Yes, it’s been a minute between posts, but I’ve been insanely busy working on projects with my new digital consultancy, Digital Strategy Works.

Netmix has been this pro-hobby, if that makes any sense. I’ve actually been working full time and going to school at NYU for the last 5-years. I graduated in May with a Bachelor Degree in Digital Communications and Media.

While I love writing this blog, it hasn’t been my first priority. I know that shows given the time between posts, but I try my best to update when I can. Given the economic turmoil we’ve faced over the last few years and the demise of the music business as we once knew it, I knew it was important to focus on work first and the hobby second. I always say, you have to have a base from which to work.

Okay, so even though I always say it, I ended up throwing that advice out the window—sort of.

In November, I left my full-time job. Yes, in this economy, I actually LEFT my job! I know. Call me crazy. I’d been working for a web development company in Long Island, but I really missed the New York City digital media and music scene. Long Island just wasn’t where I wanted to be every day. I felt really disconnected from the community. It was time to make a change.

I was passing up so many opportunities making the 3-hour+ commute. I’d been running myself ragged going back and forth. Not only was I missing out on all the nightly Meetup.com events and other entrepreneur and start-up gatherings, I was wearing myself down in the process.

If that wasn’t enough to do, I’d also taken on the side role of Director of Interactive for the National Museum of Hip-Hop. And, along with DJ Ming, Harold Stephan and DJ Chad North, we’ve been running 20dot20, a monthly networking event for the interactive and advertising music industry. Between driving back and forth to Long Island, Netmix, and my other extracurricular activities, I decided to go back to entrepreneurship.

Given my 15-years of web development experience, I thought I might as well just launch Digital Strategy Works and put that knowledge to work. This new addition to the Netmix Media portfolio provides strategy digital media consulting services to individuals, entrepreneurs, start-ups and corporations with a focus on the media & entertainment industry, including music, nightlife, fashion, film and television. We’re building web sites on Wordpress and Drupal, e-commerce platforms on Magento, and mobile applications for Apple’s iPhone and iPad.

It all starts with the planning and execution of a measurable end-to-end digital strategy that makes an impact. In today’s competitive online marketplace, an effective digital strategy is executed across an array of online and mobile applications. This includes nformation architecture and user experience design, creative direction and graphic design, web and mobile development, search engine optimization, e-commerce and monetization, and social media and online marketing. There are so many things to know. Since that’s what we do everyday, we’ve become experts in the field and are passing on that knowledge to you.

Please visit the web site at http://www.digitalstrategyworks.com to read more about Netmix Media’s latest addition. We’re currently offering 2-hours of Wordpress consultation through March 31 for $250.

I received an email reminder today about this video from Brooklyn indie-rock artist, Ariel Aparicio; it’s a cover of the Psychedlic Furs punk classic Pretty In Pink. The original rock number featured on his latest album, All These Brillian Things, is a beautiful ode to a friend stricken with cancer. Pocketknife turned that sweet, melodic version into a synthetic house number with a noticeably darker, tougher,  yet resonant flavor. Ariel’s guitarist from his back up band provided a few licks over Pocketknife’s sublime, moody electronic instrumentation.

Funny, I was thinking, Ariel, hmmmm? Do I know this guy? I dug a little deeper and found out that yes, I do know Ariel! He and his partner co-own two of the hottest Thai restaurants in Brooklyn, JOYA and SONG.

When I lived around the corner from the JOYA in Carrol Gardens, I was a regular. The food…fantastic! The atmosphere is modern and industrial with exposed brick that is softened with local artwork and floral arrangements. Both restaurants feature DJs on the weekends. In fact, I loved the place so much, I even had my wedding reception there. The marriage didn’t last, but the memories of all my great friends from Brooklyn and others who came in from around the country to celebrate, as well as the inspirational sounds of DJ Ray Velasquez, will live with me forever.

That being said, Ariel is one of the sweetest, most genuine human beings I’ve ever hard the pleasure to meet. Although his first album didn’t catch my fancy so many years ago, it’s great to see that he’s kept at it and is hitting his stride. Like that spicy thai cooking emanating from the kitchens at JOYA and SONG, this one is just is as spicy.

The video is currently being spun on MTV’s LOGO channel. It held the number one spot on the channel’s The Click List program, and has since been nominated to The Click List Top 10 of 2009.

Download the House Mix of Pretty In Pink from

After a long break, I’m back with a new 180-minute Netmix Global House Sessions Podcast. Has it been a year already? I guess so. Life kind of got in the way. I’m brushing off the laptop cobwebs and putting together a hot mix for the holidays.

There are 29 tracks in this mix, which is approximately 3 hours and 8 minutes. I inadvertently used Lukas Greenberg’s “A New System” twice. I don’t know what I was thinking, but enjoy it two times around, because it is a slammin track!

1. No Turning Back – Original Mix – Gui Boratto – Kompakt
2. Libellules – Original Mix – Agoria – InFine Music
3. Praise You – Fatboy Slim vs. Fedde Le Grand Remix – Fatboy Slim, Fedde Le Grand – Skint Records
4. Feels Like I’m Dancin – Ahmet Sendil Remix – Ahmet Sendil, Sivana – Bazooka
5. 73 Tomtom Avenue – Jimpster Mix – Jimpster, David K – Tsuba
6. The Rhythm Track – Jimpster Remix – Jimpster, Milton Jackson – Freerange Records
7. A New System – Lukas Greenberg ‘Drift’ Mix – Ross Couch, Lukas Greenberg – Body Rhythm Records
8. Stoppage Time – Reshuffle Remix – Guy Gerber, Niv Hadas – Bedrock Records
9. Dance Bits – Original Mix – Tek DiLuxe – Overline Records
10. Acid – Lost In Acid Ausfahrt Mix – David Tort – Strictly Rhythm
11. Good Life – Original Mix – Kim Fai – Size Records
12. I Like House Music – Original Mix – DJ PP – Soulman Music
13. I’m Gonna Get You – Remix – Bizarre Inc. – S2
14. Rhythm Is A Dancer – Tee’s Mix – Snap – Arista
15. Rhythm Is A Dancer – Armand Van Helden Remix – Snap – N/A
16. Balearic – Original Mix – Submission DJ – Tribal Spain
17. Can I Get……?! – Matthias Meyer Remix – Matthias Meyer, Alex Niggemann – Supernature
18. That Feeling – DJ Chus 2010 Revisited Mix – DJ Chus, The Groove Foundation     Defected
19. Amalfino – Original Mix – Kaiserdisco – MBF
20. Wobble Night – Original Mix – Remerc – Greelpound
21. Je T’aime – Carlo Lio Mix – Kolombo, Carlo Lio – Hotfingers
22. Empty Trash – Original Mix – Joris Voorn – Rejected
23. A New System – Lukas Greenberg ‘Drift’ Mix – Ross Couch, Lukas Greenberg – Body Rhythm Records
24. Matter – Original Vocal Mix – Matteo Marini – Deeperfect Records
25. To The Six – Original Mix – Boom Jinx, Andrew Bayer – Anjunadeep
26. Who Dares To Believe In Me? – Martijn Ten Velden Remix – Martijn Ten Velden, The Believers – Strictly Rhythm
27. Joy – Original Mix – Butch – Bangbang!
28. Celebrate – Original Mix – Manuel De La Mare, Matteo Matteini – Hotfingers
29. Hidden Source – Original Mix – Daniele Papini – Break New Soil

Click this link to subscribe to the Podcast Feed.

Or listen by choosing a play icon below. You can also right click on the download link and Save As, but we prefer that you subscribe to the podcast, so that we can keep tracks of downloads and plays. Thanks!

Download

From iHeartRadio.com comes these amazing video performances by Alicia Keyes singles “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart” and “Empire State of Mind Pt II”, from the upcoming album, The Element of Freedom.” The performance took place at the P.C. Richard & Son Theater in Tribeca. There are two song perfomances in this video widget, but if you wish to skip right to and play “Empire State of Mind,” click the Playlist tab and then click the play icon for that performance.

Having moved to NYC in 1996 to make live my dreams of success in the music business, the original with Jay-Z (YouTube video below) and now this live performance both deeply resonate with me. They remind me of how difficult it really is to make it in New York City. But, if you stay strong and on the grind you will make it, because dreams are made here. I’ve been listening to the original for weeks now on the radio or my iTunes. Having just left my full-time day job to focus more on Netmix and consulting, it’s been an anthem that has energized and inspired me to make a go of it and do what I love.

We’ve had odes to New York City before, but this one is different. It comes out of Hip-Hop, a genre of music born on the streets of the Bronx. With the rap lyrics in the original version delivered by Jay-Z, Hip-Hop’s king pin (move over Diddy), the song comes alive as a testament to the power of one’s self-motivated drive. Sure, there’s some chest-bumping ego going on too, but sometimes that’s the kind of attitude you need to have to move mountains.

The Element of Freedom, is slated for releases on December 15th, 2009. Pre-order your copy of The Element of Freedom at Amazon.com. DJs can get The Element Of Freedom on vinyl. For more info on Alicia Keyes, visit her web site.

Take a listen to the single “Dreamin”:  Alicia Keys – Dreaming – MP3WAXX

Here’s the famous duet on YouTube.

Share your thoughts on the Alicia Keyes live performance of their duet video in the comments section. We’d love to know what you think.

I always loved Arrested Development for their socially inspired rhythms. Here’s the premier of their latest video, “The World Is Changing.” For more on Arrested Development, check out their web site at http://www.arresteddevelopmentmusic.com

– by Tony Zeoli

Google and Facebook will be adding music to their offerings through agreements with iLike.com, Lala.com and Imeem.com. According to a NY Times blog post, next Wednesday, Google will announce a new feature of its popular search engine that will return with search results music files hosted by a iLike and Lala. If a user types in a search for Tiesto or Kaskade, the search results will provide links to pop-up music players and the user may stream the tracks directly from the search engine, without having to go to the sites themselves.

Facebook will add Lala to its Gifts shop. Many Facebook users already purchase credits to send personalized messages to friends, like birthday e-cards. User will soon be able to purchase tracks for 10-cents and share them with friends to stream or simply purchase tracks for $1 and then download.

In related news, MySpace announced that videos from recently acquired, iLike.com, will appear on throughout the Facebook platform.

For more on these stories, check the following sites:

• http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/hot-on-heels-of-google-facebook-to-take-first-step-int-music/
• http://mashable.com/2009/10/21/facebook-lala/
• http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Google-MySpace-Facebook-make-apf-2162130000.html?x=0&.v=9

I just came across this blog post on Boston.com’s Metro Desk: Defendant’s lawyer puts on a show in illegal downloading case. Globe staff writer, Jonathan Salzman, describes the courtroom antics, he writes, that “Charles Nesson, the flamboyant Harvard Law School professor defending a college student accused of illegally downloading and sharing music online,” has used to make the case that his client is not responsible for copyright infringement. At the time of this post, there were over 40 comments to the original article. I wanted to share my two cents on the subject, which I posted in the comments section earlier tonight. I’ve fixed a few errors and added a few words to this, but it remains pretty much intact from my original comment.

When someone says that music is not a tangible thing, I tend to disagree. When you can take digital bits of information and move them using a USB drive from one computer to another, although it seems as if you’re moving air, you’re actually migrating a process that thousands of man hours went into creating.

Digital music is a “physical” product. When we think of the CD, we think that is the physical product, when in all actuality, it is simply the transport mechanism, not unlike an MP3 device is today. I believe that if I make a song and it is converted into digital format, then it is a product that is my property. If I choose to share that property with others as “open source,” then that’s my choice. If I choose to restrict access to my product, that’s also my choice. The copyright laws in this country protect that choice.

What most people don’t think about is this: One day you download someone’s music file and then place it on your computer. You allow open access to your computer through a file sharing network. Others then come and take and share that file through their computers. All of a sudden, that file has been downloaded a million times, usurping the ability of the content owner to generate revenue based on their production of that music. The next day, you write a blog post about that music, then someone copies your blog post and puts it on a hundred web sites, which they are monetizing with Google’s Adsense program. You get angry and say, “that’s unfair! I wrote that article about that song that I downloaded…for FREE!” And, the cycle continues.

What happens then? How do you generate revenue? Well, most people think today that the creative process is really just a driver for sales of tickets to the live performance and a piece of your life in the form of merchandise and other stuff that people will buy, and therefore support your life. In today’s world, if you’re a musician and you’re not monetizing your life in other ways than just through the sale of your music, then you’re not very entrepreneurial.

Sell the right to have dinner with you and talk about music with one of your most ardent fans. Provide inside access to a recording session and sell the right to be there to a fan. Let that word of mouth about how cool you are translate into more people who are interested in you and then watch that word of mouth, viral marketing strategy take off. Get innovative.

Stop depending on music sales, which were NEVER your bread and butter anyway. The less we sell music, the more we sell access to our world. We’ve always given music to radio and they’ve profited handsomely by only paying ASCAP and BMI, but not the other entities that are arguing they should be paid today. If you want money, go after radio, who play your music and play commercials in between every song, or go after a file sharing networks profits from advertising around your music. But once you start suing your constituency, you tell them they are not valuable to you. That they can be tossed into the cesspool at any time for simply wanting to support the music by freely sharing it unencumbered.

It’s tragic that the major labels continue to sue their way into oblivion. All that money gone to lawyers, when it could have gone back into the business of music and generating new pathways. I can totally understand the desire for control, but haven’t we learned that there will always be leaks? Haven’t we learned that it’s so hard to control human behavior? You can try to kill all the mice in a house, but one always gets away, only to start a new family somewhere else.

There is surely another way to embrace and not destroy your audience. A way to give them what they want, when they want it, and find other ways to profit from their use of your copyright. Look at companies like Wordpress. They have found a freemium model of giving away the software, but providing fee based support services around that model.

I know some labels are starting to become more like boutique agencies that are hired by their artists, instead of artists being signed to them. The better they do, the better the artist does and everyone wins in the end. The new paradigm that being a label isn’t really being a product provider, it’s become being a service provider. That’s where the world is headed and these stupid lawsuits are just postponing the inevitable demise of the old model.

If you took all the money and invested it into the service model, which is what Live Nation and Ticketmaster are sort of doing, that could be (a decent) solution. Hire your label, not the other way around. Say, I don’t want to be signed, I want to hire you to be my label and work for me. If they don’t, then you can fire them and move onto another group more to your liking.

There you have it! My take on what ails the industry and a possible other way of looking at what it means to be a recording artist today, and why you have to change they way you think about the label system. The old way is dead. There’s no looking back. The new paradigm is “software as a service.” or SAAS. Giving software away for free and providing services around that. Music companies need to think about how software companies are giving away the product, while providing value on the other end. If Wordpress, Movable Type, Jomla!, Drupal, and a ton of other Open Source companies can do it, why can’t we do it in the music business?

– by Tony Z.

If you don’t know Dubspot, the music production and DJ school has quickly entrenched itself as the defacto spot to learn the tools, tips and techniques for the DJ trade. Whether it’s making music with Ableton Live, scratch classes using Serato, or DJing with the Pioneer DVJ mixing console using DVD’s, the school has a class for you.

Dubspot’s 2009 Summer registration is under way and you’ll need to jump on it quick, because I hear that classes are filling up. According to a recent NYTimes article about DJing in the dowturn, Dubspot enrollment has doubled to 300 since last year. Since the economy took a turn for the worse, it’s always good to use the time to pick up a new skill. While some are transitioning to nursing and health care or other sectors, you might be thinking about leaving the corporate carer behind to do something infinitely more creative than crunching spreadsheets and building Power Point presentations.

Recently, Dubspot celebrated its two-year anniversary with a weekend long event from June 25th to the 28th. I wasn’t able to attend, but the folks at Dubspot and Plexi PR were able to provide this wrap up:

DubSpot, New York City’s home for dynamic electronic music production and DJ education, celebrated its 2 Year anniversary with a long weekend June 25th-28th.  In addition to hosting three individual birthday parties, DubSpot also brought its Live 8 U.S. Sessions Tour in for its home stop, with Ableton Live 8 production and performance workshops.  An abundance of high profile artists were involved throughout the events, and the weekend has received enthusiastic praise from all participants not only for its ingenuity, but also its originality and high standard of quality.  Full workshop videos with techno auteurs Richie Hawtin & Ambivalent, Dub pioneer Scientist, Peter Kirn of CreateDigitalMusic.com and much more to be made available online soon.  Check out the DubSpot blog here for updates.

The first of DubSpot’s 2 Year Anniversary parties was the Funk Aid for Africa NYC release party.  The album, and the fundraising effort in general, had been riding high already from a 4 star review from Time Out New York, and DJ sets from OBaH, Reborn and Ticklah carried the party late into the night. The second of DubSpot’s 2 Year Anniversary Parties was held at Love, and saw Minus’ Richie Hawtin take to the decks for a special 4-hour set.  Hawtin set the place ablaze in an all too rare club appearance in New York.  Working with our partner, NYC techno promoters  Blk|Market Membership, DubSpot packed the house with instructors, students and friends, and danced until dawn to the banging beats of world-class techno. Sunday night’s Hi-Fidelity DubSpot Sessions kept the momentum going late, as Scientist mixed Dub Is A Weapon live, plus sets from Badawi, DJ Kiva, Matt Shadetek, and DJ Rupture.  The show was widely enjoyed and appreciated as a world-class night of music and community.

Below are a list of classes and dates. I’ve included the recent July dates just in case there’s an opportunity to join in late, since they only started a week ago. Click the links for more information.

DubSpot Upcoming Class Start Dates : Summer 2009
Registration is open for DubSpot’s summer sessions. Get started on bringing your musical ambitions to life.

July 21: DJ Beginner & Extensive packages Tuesdays will begin with DJ OBaH at 7:15pm.
July 21: Turntablism classes meeting on Tuesday will begin with 2007 DMC World Supremacy champ DJ Shiftee at 5:15pm.
July 23 Music Production package B: encompassing Reason Ableton & Logic Thurs 6:15 taught by Chris Petti of the Reason Users group.
August 2nd Ableton Live with Jon Margulies: Sundays at 4:00pm Can be taken separately or as part of our year long Ableton certificate program
August 7th Ableton Live with Jon Margulies: Class will meet Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:15pm. Can be taken separately or as part of our year long Ableton certificate program
August 14th  Logic Intensive with Matt Shadetek of Dutty Artz – Mondays Wednesdays Fridays 10:15am
August 18th Ableton Live: Class will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:15pm. Can be taken separately or as part of our year long Ableton certificate program
August 18th DJing with Video class with Lars of DVJ Vision begins Tuesdays at 5:15pm.

In just two short years, DubSpot has fully emerged as a force in the electronic music world.  The Live 8 U.S. Sessions Tour will continue this Fall in Los Angeles in October, then move on to 5 other cities including Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Austin and Washington D.C.  And that’s just this first round.  The tour will continue to grow, and continue to be the ambassador of DubSpot’s devotion to excellence in electronic music.  By providing unique opportunities for established and aspiring artists alike to develop their knowledge, careers, and production and performance abilities,DubSpot will secure and advance its position on the cutting edge of electronic music education! – Quote courtesy, Plexi PR

DubSpot 348 West 14th Street New York, NY 10014
212.242.2100 // info@dubSpot.com
www.dubspot.com

- by Tony Z.

We’ve posted about this a few times already this summer. Sorry for the repetitive info, but Made Events keep announcing new acts for its huge, Electric Zoo Festival, an open air music festival taking place on Randall’s Island Park over Labor Day weekend: Saturday, September 5th and Sunday, September 6th, 2009 – 12 noon to 11 pm both days!

What else can we say about this festival that the press release doesn’t say already:

“The world’s No.1 DJ ARMIN VAN BUUREN and French superstar house music sensation DAVID GUETTA will helm an unprecedented line-up of over 50+ artists across multiple stages, covering all genres; House, Techno, Trance, Electro, and Indie, including DJs and live acts.

The latest notable additions to the massive line-up. On Saturday, the festival kicks off with Buzzin’ Fly label head and Everything But The Girl’s Ben Watt, Deep Space dub master Francois K, pioneering Rhythm & Sound’s Mark Ernestus featuring Milton Henry, Berlin’s first lady of techno, Cassy, and rising Detroit/Berlin transplant Seth Troxler. On Sunday, the newest additions include; a DJ set from British electropop band Hot Chip’s Felix Martin & Al Doyle, Norway’s space-disco kings Lindstrom & Prins Thomas, and NYC’s own burgeoning star Jason Jollins.

Tickets for ELECTRIC ZOO are currently available as single-day passes at $55 and double-pak two-day passes at $100 for General Admission. VIP single-day passes are available at $120 and VIP double-pak two-day passes at $225. VIP passes include a separate VIP entrance, access to VIP lounge with private cash bar, exclusive viewing area at main stage and access to VIP-only deluxe bathrooms. Tickets are available at www.electriczoofestival.com.

Randall’s Island is accessible by car, bus, pedestrian and ferry. Follow Electric Zoo on Twitter: twitter.com/ElectricZooNY.

Electric Zoo Festival e-Flyer

Last Wednesday night, despite the lingering rain that has been pestering New Yorkers for the last month or so, I decided to venture out to the newly revamped Mansion, which is now known as M2 UltraLounge–the stealthy moniker that is cover for what’s supposed to be Ministry of Sound’s new NYC effort. If Pacha can bring the funk to New York, then Ministry of Sound sure can too, even if it it takes over a space that has seen it’s better days. I wasn’t much of a fan of Crobar, the club’s original incarnation. But, I must say the venue’s design team have given a touch of class to a huge room that was sorely lacking sophistication.

Showing up to Bacardi’s B-Live was, for me, an off, then on again affair. It was 11 pm and I’d just arrived to my friend’s house across the Hudson in Guttenberg, NJ, where I’m staying for the month to be closer to the city. I knew I had to get up for work early, because I commute about 1.5 hours each way to the office in Long Island. As I sat down to check my Facebook messages, I saw a friend sent me an earlier note asking if I was going to go. If so, she was wondering if I was going to take some shots that she could use for a publication she writes for. Despite my better judgement, I knew she needed my help. I got my butt up off the couch, jumped in the car and shot into the city to see what I could come up with. After all, she’s a great gal and I don’t mind doing a favor for a friend.

Remember, I’m supposed to get up at 6:30 AM to make my way to Long Island for my day job. Staying out late on a Wednesday night is not something I’m accustomed to, but it was for a good cause. Plus, I got some great video and ran into some friends, including Armand Van Helden and my man Ricky and his production partner, Ray, who are working on some tracks as Housing Project (MySpace). More on new music from that crew another time, for sure.

The night was definitely jackin. I go there just in time for the last 1/2 hour of Jazzy Jeff’s set. Every element of every track dropped in that 30 minutes was a bomb that warmed up the crowd for A-Trak, who broke out a big beat infused set of electronic, rock and urban rhythms that kept the crowd jumping until around 3 am. Then, it was DJ AM’s turn to take the wheels. After a few intro tracks, he dropped Notorious B.I.G. and the late night revelers kicked into gear once again.

For Bacardi, this certainly was a highly successful branding experiment. To pack an NYC venue on a Wednesday night until the wee hours of the morning says something about the talent and the offering. Bacardi staffers were everywhere throughout the venue, directing punters to get the pics taken in the Bacardi photo booth, have a custom T-Shirt printed on-the-spot, or grab a rock inspired poster. Throughout the venue, Bacardi imagery was in full effect. Of course, the sure winner was the HUGE, fully lit boom-box, which backed the DJs on the stage. I saw some walking around with messenger bags with a boom box pic printed on the flap. For a commercial effort, they got it right. People dug it and it wasn’t too obtrusive. Even the tour bus out front was hot, which photos of the DJs plasted on the sides.

All in, it was a pretty exciting night for Bacardi and NYC. Definitely a hot event. If B-Live is coming to a city near you, I wouldn’t miss it.

Check out the videos and photos below of Bacardi’s B-Live stop in NYC.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

1234567►

They’re from Australia and have been around a few years, but I’d never heard of Sneaky Sound System, until that is, I caught a friend’s post on Facebook for the music video “I Love It.” I was instantly struck by lead singer Miss Connie’s (Connie Mitchell) sultry, evocative and playful vocals. The group’s sound is similar to Duran Duran with a tiny twist of Dee Lite that is long lasting and timeless. “I Love It” is an instant classic.

Little did we know, Sneaky Sound System have achieved double platinum status in Australia, achieving four number one singles and two ARIA Awards. I am absolutely enthralled with this band and am amazed no one has picked them up here stateside. They did recently play a New York date in March, then headed to the Winter Music Conference for a little networking. I’d love to see what happens with this group and hope they something happens for them here. I think they’re genius!

You can learn more about Sneaky Sound System on their web site.

– From Press Release

Kevin Saunderson History Elevate

To celebrate his mammoth 20 years worth musical genius, KMS & Fabric Recordings join forces and unleash a retrospective of Kevin’s work with a brand new compilation ‘History Elevate’ featuring a heavyweight selection of KS classics.

This hefty package includes remixes from the maestro with tracks from Cerrone, Pet Shop Boys and Octave One and his first ever remix for Wee Papa Girl Rappers ‘Heat It Up’ (1988), among many other jewels. This journey through Kevin’s incredible musical history also features some of his own penned hits, including some Inner City gems, all remixed by top producers including Luciano, Carl Craig, Simian Mobile Disco, Claude VonStroke and many more.. ‘History Elevate’ is a must have retrospective collection for any proclaimed Kevin Saunderson and dance music fan alike!

My first remix for Wee Papa Girl Rappers ‘Heat It Up’ was the first remix of its kind anywhere. At that time, I was like Just do it! So I listened to the original track, I really wasn’t feeling it, but I did like some of the vocals, but thought that it wasn’t going to work doing a traditional edit/remix. It wouldn’t fit in with what I was doing production wise, so I thought why don’t I make a new track and make the vocals work on top of what I’m doing. I sampled some of the vocals, re-triggered them and laid them out into my format, this was radical in 1988! Consequently I went on to produce many more, some of my favorites are featured on CD1 of this album. The remix is still such an important part of our music and it’s been fascinating to work with the great producers featured on CD2 who have remixed some of my classic material in their own unique styles. We believe this project ties the past to the future, creating a launch pad for
techno to spread our message far beyond … into deep space. – Kevin Saunderson

Kevin was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1964, but moved at the age of nine to the place known as the ‘Motor City’, Detroit. At school he befriended two other like-minded students (Juan Atkins and Derrick May). After a 2 year affair with playing football, Kevin quit in order to focus on music, so he reunited with his high school pals, which unknown at the time would be the move that would help Kevin’s career escalate.

Starting out as a DJ, Kevin soon developed new skills that led him into producing records, which he released on his own label, KMS Records. The demand for Kevin as a Producer and DJ was overwhelming overseas, as well as in the States. He introduced acts like ‘Kreem’, ‘Reese’, ‘Inter-City’ (later to become Inner City) and ‘Reese & Santonio’. Kevin has had many other aliases too, such as; ‘Tronik House’, ‘The Reese Project’, ‘EssRay’, ‘Kaos’ and more recently, ‘E-Dancer’, which he uses to show his versatility at being able to create different facets of Dance music.

Kevin’s biggest achievement and his most commercially recognized project has been INNER CITY with Paris Grey, who have come full circle after13 years, as one of the World’s most influential Dance acts and prime time movers in the house and techno revolution of 1988. The duo have proven they are one of dance music’s great survivors with a new dazzling renaissance and they’re justifiably proud of a healthy career spanning early pioneering hits like “Big Fun” and “Good Life”, “Ain’t Nobody Better”, through to “Hallelujah”, “Pennies From Heaven”, “Till We Meet Again”, “Do Ya”, “Your Love” (to name but a few) and more recently the 1999 Spanish re-recording of “Good Life (Buena Vida)”, which soon became a Number One Club hit in Europe and entered the TOP TEN on the UK Pop Charts, and “Good Love” which was also an instant smash.

Their career has been nothing short of remarkable, not only for their numerous critical and commercial achievements, but also for their longevity. It was in 1987 Kevin and Paris met by introduction from Chicago house producer, Terry “Housemaster” Baldwin. Paris flew into Detroit, came up with lyrics and “Big Fun” was born. Incredibly the tape was then filed away and almost forgotten until UK dance aficionado, Neil Rushton, visited the Motor City to compile the album, Techno – The New Dance Sound Of Detroit for Virgin. He freaked when hearing the song and made sure “Big Fun” was on the LP. Soon afterwards, it was released as a single and went on to become a World wide smash. But despite it’s instant success, the follow up, “Good Life” outsold “Big Fun”. The third single “Ain’t Nobody Better” retained Kevin’s techno-logic microchip feel, topped by Paris’s soulful voice. Their debut album, “Paradise” cemented this prosperity and highlighted the Detroit techno blueprint.

In 1993, Inner City parted company with their label, Virgin Records. The label released the Testament 93 remix album to celebrate their time together. Also in that year a “homecoming” deal with their manager Neil Rushton’s SIX6 label was finalized. Another UK Tour followed in August ‘93, including a headlining appearance on the Reading Festival’s dance stage and the top slot at the European Dance Weekender in Paris the following month. It was also at this time that Kevin’s work with his other group The Reese Project was greeted with equal glee by journalists and clubbers alike.

To date, Inner City have had 12 Top 40 hits in the UK, as well as having had two Top 20 albums, with combined sales of more than 6 million. Inner City have also received 4 Gold singles, 1 Gold Album and 1 Platinum Album.

Meanwhile, Kevin’s alter ego E-Dancer produces Techno Music, pure and simple. Created for a savvy audience by an original master. E-Dancer’s first full length LP entitled simply Heavenly, has hooked audiences and critics alike. Following on with his new Inner City release ‘Say Something’ it reaffirmed Kevin’s standing as one of the ‘INNOVATORS’, and a leader in the industry.

One of the most exciting movements for Kevin in 2005, was his new title which has also given him one of the biggest challenges of his career, the Producer of Fuse-In, the newest reincarnation of Detroit’s 6th electronic festival at Hart Plaza, with an outstanding line up which included Mos Def, Ken Ishii, Carl Craig, Kevin Saunderson, Green Velvet, Ritchie Hawtin, Underground Resistance, Alexander Robotnick and many more..

As Kevin states “What we’ve done in our history in Detroit with techno is a result of a love for all kinds of music, I don’t want this just to be a techno event, I want techno to be the foundation and for people to realize how powerful Detroit has been and still is, I want to put on a good show with good artists so people can be inspired by the music.”

Springboarding to present day, Kevin continues to tour the world and has been busy remixing many a dancefloor hit over the past 2 years penning reworks including: Simian Mobile Disco ‘Hustler’, Claude Vonstroke ‘Who’s Afraid Of Detroit?’, Hercules And Love Affair ‘You Belong’ and The Presets ‘This Boy’s In Love’ among others. This is Kevin Saunderson, this is inspiration for all music lovers alike and there is so much more to come…

Kevin Saunderson
History Elevate Tracklisting

CD1: Remixed by Kevin Saunderson

01 The Christians – The Bottle – Kevin Saunderson Remix – Universal
02 Wee Papa Girl Rappers – Heat It Up – Kevin Saunderson Remix – Sony
03 Ann Consuelo – Do It For Love – Kevin Saunderson Remix – Kevin Saunderson
04 Cerrone – Supernature – Kevin Saunderson Remix – Malligator/TLP
05 Pet Shop Boys – Go West – Kevin Saunderson Remix – EMI
06 Lighthouse Family – High – Kevin Saunderson Remix – Universal
07 Hercules And Love Affair – You Belong – Kevin Saunderson Remix – EMI
08 The Presets – This Boy’s In Love – Kevin Saunderson Remix – Modular
09 Octave One – Blackwater Ft Ann Saunderson – Kevin Saunderson Remix – 430 West
10 Simian Mobile Disco – Hustler – Kevin Saunderson Remix- Wichita
11 Cameo – Money – Kevin Saunderson Remix – Warners

CD2: Kevin Saunderson Remixed

01 Intro
02 Kevin Saunderson feat Inner City ‘Good Love’ Luciano’s Good Love Remix – KMS
03 Kevin Saunderson ‘Bounce Your Body To The Box’ Mike Shannon’s Flashback Mix – KMS
04 Kevin Saunderson ‘Just Want Another Chance’ John Tejada Remix – KMS
05 Kevin Saunderson feat Inner City ‘Big Fun’ Simian Mobile Disco Remix – KMS
06 Kevin Saunderson ‘Till We Meet Again’ Carl Craig Remix – KMS
07 Kevin Saunderson ‘The Human Bond’ Claude Vonstroke Rave Recognize Rave Mix – KMS
08 Kevin Saunderson ‘Rock To The Beat’ Ben Sims Remix – KMS
09 Kevin Saunderson ‘Rock To The Beat’ Christian Smith & John Selway Remix – KMS
10 Kevin Saunderson ‘Pump The Move’ Samuel L Session Remix – KMS
11 Kevin Saunderson ‘World Of Deep’ – Jesse’s Respect To Detroit Mix – KMS
12 Kevin Saunderson ‘Bassline’ Joris Voorn 07 Remix – KMS
13 End Peace
Mini mash bonus mix:
Kevin Saunderson ‘Bassline’ Loco Dice Remix
Kevin Saunderson feat Inner City ‘Good Love’ Jay Haze edit – KMS
Kevin Saunderson feat Inner City ‘Good Life’ Mathew Jonson’s Acid Mix – KMS

‘History Elevate’ will be released on June 9, 2009 on KMS Records & Fabric Recordings

Kevin Saunderson will play Detroit’s Movement Festival, which takes place May 23, 24 and 25. More info on XLR8R.com.

While we were out and about covering WMC from the Netmix perspect, About.com’s Dance/Electronic Music channel DJ Dewight Barkley was equally as busy traversing the many parties and happenings at this years event. Check out the post-WMC wrap-up by DJ Dewight Barkley on About.com Dance/Electronic pages.

I just got this pill bottle from DJ Elyse (systemaddix.com). It’s got a USB drive containing her latest mix show. I knew this was gonna happen one day, I just didn’t know when. Props to Elyse for the ingenuous marketing idea of the day.

On the label, she wrote:

“Take as often as needed”

“Unlimited Refills”

“Making Productions America Trusts”

“May Cause Euphoria. Alcohol May Intensify This Effect. Use Care When Operating A Car Or Other Damgerous Machinery.”

This is just genius!

Workout: Pumping House Cover

UPhonic Records released its latest compilation: Workout: Pumping House, today January 6th. Workout: Pumping House is the ultimate companion to countless New Year’s resolutions and a motivational tool for listeners to achieve their fitness goals. The complete package includes a double-disc set featuring 16 heart-pumping tracks, a bonus “interval workout” inspired 72-minute megamix, and a 7-day guest pass* to Bally Total Fitness. The album cover art displays Sydney-based personal trainer and fitness model Vinny Gough, courtesy of men’s underwear and swimwear brand teamm8.

The compilation includes songs such as RuPaul’s “Looking Good, Feeling Gorgeous” which was used as the theme song for NBC’s The Biggest Loser and was a #1 dance download on iTunes; “Everybody Rise Pt. 2″ featuring dance legend, Muriel Fowler, which just debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Breakout Dance chart; a cover of the 1989 Billboard chart topping song “Send Me Angel”, skillfully remixed by one of the best DJ’s on the scene today, Georgie Porgie (He recently secured a #1 song on the Dance chart); “Mindbuster” featuring the first lady of house music, Jocelyn Brown (who has had over 21 hits on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Chart); and the title track, “Workout”, a remake of Frankie Knuckles’ dance classic, which is also sung by RuPaul and features back up vocals from superstar Chris Willis.

Workout: Pumping House is in stores as of January 6th, 2009 and will be available in all major retailers (Best Buy, Virgin, Borders, Barnes & Noble, etc.) and download portals (iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, etc.).

*Guest passes not included in digital purchases

URL’s”

www.workoutpumpinghouse.com

www.myspace.com/workoutpumpinghouse

www.uphonicrecords.com

www.myspace.com/uphonicrecords