzo

Noir & Sivesgaard

A series of collaborations has produced what i see as something with alot of potential. Now keep in mind these tracks might sound a little conventional, possibly even a little overdone. As dance tracks they are killer, the do everything that a dance track should do, build, remove, rebuild. Vitek as an example, might be seen as just another techno inspired track, of which there are a million coming out everyday since the rise of personal computers, but i just love it. I have a soft spot for good techno. About 2 minutes in is where the song really hits home, with removing most information and then setting it back in- such an important step missing from most songs, it is like surgery, carefully removing and rebuilding. That low subtle kick which doesn't drive but guides, as a throbbing drone side chains the melody to follow. Quite impressive. On the other hand i find there other track Fomalhaut b as the secondary track, not as strong of a composition, lacking the mystique and clarity of Vitek, but nonetheless a good comparison between a fantastic track and a mediocre one.

Vitek:

noir and sivesgaard - vitek by noir

fomalhaut b:

noir & sivesgaard - fomalhaut b by noir

Noir's Myspace

Sivesgaard's Myspace

Cheers,

Azzo

Bas Bron or Bastian Again

So Continuing with my investigation into the multi-persona Bas Bron (Bastain, Seymour Bits, Comtron etc) i came across another track which has a lot of interesting points within it. That song is Flight of the Starglider

To be honest when i first heard the track i turned it off. i was put off from the aggressively sharp cuts within the bass riff. But going back was i ever wrong. When that melody and the beat drops, wow....i was floored, and even a little nostalgic- reminded me of those days when the "exaggerated futuristic circa 1980's" sound was in. Those days have long since dissolved ending in my mind in the culmination of Kavinsky (who took the futurist sound a little too literally) but it is still nice to go back and observe.

Enjoy

AZZO

Bastain "You've Got My Love"

So this little number is something i ran into the other day and was wowed, i had never heard this song before...i fell in love instantly- only to discover i was too late in the race to find whats hot. The Track is what propelled Bas Bron aka Bastian into the spotlight in the Netherlands in 2001.

Azzo

La Roux vs. The Twelves

So For a while now I have been following the remix's that the Twelves have been putting out- All started with the Black Kids 'Boyfriend' Remix. But with this latest edition to the remixing duo's portfolio [In for the kill-La Roux (Twelves Remix)] is...well not to the same caliber. I had such high expectations, which is quite normal when you put out a series of stellar tracks, that i was left unsatisfied. The vocal treatment feels like an after thought, almost as if they forgot there were vocals and in a hurry made them fit. So much of 'In for the kill' is about Elly Jackson's sexy and catchy vocals, without them we are left with a roland 80's synth and a simple drum machine- not to say that there is anything wrong with that but they are complimentary, its a chicken and egg scenario.Don't get me wrong i think the Twelves remix is still good but as a standalone reference-less to the original.

Of course i will let you guys decide on the final verdict, as it is definitely possible that i am biased based on my expectations on the Twelves. You can catch them here:

La Roux - In for the Kill

La Roux - In for the Kill (Twelves Remix)
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Digital Jock Tip #1

To start i really love Native Instruments "Traktor", and i know alot of people will contest this, stating Ableton Live is far superior in regards to DJing, but i dont care. I also love Ableton- personally the program is superior, the ability to properly splice, looping and whatnot. Anyways back to Traktor. I am continuously drawn to the software because of the traditional DJing approach to the program- there is a mystique to the traditional DJ using vinyl to throb a crowd, and because of that the draw to Trackor, as a digital dj, is of the same. 4 decks, effects and the ability to throw in a loop, thats all folks- of course you can get creative how you use these combinations, which is what I am interested in.

Tip #1- Controllers

Get a UC-33e, trust me you will use it, the whole thing- And chances are you will use it will use it will ableton and whatever DAW you are using currently. You can replace this device with much as it is a sea of knobs and sliders, if you need buttons it has a few, but you best picking up something cheap like the new korg nanopads which are cheap and will expand you control surface without adding anything to big that will take up alot of space.

Combined this is an interesting setup, and cheaper too compared to those larger mixer setups, while they are definitely very powerful and open the game to a scratch setup (see Korg Zero series). If you can master and find your own sound and way of mixing with the simplest of tools, nothing can stop you- remember everything compounds.

Cheers,

Azzo

Deconstruction:: the art of circuit bending

I accidentally stumbled upon the idea of circuit bending a while ago when i saw a trailer for a documentary some time ago- which has since then been released. It definitely caught my attention as i had never seen anything like it before. At first i didn't understand what the fuss was about, old children's toys rewired and mangled to push out sound which the toy did not want to produce, it was like forcing out a square egg out of a chicken- something was not natural about it. And to be honest was i about to trade in my gear for a bunch of discount bin rejects? I obviously was a little thrown off-my ego was too high to remember that its not the tools you use that define your sound but rather how you use them. Needless to say i became obsessed with finding out more: i present "Bent" that very documentary:

BENT 2004 from Derek Sajbel on Vimeo.

Enjoy,

Azzo

Buzz word:: Harald Bjork

I recently talked about Harald Bjork in a previous post- one of his music videos which caught my attention, and since i have been looking up his previous work as well as new productions. Which brings me to todays post. Harald has released a new Ep- Sunsets Ep. Let get into it::

Sunsets Ep 2009

Tracklisting

Sunsets- Original Mix
Harald Björk - Sunsets (Live session)

Glimt- Original Mix

Sunsets- Live Session

After having a listen to the Ep, i have to admit i am throughly impressed. The Ep starts with Sunsets, a melodic subversive beat driven evolving composition- fully tantalizing yet at moments a pure expression of the nature of bliss. Glimt takes on Sunsets as its contrast while being a standalone and independent track. In fact each of the three tracks are unique yet the same- all three seem to invoke and contain the same elements, but treated differently. All seem to have childlike, playful, generative melodies, yet they dont become annoying or too repetitive. In fact the way the progression is treated never bores me; which all too many times, i find myself drifting away with certain songs- not here. The Last track, Sunsets live session, is the most beatiful track on the Ep and fully independent of the original Sunsets that began the Ep. The track has to end the Ep- if it didnt i would be both unsatisfied in terms of a totality and I would probably prefer if each track was an single release. The track just has that vibe, that spontaneity, that full feeling which is touched upon in the begining on the album but is held back to make the end that much more powerful.

Thats my 2 cents and i highly recommend going and grabbing a copy either digitally or on vinyl. Currently you can grab it on Beatport

Beatport: Sunsets Ep

Cheers,

Azzo

Pump'n Style

Video Link

Pretty cool find i must say! It is one of the first interactive video's I've seen. Basically it's a music video, but with a twist, you define how often and the speed at which the transitions occur, and the video also is a video game in the off scenes. Not too shabby

Dj Azzo

Ps: the song is pretty good too.

Analogue + Digital= Digalogue

Volta and the Buchla 200e from Matthew Davidson on Vimeo.

So here is definitely a very cool if not powerful find. Its a new software plugin from MOTU called Volta. Basically the plugin allows you to send out signals via the cv input of most analogue synths (etc) to allow for automation to occur. I was ecstatic when i saw this so take a look and be inspired! Take your favourite DAW and plug her in and begin to take advantage of having your analogue gear as readily accessibly as your vst's

Cheers,

AZZO

All in One: The next dj solution

Wacom Nextbeat demo at Musikmesse from will seelig on Vimeo.

One amazing thing, or possibly one disadvantage however you look at it, about dj'ing in the computer age is the evolution of mixing. From turntables, to CDJ's, then to computer mixing thanks to traktor and ableton live, of course we cant forget the merging between digital and analogue- ie serato. Finally we come up to this number, and i don't even know what to think. For me it is a new era. it is a cdj mixed with traktor, minus the computer,

take a look

Cheers,

DJ Azzo

Opps Luke Abbott Did it Again

For All those Luke Abbott Fans out there, you need to check out this track- If you haven't already!

Dj Azzo

Buzz Word:: DJ Hell

Techno and Electronic Music has to be one of the most lucrative and satisfying industries in the music bizz- People come and go ( not to say this is not a general trend in the musiverse) as fast as they arrive. Of course there are very notable exceptions of artists reinventing themselves to not just push forward their ideas, but to keep listeners interested. Now when i was told to listen to Dj Hell, i was a little skeptical, albeit deterred. Why? Well i have seen all to many artists with names ubiquitous with hell, satan, anything which is against popular traditions. But i listened anyways. Wow. I was blown away, it was smooth, serene, and pounding. It was harking back to those good old analogue days- do you remember them? before anyone could pick up a computer for $500? personally i vaguely do, but as someone who grew up in the late 90's its hard. It has become so ingrained in our visions of sound- not to say that we cant produce good work, in fact it is the opposite- it has opened the doors to alot of people who otherwise would not be able to express themselves.

anyways back to Dj Hell- The Merge between the analogue and digital realms is what i would say is mystifying, the blending of nostalgia and visions of the future.

Dj Azzo

DJ hell
DJ Hell Myspace

Short Notice BUT..Still Worth While

I Stumbled upon another remix competition today randomly over at Audio Porn Central, This time we are asked to come up with a remix of Yuksek's Track Extraball::: take a look

Yuksek feat. Amanda Blank - Extraball
by TinY-Prod

If your interested you have well just a few days....it ends on the 10th of april. Now the important part, the prizes, "best remix will get a signed limited edition of the album and more importantly will receive club promo through Fiction Records

check it out if your interested links are at the bottom

DJ AZZO

Remix Competition Link
Fiction Records
AudioPornCentral

Simian Mobile Disco New Tracks

Here is a few goodies for you all if you haven't heard them already, They are 2 New Tracks from Simian Mobile Disco the Eclectic Electronic music producers from London, UK.

Enjoy!

SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO:: 10000 HORSES CAN'T BE WRONG

SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO:: SYNTHESISE

DJ AZZO

SMD

Ableton Dj Setup with Tom Lewis

Djing with Ableton Live (Tom Cosm DJ Megaset 1.0) from Tom Lewis on Vimeo.

Check this out, it is a demo video of Tom Lewis' Ableton setup

enjoy

DJ Azzo

Unidentified Sound Object: Neïmo / OSCulator Remix Contest

Unidentified Sound Object: Neïmo / OSCulator Remix Contest

"Our friend Camille Troillard is setting up a little incentive with his band Neïmo. They are organizing a remix contest of the song Lines, which is their second single, that marks the launch of the album 'Moderne Incidental' in Germany, and the freshly shot video for this song.
Fairtilizer will offer the winner a digital release of the track, and some nice goodies.
In addition to that prize, if the winner is using OSCulator to make the track, Camille would like to offer a $100 worth iTunes gift certificate, and 5 free licenses. Be creative, and use his software for this remix!"

Re: EastWest

So this is a side note to my previous post of the East West Gypsy Vst. If you liked the sounds of the Gypsy, check out a few more of the Vst's that East West Produces- Some of them are outstanding and i highly recommend trying to get ahold of them. They work on both Osx and Windows, and they can be used as a Vst plugin or standalone::

::Fab Four::

::Ministry of Rock::

::Symphonic Choirs::

Cheers,

DJ Azzo

East West

Gypsy[ies], this time they are not trying to mug you

East West Quantum Leap Gypsy- Now the name to me seems almost fitting, but at the same time this Gypsy is not trying to mug you and run with your money. Check out this review of the VST by Floridamusic they do a simple run through of the software showing you what the Gypsy is capable of. When i saw it i was floored, the sounds really do begin to sound like a spaniard is in the room smothering you with beautiful guitar melodies.

Cheers,

DJ Azzo

East West
Florida Music

DJ Azzo Presents Live::EP 3

So I finally got around to recording the next installment of my Podcast! Although that is a bit of a lie, as i recorded it last month, but for some reason my Podcast host went down and then would not accept any mp3 files. anyways. So it is finally up and ready for some ears

Here it is::

::TrackListing::

Knocking at the Grand::Efdemin
Les Djinns (Trentemoller remix):: Dijuma Soundsystem
Consume::Plastikman
Triceratops(CFCF Remix):: Health//Disco
Triceratops(Acid Girls Remix A)::Health//Disco
I Want You(Deadmau5 Remix)::Carl Cox
Carly::Pan Pot
Sleep Deprivation::Simian Mobile Disco
Planet 7(James Holden Remix):: System 7

Cheers,

DJ Azzo

ESL Music 'Ursula 1000' Remix Contest

Once again the people from Foem have mustered up another remix competition for all of us producers out there. This time around we are asked to create a remix of of Ursula 1000's track 'Star Machine'. To enter, you have to first register at the site which will allow you to have access to the stems( separate tracks of the song) which will allow you to go to town on the track. Enjoy and happy remixing

Cheers,

DJ Azzo

Foem
Ursula 1000

Richie Richie

So i Saw this video the other day, which i found pretty interesting. Its Richie Hawtin- for all of those who dont know who Richie Hawtin is, he is the brains behind his record label Minus ( as well as being one of the forefront players in the detroit techno scene)- He also has been advocating the use of Traktor, for better or for worse- there is nothing that i hate more than people being used to sell an item, be it dj stuff or cereal.

but nonetheless it is an interesting video take a look and happy viewing

Richie Hawtin 2008 DJ Setup from Dean Koch on Vimeo.

Dj Azzo

Minus

Saw this over at Future Music, its a very Funky online Drum Machine called Qwerty! Designed and made by Ron Winter the drum machine is chalk full of excellent samples which will keep you busy for hours!

Cheers

Azzo

Qwerty
Future Music

Harald Björk- This is just really good

So i was over at Luke Abbott's Blog today and noticed a new post of a music video from a musician i haven't heard about- So i listened to it of course. At first the drum patterns and bass riff didn't do much for me, but then when the melody kicked in and the progression of the song began to unfold i fell in love with this track.

Check it out

Harald Björk:: Glimt

Cheers

DJ Azzo

Luke Abbott's Blog
Harald Björk Sunsets Ep

Omnisphere...using.... a core.... "STEAM" engine??

So right off the bat, i want to say i really do love this synth. It sounds beautiful, it is by far one of the most powerful vst's i have seen in a while. The library which the synth/sampler comes with is absolutly massive, with everything you can possibly think of, including the over hyped (Ominous Voice) "BURNING PIANO"- although its kinda cool. Overall though they synth comes with all the bells and whistles which i would expect from a synthesizer, But in terms of what it comes with i'm most impressed by the amount of consolidation within the program.

STEAM...for me its a little misleading, to me it sounds so powerful, like an......engine? The best part of this overhyped name for something which is quiet frankly a new form of sythn architecture (Spectrasonics) is what they have to say about what STEAM actually is::

"Virtual instruments built with the multitimbral STEAM Engine offer many development possibilities into a variety of hybrid synthesis and control capabilities including high-resolution Streaming Sample Playback, Integrated FX, Variable Waveshape synthesis, Granular synthesis, FM synthesis, polyphonic Ring Modulation, Timbre Shifting, and a comprehensive Flex-Mod™ modulation routing system, to name a few.

The STEAM Engine core technology gives us the ability to respond to other technology changes like the Intel-Mac shift from Apple, 64-bit computing, or a major new operating system,” said Eric Persing, Founder and Creative Director of Spectrasonics. “The new in-house technology will allow us to create instruments that we can fully support across industry changes and allow us to make innovations and transitions faster in the future. For example, just as Stylus RMX being based on our S.A.G.E. technology made possible the early compatibility with Apple’s Intel-Macs, new instruments based on STEAM technology will make transitions like this easier on our customers."

HMM....Well i now understand well nothing really, just what STEAM effects. And what's not to love about the little delta symbol for the A.....so cute.

Not all is bad though, Omnisphere does sound brilliant, so check it out. They also have posted a series of demonstration videos of the software on the Omnisphere site which i suggest watching. Omnisphere runs at a price tag of $499.

later

Dj Azzo

Video Links
Omnisphere
Spectrasonics

Dj Azzo Presents: Live:: Toronto Pt1

The Second Installment of ::Live::Toronto Pt1. Now keep in mind that this set was meant as more of an experiment; one which is trying to investigate the nature of the transition- thus there might be parts of the set which may not be as refined as my other sets and podcasts. I hope you enjoy it

::Track Listing::

Plastic Star (Alva Noto Remix)-Beytone
Erste Unversicherte Allgemeinheit-Extrawelt
Melody 120- Luke Abbott
Breathe On Me- James Holden
Love Juice (Moulinex Remix)- SymbolOne
You Are Here (Four Tet Remix)- Nathan Fake
Without Aim- Luke Abbott

Thanks and Happy Listening,

DJ Azzo

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Disco Returns

Hercules & Love Affair

Hailing from New York Cities Indie Epicentre Brooklyn- Hercules & Love Affair have been taking the indie scene by force. This is especially true with there 2008 self entitled album. Headed up by Dj Andy Butler along with a slew of others (Nomi Ruiz, Ann Foxman and Antony Hegarty) Produce such melodic disco classics which make me both want to dance and relax- they just make me happy, what else can i say. As ranked by Pitchfork, it is one of the best albums of 2008 and with good reason too. The album brings back disco, in a way which is both nostalgic and progressive. The single "Blind" is such a strong song that it tops the whole album, which to be frank...i don't mind that because there is a solid buildup to this song and then you are confronted with it. Definitely a must hear

Cheers,

DJ Azzo

Hercules & Love Affair::Blind

HLA Myspace

Hercules & Love Affair Band Website

DIGITAL JOCK: Whats this....Traktor...PRO?

So recently, and by recently i mean last fall, Native Instruments released its "professional version" of traktor- which to me sounded a little ridiculous as traktor was designed to be used in a professional setting or like any piece of DJ software, by enthusiasts. But they did and after a look at Traktor pro, it does have some strong points which make it a valuable piece of software- Albeit it should have just been released as a new "version" of traktor rather than glitz it up and market it as "professional software"- common native instruments, if i have even heard of your company that means im pretty serious about music production and DJing.

Anyways to the review::

After opening it up i was confronted with a brand new interface, sleek, stylish, streamlined, basically made me want to tinker and play around with the new buttons and new effects modules. The fact that this new version of traktor is more streamlined made me quite happy- as many of you know traktor 3.3 was not the most attractive and could at times be complicated when each deck has its own effects etc. Now we are confronted with the standard 2 decks, each with an individual EQ (as it should) along with the other gubbins which a dj will need (cue etc.). Obviously the arrangement is different, from the top bar which used to display cue markers etc. now it only consists of a master volume/mix and the new effects modules. This is where it gets very interesting.

Instead of the few effects which Traktor 3.3 had for each deck, there is only 2 effects modules now- each can be assigned to any of the decks or all of the decks. And each comes with a wide variety of effects to be applied to your tracks- i wont get into the effects, just experiment and try them out, some, i have to admit, are pretty cool (such as the new gate filter).

The other new aspect of the effects module is the ability to chain effects, the maximum is 3 different effects- the downside to this approach is that you get less flexibility in the definition of the effect, it is limited to 3 variables to define the effect- which is why im sticking with the standard single effect.

Now when i meant streamlined, i actually meant that. Above is the arrangement around, in this case, deck B. Everything is located right there that would allow you to even beat-grid and properly loop on the fly. instead of having to select your loop length and then turning it on, its as easy a selecting your length and it turns on. Also to note is one little tricky button i didn't know about and its in the master, its the snap button- no more having to go into the top bar and finding the quantization menu to make sure each deck is snapping to either the cues or the beat-grid.

Above is the new beatgrid panel which is in every deck. This i was very surprised about, something i didnt expect. It makes the whole process of properly defining your grids so simple that it allows the dj to worry about what they really care about, the mixing and builds.

All in all Traktor Pro was a pleasant surprise from Native Instruments. Not only did they produce a piece of software which works, it looks good too. Now with everything there are cons, which i hope will be solved. One thing that really annoyed me was that there auto beat detection was off, more off than before. And even when i go to define my own beat-grids, i find that it takes longer to get the track close to perfect.

Cheers and happy mixing

DJ Azzo

Traktor Pro

In the Studio:: Chris Lake

Chris Lake- Hailing from Scotland- Has been taking the charts by storm with his heavy bass and hypnotic melodies since 2006. Recently he has recorded a video which exposes his technique and mixing for all to see- thanks to computer music-

Cheers

Dj Azzo

Akai APC-40 Ableton Live Controller

One of the highlights this year from the NAMM Music Trade-show was definitely the new Akai APC-40 Ableton live midi controller. This device has to be one of the first purpose built devices specifically designed to work with Ableton lives workflow layout.

The Device is a series of triggers, sliders and knob ( standard for most midi controllers, such as the evolution UC-33e or the Akai MPD-24 controllers) the difference lies in the arrangement and concentration of user definable buttons. The device is extremely specific to Ableton's approach to music production- which is neither linear nor vertical but a combination of the two.

"The APC40 talks directly to Live and Live talks directly to the APC40. This exclusive bidirectional communication makes the APC40 an advanced controller in that it can receive feedback from the software and display it on its clip matrix of 40 triggers and on LED rings surrounding each knob. The clip matrix gives you an instant view of clip status: what's loaded, what's playing, and what's being recorded. Each state displays on the matrix in a different color so you can get a quick picture of clip state. You can shift your clip focus and get an overview of the clips you have loaded for your set. The APC40 has 16 knobs, each surrounded by a ring of LEDs. These LED rings make seeing your settings a breeze on dark stages, indicating the currently selected parameters’ values. This advanced visual feedback makes performing with the APC40 focused more on the music and less on squinting at the computer screen. In fact, you might even forget that the computer is there! "- Akai

Later

DJ Azzo

Akai
Ableton Live
NAMM

DIY Touch screen midi controller

For all of those Dj's and Electronic musicians who can't afford those expensive JazzMutant Lemur touch screen midi controllers- which use a touch sensitive screen as the main method for inputing data to control Ableton- this might be for you. Its a small piece of software developed by Pablo Martin called the Mono Touch Live.

The basic premiss is to take an existing touch sensitive monitor and hook that up as a secondary monitor on your pc or mac, then using the touch screen ability to run software which pics up the signals and converts them into a midi signal. Not only is this exciting but the price is extremly attractive- where as the Lemur will put you back almost $3000, the 'Mono Touch Live' in fact is free. All you need is a touch screen monitor and your ready to go!

Cheers,

DJ Azzo

MonoTouch Live
JazzMutant Lemur

Creative Routing

For all those Mac users, there is finally a solution for routing Traktor into Ableton. Previously there was no viable way to rewire a signal from Traktor Dj Studio into Ableton- now comes Jack OS X. Jack OS X is a internal audio routing software which acts as an internal audio card to allow for signals to be passed between programs which don't have rewire capabilities.

Over at Dj Tech Tools, they have posted a very interesting and excellent tutorial about how to set up Traktor-how to set up the internal routing to send each deck as an independent channel to Ableton. Also the tutorial provides the necessary set up files for Ableton to give you a template to use when mixing.

So for all those who have been longing for traktor to have rewire capabilities then this is for you, so head on over to dj tech tools and check out this fantastic tutorial.

Cheer

DJ Azzo

DjTech Tools Routing Tutorial
Jack OS X
Traktor Dj Studio
Ableton Live

The END of the End

As with anything which defined any given era, they all had have on thing in common, they came to an end. As with the London 'Underground' Electro hot spot ' The End', its finale is creeping up closer than most would like it. The club, located in London's Covent Garden/Tottenham Court Area, has been one of the defining electronic music institutions in the world. The cavernous place has seen and created events and DJ's which have defined london as the centre of the electronic music revolution since 1995.

This is also the place where we would get the first glimpse of the new talent being recruited by James Holden's label 'Border Community' on their Border Community nights, throwing them into the spot light in front of a crowd desperate for beats which effect the soul. This is no place to go for your usual pickup or drunken misgivings, rather it is place for intense music, dedicated performers, and combined with serious music lovers- not to mention the place had a kick ass stereo system. This is one closing which will hit hard, deep and make people wonder where do we go from here? But as with every great thing which comes to an end, something else crawls up to fill the void.

The End's finale is a weekend bash which I'm sure will be the place to be, is on Jan 23rd- 25th

Cheers,

Dj Azzo

Foem 'Allez Allez' Remix Contest

So its that time of the month again for the next Foem remixing competition. This round we are challenged with remixing the track 'Defeatist' by Allez Allez- who are a duo from london under the Boxer recordings label based out of Cologne. The requirements are that you take at lease one sample from the Allez Allez's song 'Defeatist' and turn it into 2 individual tracks. The prize is what is what i find to be one of the biggest draws-aside from the opportunity to rework an excellent track with their stems and midi files- which is a vinyl ep which is to be paired with a remix of the same song by Ricardo Tobar- who was recently signed on to James Holden's "Border Community" Label ( if you haven't heard of this label you have to check it out, his label is putting out some of the most intriguing and experimental music out of london these days). To enter sign up to Foem and all the digital samples and midi files are open to you, just remember to register for the contest to be considered.

Good Luck and Happy Mixing,

Cheers

Dj Azzo

::Links::
Boarder Community
Allez Allez's Blog
Allez Allez's Myspace
Foem Remix Webpage
Boxer Recordings

FaderFox DJ2

Hey Everyone,

So a friend of mine recently purchased the new second generation Faderfox DJ2 midi controller- which if you dont know about this small company out of Hamburg Germany please check them out http://www.faderfox.de

On first glance i thought this device looked a little to small, frankly i had imagined it to be slightly bigger. But don't let that fool you, it packs a punch. Even when you though that the device had reached its limit, we found other setting which lay deep within the complex button settings.

The obvious advantage which i noticed right away was the ability to chain multiple devices together which allows for the dj/ producer to expand as one needs grow- extremely flexible. As a midi controller you can customize virtually all assignable buttons, and combination of buttons- this stands as a definite strength as this particular device seems to be quite shy of the number of buttons im used to (i generally have an Evolution UC-33e at my side at all time)

The only other qualms i have with the device is the top effects joystick- it is perfect for those who don't need alot of flexibility, otherwise the joystick is lacking in the depth which i would want to use. I found the device to sync up perfectly with tracktor pro ( you can download the correct settings file on there site for tracktor, Ableton etc.)

Other than that if you have a chance check this or the other faderfox devices, they are fun to play with and powerful when programed correctly.

Later

Dj Azzo Presents: Live

To start off this Blog I figured that i would start by posting my first Live Podcast- I started a monthly podcast primarily because it allowed me to make sure i kept practicing, honing and experimenting new techniques::

Track Listing:

Back From Exile- Breitbannt

Pacemaker- Arthur Oskan

Wired- Raumton

Keep on- Ronald van Aggelen

Mongoose- Sasha

Terminal- Gui Boratto

Human- James Zabiela

Proper Education [Club Mix]- Eric Prydz

Gridlock [Digweed & Muir's Stereo Club Mix]- John Digweed

Moan [Vocal Version featuring Ane Trolle]- Trentmoller

The Sky was Pink [James Holden Remix]- Nathan Fake

Viral Video- Azzo

Thanks and happy listening

DJ Azzo

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