http://crowecreation.tumblr.com/post/47629584201/mix-in-key-for-free

Today, April 11th, is my sister’s birthday, so of course she is the first thing I think of when writing for this day. I tried so hard to recruit her into Second Life®. She had an avatar and she logged in, but, like too many people, she was unwilling to work through the learning curve from confusion to exploration. It is too bad, she loves music and would make a great DJ. She could come to my sets and I could go to hers. She also loves home decor and would have a fine time redecorating on a whim. I could totally see her as a home and garden blogger. She is also a huge fan of poetry and has memorized hundreds of poems that she can recite on demand. I could see her participating in a poetry salon, too.

That is why Second Life is so magical. If you have a real life enthusiasm, you can explore it in SL. Even more, you can explore it without many of the barriers that frustrate your enthusiasms in RL. You don’t need a second mortgage to remodel your home, you don’t need $15,000 in equipment to spin some tunes. You don’t need to spend $300 on food to host a party. If you’re a poetry enthusiast, you don’t have to try to find enough others in a town of 4,000 people, because you can invite people from all around the world.

I joined SL after an injury sidelined me. I thought I would recover quickly but did not. In many ways, SL has been a lifesaver through these ups and downs of health as I try to recover. I will never forget when I reached the nadir of my illness in 2010, after post-surgical complications had me wanting to die. It was my SL friend, Gidge Uriza, who yelled at me and said, “Don’t you dare.” I don’t think most people in RL knew how sick I was, conditioned as we are to say we are fine. But the SL connection is freeing, we can be more honest without the conventional facade that assures everyone that all is well.

If who we are is determined by our character, personality and intellect, we are probably truer representations of our real selves than we can ever be in real life. Here we are who we aspire to be, we are how we see ourselves. We can be active in spite of disability, we can be social despite lack of transportation, we can be fashionable despite poverty.

Best of all, we meet others in their aspirational form. I think there is something wonderful in that idea, that we are a community of the people we aspire to be, our best selves. No wonder it is so addicting.

I get a lot of emails every day asking me all kinds of questions….so instead of answering each one individually, I figured I’d start a new section called Diggin’ In the Dirt, Q & A with Flea Market Funk. I’ve assembled a panel of experts on DJing, digging, equipment, vinyl record and Hip Hop culture and more to answer each one. These questions should not limited to the topics I’ve mentioned. Our experts aren’t above giving advice about all kinds of things. We’re going to give it to you straight whether you like it or not, so get out your pen and paper…um, keyboard and start asking. Send all your questions to:

jamison@fleamarketfunk.com

Who’s got something that they have been afraid to ask? Ask away, and when we respond, we will just use your initials here for privacy. If you want to start some topic and or debate, I’ll be leaving the comments open on each individual page of the question, while putting the question and answer on a dedicated page here.

Flea Market Funk, always diggin’ and bringing the vinyl record community together one record (or answer) at a time. Keep Diggin’!

Old School Hip Hop DJ legend Jazzy Jeff shows us his studio and the extensive range of his music equipment, from analog to digital. Jazzy even has the original analog board used to produce Sesame Street.

Heather is forced to chose between what she has always known and the new world of excitement she so desires. Beat Girl follows her journey through music. The crossroads she finds herself at, the paths she chooses and the discoveries these new paths lead to.

theSLATE was a dope space where some great events for the Portland dance, arts, and music scene took place. I hosted two Rose City Revival events there in early 2012, and then we had the whole Deep series of events from March through September (highlight video from Deep Vol. 4 here  ->  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD8cvUXWK9Q )

I’m definitely sad to see it go, but thankful that we were able to have so many great events there while it was around. Thanks to Nicki, Department Zero, and Scion for all that they’ve done to support the Portland arts, music, and dance community!

Here’s a little blend of Phil Collins ‘In the Air Tonight’ with Mobb Deep ‘Quiet Storm’. As far as I know, no one’s done this one before. I think both songs have a dark, cloudy, rainy night feel to them so they fit great together. Enjoy!

Click Picture to Download:

Weather gets nice, rooftops open around the city but Bar 13 will get the best music.

camille - female hip hop dj. großartige mixes auf soundcloud.

alice dee - deutscher rap mit texten übers verrücktsein, den alltäglichen rassismus und wunderwahnsinn.

kellee maize gibts auch auf jamendo - anscheinend in den usa sehr bekannte rapperin. elektronische beatz dazu, hervorragend für die tanzfläche (im eigenen zimmer oder im club).

ill-esha – dubstep, trap & future bass *woohoo*

laura mvula - samstagabendbeat (via mädchenmannschaft)

was habt ihr so gehört letzte woche?

Photographer: Michele Farley, Website: http://michelefarleyphotography.weebly.com/

Makeup Artist: None

Location: Namsan Park, Seoul, South Korea

Date of Photo-shoot: March 02, 2013

The first time it happened was when I was listening to Cocteau Twins’ Treasure a few months after it came out in 1984.  While the mainstream music critics wrote glowingly of a “guitar revival” movement that included U2 and R.E.M., the Cocteau Twins quietly created textures and sound-scapes never before considered possible with a guitar.  The second time was when I first heard LTJ Bukem (born the same year I was) in the latter half of the 90′s and the way that he took drum n bass and turned it into a kind of ethereal jazz from outer space, with long spacey tones layered over complex and rapid staccato beats.

I might be exaggerating to put the record label Claremont 56 into that category–nevertheless, I am quite blown away by a compilation of theirs that I downloaded recently.  The artists on this label produce, for the most part, DJ-friendly dance floor tracks–but with a heart and soul that has often been missing from electronic tracks.

I need to note that it took me a long time to warm to house music and other made-for-the dance-floor electronic music that developed in the late 80′s and early 90′s.  I couldn’t understand the appeal of this “underground” dance club movement.  All of it sounded repetitive with little variation–something mass-produced, generic with little thought put into it, yet surrounded by hype.  It felt like the McDonald’s of underground music.

Only later did I grow to appreciate a lot of what was coming out of that scene.  Some of my appreciation was of artists that came out of that scene but matured and diversified themselves, Moby being a prime example.  Other acts I liked were ones that had developed catchy little hooks, but even with many of them I felt uncomfortable playing them because of their repetitiveness.

Granted–many of these tracks were designed for beatmixing and while I do a bit of that, I feel that technique is way overused and an artificial way to keep dance floors full.  One popular event in London explicitly avoids beatmixing.  (London, also home to Claremont 56, is also where LTJ Bukem developed his unique beats and where the Scottish trio Cocteau Twins recorded Treasure.  As usual, London’s light-years ahead of anything beyond the western shore of The Pond.  And I’m not complaining.)

While searching online,  I found an interesting compilation album called 5 Years of Claremont 56.  I don’t know what drew me to it, but I realized I was listening to something different just with the 30 second samples of tracks I was listening to.  After listening to the album in its entirety–23 tracks plus an hour-long continuous mix, I realized this was something I felt had been missing from dance music.  They describe themselves as “an independent label dedicated to releasing beautiful music.”

I would describe much of Claremont 56′s sound as a combination of Zero 7 with early Beta Band.  But other elements are brought into it, depending on the artist–folk, punk, early 70′s soul, jazz, disco, and many other elements.  Furthermore, although dance-floor friendly and leaving behind the traditional pop song structure, the songs evolve rather than just repeat, and in a more natural way than the automated layered changes in progressive house.  A lot of this is inherent in the live instrumentation that is reportedly used with the recordings.  Two examples are below:

The label was started by longtime DJ Paul “Mudd” Murphy in London.  You can see the text of an interview here.  I wish this label continued success–I feel like they have a lot to offer the DJing and dance world.

Get this one in your diary folks!

Red Dog Music presents Groove Terrierism

Where- The City Cafe, 19 Blair Street, Edinburgh

When- 7pm-12.30am, Thursday 18th April

Entry- Free

More details will undoubtedly follow!

Avicii recently came under fire after premiering some new music from his upcoming album during his set at Ultra Music Festival (UMF). Many complained it was an awkward and confusing session of country rock. Ultimately, it was by large not received well and it prompted him to respond to the criticism via his Facebook page. Defending himself, he claimed that people didn’t understand and that his upcoming album is not ‘country’ but rather “something fun and different” and that it is about “experimentation and about showing the endless possibilities of house and electronic music.” Did he make a career-killing move as many suggest, or is he right and people just aren’t getting it? Let’s examine.

Avicii went wrong overall thinking he could go experimental after entering the industry via the Pop market. He speaks of staying true to his sound, which if was the case, he shouldn’t have tried to experiment. The Top-40 of any genre isn’t generally known for it’s uniqueness, but rather for the tried and tested mainstream sounds. Experimental sounds are just that, they brave new waters, push something forward that hasn’t had mainstream exposure. UMF is a Top-40 dance music event, not exactly the best venue for something that isn’t mainstream. He would have been better off taking any experimentation to the Winter Music Conference pool parties, which historically are a good source to discover new sounds, ideas, and talent.

Avicii made the mistake that many people make these days, thinking that if it is dance music it automatically falls to the underground. Long gone are those days. Dance music, for better or worse, has entered the mainstream. There is still plenty of underground music within the culture, but nothing that I have heard Avicii make would fall into the category. He entered the dance music industry consciousness through the mainstream, and he will need to stay there if he expects to keep the number of fans he has become accustomed to.

People, by large, are resistant to change. Expecting them to be open-minded and capable of adapting to something they didn’t expect is an oft-made mistake. Avicii went wrong in thinking that people who spent a ton of money to see a Top-40 show would be open to something they didn’t expect. Had he previously spent some time in his career demonstrating an experimental side, or even producing a variety of styles, his attempts might have been better received. Instead, he built his name upon a single sound/style and that is what people now expect from him.

Ultimately I applaud him for thinking outside the box, I hope he continues to embrace the experimental, we could definitely use more of it to prevent the inevitable failure of the scene we are currently facing. But seriously, Avicii, you have built your fans from the mainstream, kiss them good-bye if you step out.

P.S. – Another common mistake that Avicii made, which is a bit of a pet peeve, just because your music is 4/4, don’t automatically call it House. Avicii, more power to you, but your music is not House.

T/r/ans*/z/formation – queere Soliparty

Wir haben keine Lust auf Zweige*schlecht*lichkeitsscheisze und die daran hängenden Rollenklischees, Körpernormen und Beziehungszwänge. Sich diesen zu widersetzen ist eine alltägliche Anstrengung und die Utopie vom Ponyhof zu leben immer wieder eine Herausforderung. Um sich davon zwischendurch zu erholen, wollen wir gemeinsam feiern! 

Ab 20:00 Uhr gibt es einen Film zum Thema Trans* und danach wird getanzt mit elektronischer, popiger, hip hopiger Musik mit den DJ_anes Lotta Fux (Glitzer Electro), Pixi Pop (Glitza Pop), Cut Loose (Party Mashups/Booty Bass), madame adam (ElectroHipPop), electric monk (Synthpop, Hip Hop, 8bit) DJ*Zaenk (HipHop) und Very Serious (Queer Electro Pop).
Dazu gibt’s ~ leckere Soli-Cocktails ~ und ne Klamottenecke, in der mal wieder andere Persönlichkeitsfacetten entdeckt werden können.

Die Soli ist für die OP-Kosten einer Trans*person.

all genders welcome

Im New York 59 im Bethanien, Mariannenplatz 2, Berlin
(U1/U8 Kottbusser Tor oder U1 Görlitzer Bahnhof)

Burial is one of a kind when it comes to music, truly original music, creating a new genre and inspiring many more I couldn’t think of a better artist to create a mix from. I’m new at the game with my only past experience being drunken fumblings with decks at parties but it seemed like a fun idea and it was late. Pretty happy with the end product. Take a listen if you want.