At times, I have struggled with taking criticism of my creative work, and I’ve been told that I don’t take criticism well and/or too personally. This is generally a topic which isn’t discussed much, I’ve found, because it can be a sensitive one. But, I wanted to open the flood gates and get input from artists, DJs, producers, casual music enthusiasts and performers on how they view criticism and how they deal with, and respond to, it.
I Want: Beta Nightclub’s “Homegrown” compilation ft. Sonaris + axisONE
This isn’t news, per se, but I wanted to mention it on my website, and maybe get a helping hand. A few months back Beta Nightclub’s (The 2010 #2 dance club in the US, and one of my favorite places to go in Denver on Saturday nights) premier resident DJ – Dragon – put together this kick ass compilation – Homegrown. The compilation featured a compendium of Colorado’s producers and performers (including Orange Peel Moses, mLe, Manufactured Superstars, Jontron, Lea Luna and Pretty Lights among others), and I happened to submit a track (the amazing axisONE remix of my track “Sputnik” – from my soon-to-be-released LP “Arreliari” [October 2010 – Addictive Vibe Records]).
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to attend the release party, so I didn’t wind up getting a copy of the compilation. There were only about 500 copies given out and, from what I hear, they went quickly. So, if anyone has an extra copy, I’d love to have it. 🙂 Look out for axisONE’s remix and some other interesting tracks (including remixes by Draconum & Alex Biagi on my first ever LP “Arreliari” in all major online retailers, October 2010.
Get this! PaulStretch: Open Source Audio Tool
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If you know me, you know I’m all about open source software. Not only is it free, but it’s usually pretty well put together. Anything created by people for the pure passion of creation and advancement of technology gets me interested. That’s why I was excited when my colleague Chris Genetti (aka Draconum) introduced me to PaulStretch. Read on for an explanation of this awesome piece of software which – as a music producer or even casual audio nerd – you will definitely want to get. Also, below is a download link for the software and an example original track which I put together using a soundscape which had I developed with the program.
Continue reading “Get this! PaulStretch: Open Source Audio Tool”
Remix! AccidentalNotes – Another Russian Carnival (Sonaris Uzor Moroza Rmx)
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Last night I finished up a fun remix of AccidentalNotes‘ Russian themed “Another Russian Carnival.” I’ve been itching to do something along the lines of this theme for a while and, when the opportunity presented itself, I already had a lot of the ideas in place, in my head.
The remix is an unofficial gathering of dubstep, slow breaks, folk themes, downtempo, chillout and ambient. I wanted to keep the “feel” and vibe of the original, but slow it down, increase the melancholy by a few degrees and create a deep atmosphere.
Hit the “Read More” tab to listen to the track.
Continue reading “Remix! AccidentalNotes – Another Russian Carnival (Sonaris Uzor Moroza Rmx)”
Sample Pack! Paul Farace exclusive – courtesy of Kick It Recordings
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People often ask me how they can improve their percussive sound quality. Well, the answer is simple, get high quality samples! I am a sample hound. While I generally don’t use extended samples (loops), such as melodies, basslines or drumbeats – in my productions (unless it’s a remix), I am a fiend for – royalty free – high quality percussion and fx one shots, and I spend a lot of time tracking them down. If you want your track to sound good, you need to use good samples, it really is as simple as that.
Courtesy of Kick It Recordings, I present you with this short and sweet percussive sample pack from audio engineer and pro producer, Paul Farace.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4619206/Farace_DrumsandFXSamplePack.zip
The pack consists of some very nice analog kicks & snares, interesting fx builds and drops and percussive/hat loops and a few break loops. Enjoy, and don’t forget to thank Farace by checking out some of his top notch breaks productions on Beatport, or other online retailer.
Milestone: 1,000 Downloads – Daft Punk – Around The World (Sonaris Extended Prog House Rmx)
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As of this morning, my progressive house remix of Daft Punk’s “Around The World” for their “Homework” album has reached a major milestone of 1,000 downloads on InternetDJ – in just two short months! To the best of my knowledge, this is my most downloaded remix to date. I have gotten a tremendous amount of great feedback from DJs, Daft Punk fans and even people who have said they didn’t like electronica until they heard this remix.
There is always a tremendous amount of pressure when working on, and releasing, a remix of a track like “Around The World” which – on its own – has millions of loyal fans. You never know how it’s going to be received by people. It is, quite possibly, the greatest feeling in the world to hear from people – that listening to it put a smile on their face or made them want to get up and dance. Nothing beats that.
So, if you haven’t heard it yet, or haven’t gotten a copy, you can listen to it – and download it for free – here on InternetDJ.
If you’re in a party mood, check out this sick mash-up from Ross Click (aka Modo8) on Soundcloud, also up for free download!
Thank you for all of your support and appreciation, it’s really what motivates me and keeps me wanting to continue to work on these bootleg / underground types of projects.
A screenshot – 1,001 downloads:
