Yo…this is kinda hot! I was surfing around YouTube and came across Paul Oakenfold’s Starry Eyed Surprise video recording from someone’s Tivo, I’m sure. Check it out!
Author: Tony Zeoli
Tony Zeoli is Founder and CEO of Netmix.com and Radio Station by netmix.® Originally launched in 1995, Netmix was was considered by Billboard Magazine to be the "innovation and advancement of dance music on the Internet." Tony had launched the world's first Internet mix show website featuring the most influential DJs from around the globe. After two-and-a-half decades, Netmix has since evolved into an online station directory and powerful WordPress plugin, Radio Station, for broadcasters and webcasters to manage their statioon's show schedule in WordPress. Tony has been an innovator at the intersection of music and the Internet for the past thirty years in project management, product development, and digital strategy,. He is also the founder and CEO of Digital Strategy Works, a WordPress web design and digital marketing agency. And, Executive Producer of the Asheville House Music Society, an online House Music mix show. Tony is located in Asheville, NC where he loves to mountain bike, hike, and play golf with his son.
Tech View: Gizmodo's video review of the Sony Mylo
Hey! Check this out. The new Sony Mylo. Pretty cool if you ask me. It's a wireless device based on the PlayStation portable look and feel, that allows you to navigate the web with a version of the popular Opera web browser. It's got Google IM anlong with AIM and you can listen to music, play video and even talk over Skype using headphones and a built-in mic. It's definitely going to be hot on college campuses, where wireless connectivity is ubiquitous. I'd love to have one of these.
The only thing it isn't, is a mobile phone. But, you can use Skype to fill in the gap. I haven't tried it yet, so I don't know how it actually rings if you have it in your pocket.
It's not an iPod killer, because it doesn't have the memory capacity to challenge the 30 or 60 GB iPod, but it's a step in the right direction for people who don't listen to as much music or video, or are comfortable swapping out media more than usual. The coolest thing is the fact that you can Skype on it, which gives you a unique way to communicate with others for free (as long as the other person has Skype). As we move into a wireless world, ala Sprint's decision to build a nationwide Wi-Max network, devices such as the Mylo are a logical next step in the right direction.
I almost forget, you can share music across the wireless network with other Mylo users, but you can't download from one Mylo to another. Basically, that means you an access a playlist on another Mylo from your own Mylo and it will stream over the wireless connection to your device. We do that all the time in the office here at StarStyle, but using the iTunes feature that allows you to share music across the network as sort of an impromptu radio, but its programmed by your colleague.
Check out the Gizmodo video review from YouTube below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koQFjKwVFB0
Party Trac: Sun Jam on Utila Island in Honduras
My brother, Bill, was surfing the web the other day and passed along a URL for Sun Jam, a Honduran party that has grown from a few friends 10-years ago to maximum capacity of 1,500 over today. The event takes place each year on a 3-acre island called Water Cay, about 6 miles from the town of Utila on Utila Island in Honduras Bay.
A visit to the promoter's web site gives you a rundown of this year's party, which took place on August 5th. Yeah, I'm a little late to the game on this one, but I wanted to let my peeps know about it and follow it for next year. Better late than never! Geez, my bro, the one with 4 kids (one on his way to college) beat me to the game here. You'd think I'd be up on this stuff, but hey, I'm running the music section of a major pop culture web site! Who has the time to party in Honduras? I guess Bill does!
The site features photos from past events (where are this years photos guys?), a Flash audio player streaming top tracks from the event, information on DJs from Central Amercia along with more on the town itself and some of the things you can do while you're partying your ass off. The town of Utila is well known for its dive shops and water sports.
You can only get to Water Cray by ferry from Utila Island, so make sure you plan your trip accordingly. Contact the promoters for more details on next year's event.
So, check it out next year! Maybe we'll see you there.
DJ Phenix releases Rebirth of the Phenix
It's been so hectic for past few weeks, I'm just now catching up with a bunch of stuff that I've wanted to post. I got a chance to kick back today and relax, which got the creative writing juices flowing.
First, I want to apologize to DJ Phenix, because a few weeks ago the Queens native reached out to let me know about his new EP, Rebirth of the Phenix on East Gate Records. I've wanted to post, but I needed to sit down and really take a listen to his new music to give it it's proper attention. Today, I had the chance to do just that.
Beatport launches version 3.0
Leading dance music download web site, Beatport.com, launched version 3.0 "Fully Loaded" of its online music store serving DJs and dance music enthusiasts who download legal music files in MP3 and WAV formats. Since its inception, the company has become the leading resource for DJs, having secured tracks from over 2700 record label partners around the world.
Because of its strict adherence to offering downloadable files in the popular and widely supported MP3 format, which allow digital music to be played back across most digital music players and computers, major labels have not participated in th'e service. This is due to the major's adoption of proprietary DRM technologies, such as Microsoft's Windows Media, Apples AAC or Sony's A-Trac formats. In order to find major label remixes, DJs generally have to rip the remixed versions of popular dance tracks that appear on the Billboard Club Play chart from CD's or record the vinyl onto a computer using special software to eliminate analog noise. In some cases, DJs must turn to p2p networks to find the remixes their audience are asking for. If the remixes are available on iTunes, most DJs can't play them with the various DJ software products that exist today due to a percieved lack of support for the Apple format in the DJ software community.
One would think that by offering MP3 files for download, labels that participate in the Beatport service would be heavily impacted by files sharing. An argument can be made that because dance music releases appear daily from thousands of record labels around the world, it's harder to find hot dance tracks on p2p networks until well after their release on Beatport. In a way, dance music's minority status in the music marketplace helps by making it more difficult to find obscure tracks. Most dance music fans don't know the names of songs and p2p networks do not provide sound samples, but Beatport does, and in the wildly popular Adobe Flash format allowing for easier playback.
The other advantage Beatport enjoys is most people who post tracks to p2p services rip them from mix compilations, so the files are generally not the full song. Usually, if you try to download a popular track from a p2p network, it has a segment of the last record played in the mix over the first few seconds of the song you want. There are many dance music productions that have beautiful intro's leading into the main part of the song that are lost when the song is blended into another on a mix compilation. Losing those intro's makes a service like Beatport infinitely more valuable because you can find the entire song and you can play it across most devices.
According to a Beatport press release, "The upgrades in Beatport 3.0 are varied and substantial. Major improvements have been made to the navigation and the search engine allowing faster and more detailed access to the content library. Key new features include a section called My Beatport which allows a user to subscribe to their favorite artist, label, or genre. Once subscribed, the system notifies the user when one of their subscriptions has new music. Other shopping improvements include new community driven features such as Users Also Bought and Email to a Friend. Several new payment options have been added to better serve the international market."
The company says, " a premium design change for version 3.0 is the much-improved landing pages designed to better showcase the genres, artists and labels and their related content. Continued improvements have been made to the navigation adding several powerful filtering tools to improve shopping speed delivering measurable improvements to both our customers and label partners."
Version 3 "Fully Loaded" is also integrated with Native Instrument's Traktor DJ software , allowing DJs to purchase music directly from Beaport through the Traktor DJ interface bypassing the use of a web browser to login and download music files to the desktop.
Traktor DJ mimics the traditional DJ experience, giving DJs the ability to mix MP3 files using their desktop or laptop computer as one would using traditional turntables. With Traktor DJ, a DJ can add a variety of audio effects to a DJ session, mix DJ sets to MP3 for podcast or live web casts and even emulate scratching by plugging into the Final Scratch DJ software and hardware system in conjunction with traditional turntables.
The S-Man and Ultra Records Come With Me release party at Crobar
On Saturday night, my girl Missy and I swung through the VIP lounge before Roger's set at Crobar in celebration of his new disc, "Come With Me" on hot dance label, Ultra Records.
Lady Sovereign performs Central Park Summerstage; DJ set at B.E.D.
On Sunday, July 30, Def Jam recording artist, Lady Sovereign, will perform tracks from her forthcoming album at Central Park's free concert series, SummerStage.
Pete Rock, Jean Grae and DJ Rehka will also perform. Doors open at 1:30 pm for the 3 pm FREE show. The weather report says it's going to be 95° on Sunday, so bring your shades, maybe don a hat to protect your head from the rays and drink plenty of water.
There is a Lady Sovereign afer party at B.E.D., where she'll be spinning a DJ set on the roof deck. B.E.D. is at 530 W. 27 St. bet 10 and 11 aves. 7 Floor roofdeck
For more information on the Summerstage event, check the event page at the SummerStage web site.
Download Vertically Challenged at 
Turntable Timmy: A Children's Book for the DJ Set
For those of who are now proud parents, but remain attached to DJ culture in some way, Turntable Timmy is for you!
Ever wonder how you're going to pass down those turtable "skillz that paid the billz" to your kids? This book is the perfect segue (no pun intended 
) for your child to begin thinking about a life of dedication to his/her skratchin' and beat jugglin' craft, without the financial struggle we all know and love mixed in. Start'em off early with this book, and see your kid bypass all the others to win the DMC Championship faster than you can say, "cuttin and skratchin."
The book was written by Michael Perry, a reknowned writer of childrent's fiction and illustrated by Doug Cunningham, a pioneering West Coast writer (graffiti). His artwork was featured in the animated skratch movie, Wave Twisters (Thud Rumble Inc).
Although I don't have kids, my girlfriend found this book on Amazon and thought it would be a great gift for someone like myself, who still loves DJ culture although I don't spin out in public as much as I used to. I'm so hyped she bought this for me. I'd never seen a book like this done so well.
I'll be sure to keep this on my book shelf for the day I sprout a little one and want to drop some science on the secrets of turntablism, graf, emcee's and breakin!
The company behind the project, Rebel Static, are also creating an animated series based on characters from the book. There's an accompanying web site for the book, which tells the story of Turntable Timmy and his friends and there's even a DVD in that comes along with it attached to the back cover.
The company has even created a Turntable Timmy trailer for an animated Turntable Timmy series, which they say they are currently working on. Check out the trailer, which is featured on the the popular video sharing web site, YouTube.com:
Ultra Records signs distribution deal with Warner Brothers backed ADA
In a sign of things to come, the venerable dance label, Ultra Records, headed up by CEO Patrick Moxey and GM David Waxman, have signed a distribution deal with Warner Brothers Records distribution arm, Alternative Distribution Alliance, for North America.
In an era where the music market is so fragmented that a double-platinum album is looked at as a huge success, record labels may be influenced by Wired editor, Chris Anderson’s recent book, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. Anderson’s book takes a look at the record business among other markets and points out that the aggregate sum of all minor music sales total more than the sum of all popular hits.
The shuttering of New York’s Strictly Rhythm Records spelled trouble for dance music in the early part of the decade. Without a hit record to feed into the major label system, Mark Finklestein’s dynastic label made him and his staff wealthy as the bunny paid out a handsome sum to purchase its catalog of music as well as the label.
That was, I believe, before Warner Brothers purchased ADA, which would have been a better fit for the Strictly as a distribution partner. Mainly because ADA understands dance and electronic music. Having had to traverse the WEA Distribution system was most likely the straw that broke the camels back. Accountants at Warner Brothers probably wondered who was this little label selling a few hundred thousand, when they needed to break records in the millions to contribute to the mother ship.
The same thing happened with the Warner Brothers, Kinetic Records partnership. The label, which broke Paul Oakenfold and Sandra Collins in the U.S., is a shell of its former self and has made little impact today.
Can Moxey, Waxman and Ultra carry the torch for the rest of the dance music industry in today’s volatile music market? I think so. Every since Moxey hired Waxman, the label has been slowing building a tremendous catalog of mix compiliation series on its own and with its across the pond partner, Ministry of Sound.
Recently, Ultra signed Tiesto, which is akin to Kinetic’s signing of Oakenfold or FFRR’s signing of Goldie (speaking of FFRR, wouldn’t it be cool if that label made a come back!). Ultra has also inked deal’s with Kaskade, which is a key signing as the DJ/Producer’s track, Here I Am made it into a key scene in the the recent hit film, The Devil Wear’s Prada.
I think the powers that be at Ultra understand that it’s not only record sales alone that are going to keep you in business. It’s publishing and royalties over the long term of an artist’s career, which are equally if not more important. Having someone like Tiesto or Kaskade produce music that ends up in car commercials or movies can pad the label’s bottom line and help them to do development deals with up and comers that may not have been possible before.
Another big name signing is Victor Calderone. Although not as big as Tiesto globally, Calderone has made a mark for himself as a popular circuit DJ. His sound crosses over into the anthemic-oriented gay market, but his music is also digestible for a Crobar or Roxy heterosexual punter who probably won’t visit Ibiza this summer, but they’ll sure spend money at the Borgata in Atlantic City or travel to Vegas for a weekend of clubbing.
Netmix.com Radio Updated; 65 fresh new tracks from Beatport.com
Netmix.com has updated it's current Netmix Cool Picks Playlist, which airs daily from 11 am to 8 pm. All tracks were downloaded from the Beatport.com dance music store. Programming by DJ Tony Z. With over 25-years of dance music experience, Tony Z is founder of Netmix.com (1995) and was influential in developing the careers of Armand Van Helden, DJ Sneak, Lenny B., DJ Phenix and Prince Quick Mix (PQM).