Tape.Side.Two

MOTW: Andrea Oliva

2011-10-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

Record Fair Hits NYC

2011-10-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Good Saturday Morning to you. I hope you have your weekend agendas set for great tunes with great friends...and for all you bedroom DJ's, no slacking on the turntables. Get in there and work them every day, even on weekends. No days of rest for the DJ. That's for sure. Below is a snippet I found in Mixmag's online magazine. This article was written on September 29, 2011 so note the date difference. The event already occurred, but I thought it would be interesting for my NY readers. It could possibly be something you may want to plan for this coming year, as well as keeping track of a number of organizations whom create such events. Remember to keep it all jotted down in your notebooks.

29 September 2011

October 8 in New York City will see the Superstar DJ Record Fair dancing it's way into the Brooklyn Flea market. The 4th annual event also will feature the U.S. introduction of the Independent Label Market, bringing in top labels with separate booths where, in addition to manning their own booths, label heads will be taking turns spinning special sets throughout the day.

Labels like, Fool's Gold, and Domino will have booths, as will Jagjaguwar, Secretly Canadian, and many others. Collectors will have to get their early to snag what they want, but if nothing's left once you get in, you could always kill time at the album-cover face-painting booth.
More information on both the Brooklyn Flea and the Superstar DJ Record Fair can be found at brooklynflea.com and independentlabelmarket.tumblr.com. Happy hunting!

By: Aaron Gonsher

America's Best DJ - 2011

2011-09-29T04:08:00.000-07:00

America's Best DJ - 2011

Sin City or Dance Capital?

2011-09-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, and my lovely ladies. Here is something from the grab bag. I offer a little video snippet which I thought you might find interesting. I got it from MTV News and basically it gives the latest on how the club and DJ scene in Las Vegas is causing some waves. "House" music, as it referred to in the video, can be found everywhere and at every club, or so it seams.

However, I wonder...what other sounds Las Vegas is allowing to be heard in it's clubs. After all, the music has to attract an audience, which brings in the patrons, and keeps the club open (infusing it with cash.) I wonder if other clubs, or the lounges, or the after hours nights are bringing some talent from the entire spectrum of EDM. Would a Talent Coordinator from a major club like Tao, for instance, or Rain, bring in a Dubstep DJ? Dear God!?! Honestly, would there be an audience for such a talent here in the states? Other than me, who else would show up?

But let's not get lost. Take a look at the video below and see how the club scene is thriving. It is always good to see the crowd pulsate with the energy of the "house" music delivered with passion by the DJ in the booth. So with your hands in the air and your ipod set to your classic house mix, check out the video. It's only a minute or so long, so no worries about documentary lengths for my ADHD readers.

So that is your homework for today. Just do not forget, when finished viewing, to make sure and switch on your iPod immediately after. You just might feel as if you are actually there.

After, go outside and lay in the sun, then you will really get the Vegas vibe, but do not forget get your favorite drink and some SPF....then you'll relax and loosen up nicely. After all, isn't that the reason we head to Vegas for a great weekend with friends?

Vegas Is 'The New Ibiza'

2011-09-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

Vegas Is 'The New Ibiza': "Vegas is more equipped to handle the volume year round," Jason Strauss says of Sin City in comparison to Ibiza.

Ladytron drops new album "Gravity The Seducer"

2011-07-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

      Ahh, finally Labor Day weekend is here. So put on your party hats and put your white shoes in the closet.. The hard work you have been putting in all summer at the 9-5 is finally going to pay off with a weekend filled with friends, laughter, some good music you can dance too, with at least one hand in the air, the other firmly clasped on that mermosa you’ve been craving since 6:00pm last night. So with your teeth showing and your smile shining, please allow me to give you some essential tunes you must purchase as humanly possible.With that said, sit back because class is now in session, so take out your notebooks and take some notes.

     Allow me to reintroduce to you a favorite synth-melodic band that we have all grown to love, respect, and admire over the years, Ladytron. And for those of you who are new to their sound, you are in for quite a treat. It seems Ladytron will be coming out with a new album and dare I say, it is quite a departure, at least from the Ladytron sound I've become accustomed to over the years.

      Now I’ll be honest with you, I have not had Ladytron in my ipod for a few years and it took pursuing a good friend’s CD collection to bring some distant memories front and center.

   I have collected a few selections that are worth taking a listening to. So here I offer you the pleasure of listening to these gems of songs which Nettwerk America was so kind to provide to the public, as they have yet to be released.

   I discovered these latest tunes while perusing the website of Nettwerk Music Group, an independent label with some out of this world talent. Their rosters are all that are needed to show their credibility in the industry and they always have a new and perfect band and songwriter tucked under their sleeve. However, refraining from a digress, Ladytron's album is due out September 13 over here in the States, but look for it to release a day earlier in the UK.

Ladytron - Selections from 'Gravity The Seducer' by nettwerkmusicgroup

Now, if you are like me and need a refresher course to remind your music-loving brain as to the sound of Ladytron...then look no further as they have a greatest hits album coming out as well. How lucky are we to have all the hits put together for us, the fans. I definitely suggest hitting the Nettwerk America store on Amazon where you can find "Best of 00-10" (Deluxe Edition). It's listed right now for a bargain of $17.11.

Ok, let's be honest, in this recession, who can even afford to go buy CD's any more, let alone a greatest hits anthology of songs you probably already have. Well, my friend, I offer this to you. The second disk are all long play Electronic Dance Music remixes by some of the worlds greatest DJ's and Producers....Tell me you don't remember "Destroy Everything you Touch?" Of course! But remember it on Sasha's Incvo2ver album? Truly a flawless piece of a gem that begs to be mixed into one your sets, that goes out to all my bedroom DJ readers.

	http://youtu.be/JTTwlAT_AwU

-Tape.Side.Two.

-Tape.Side.Two.

America's Best DJ - 2011

2011-06-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

DJ Times teamed up with Pioneer DJ and wants you to vote for America's Top Jock. Interesting selection and I for one would have loved to have been privy to the selection process. With that said, there were some All-American Favorites, some DJ's beginning to break out, and maybe one or two I did not quite recognize. So I will have to investigate their sound and style for you guys listening out there and craving the newest and best EDM. With time allotted, I will do my best to bring news of new jocks spinning new sounds for you to buy, ingest, and savoir.

I would tell you who I voted for, but of course, it's confidential!

America's Best DJ - 2011

A Mix For You

2011-06-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

If June Gloom is getting you down and you need something to refresh you attitude, maybe lift your spirits? Take a listen to Dave Dresden's latest promo mix. His ironic melancholy sound forces you to take a second look at things, and remember to have fun. If you're not happy with the way life is going, then start making some changes. Check it out by clicking on the link below and remember to say thank you. I know I'm thankful.

Dave Dresden June 2011 Promo DJ Mix From San Antonio to Singapore

Have You Heard Yet?

2011-06-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sure you've heard or at least heard about David Guetta's monster of a song, "Where Them Girls At" on EMI. The track has actually been out for about a year Take a Listen to a sampling of the original and some great remixes. You'll love how Guetta's production meshed so incredibly well with the most divine Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida. My favorite interpretation is the Tim Mason remix.

Just go to Beatport.com to get a feel for the song, and when ready, you can buy the original song or its remixes. Honestly, all the remixes made Tape.Side.Two's groove box put a on smile on it's face for the whole day!

Make sure to read the article I posted from billboard.com by Gary Graff. It will give you the details and th evolution of the song, not to mention the charting positions. Can you believe "Where Them Girls At" was number 1 in France and iTunes. Ah...hell yeah.

David Guetta Teams with Flo Rida, Nicki Minaj for 'Where Them Girls At' | Billboard.com

2011-06-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

David Guetta Teams with Flo Rida, Nicki Minaj for 'Where Them Girls At' | Billboard.com

2011-05-22T13:24:00.001-07:00

An Artist’s Perspective:

2011-05-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Blake Jarrell Gives Tape.Side.Two His Take on the Current State of Electronic Dance Music

Blake Jarrell in photo

In writing this blog on Electronic Dance Music, I hope to eventually ask provocative questions that will get you, the reader, to think, but also highlight new artists that are on the forefront of the EDM scene, changing its landscape and working with the latest technology to get the dance floor moving; whether it is a 2:00 am stormer in the club, or a pad-laden and emotionally-driven tune that can bring out feelings that may not have been noticed before by the listener as he sits in his bedroom listening to the song, allowing him to emote feelings and finding his inner light, revealing his truth to himself that he did not know was there, variably forcing him to reflect on moments in his life that were great, or at the very least, most memorable.

As a mere student of culture, people, and music, I am writing about the music I love, and chronicling the shape of the world in which Electronic Dance Music is thriving, while striving for that perfect song, that perfect mix, and the perfect sound that resonates within. I want to showcase new and upcoming artists ready to break out in to superstardom. However, that is my hope. I want you, my readers, (the ones who listen to this genre) to venture out and buy the latest, but also the greatest songs and albums, of these artists. Of course, what is considered great is completely subjective, but that is a conversation for another day.

Allow me to introduce you to Blake Jarrell. I consider him a DJ, producer, remixer, and artist that can pack a dance floor, while maintaining the emotional integrity of the night’s journey that a DJ can, and some would say, must, create. It goes without saying; his remixes are truly one of a kind, full of emotion that must come from deep within, a world that only a specific type of artist dares to venture. This is what I find in his work.

I want to give you, the reader, insight to Mr. Jarell’s work and the pleasure of understanding how an EDM producer creates a dance floor hit from the first kick to the last high-hat, while making the listener want to just give in to the explosion that is detonated inside his soul when listening to his music.

“In the end, it all really just boils down to house music, it’s the same thing done in slightly different ways” – Blake Jarrell

Tape.Side.Two Where is dance music now? I hate to generalize things and love to explain things in detail, but for the sake of time, trance went progressive, which in turn progressed into electro, then many progressive DJs brought in emotion that allowed the listener to think about today’s world and how it affects himself or herself. Today, it seems like everything is combining and progressive is merging with chunky electro baselines making (progressive) house music that is indescribable to the listener. So I was wondering, where do you think dance music is right now? Can it be defined? Do you dare to define it or let it define itself? Am I wrong at how I described the last ten years of progressive house music? Are there any other influences that caused this change?

Blake Jarrell in photo

Mr. Jerrell I think for the most part you are right about how things have evolved. When I started making music, there was a big move towards progressive breakbeats with atmospheric and emotional elements. Tracks like Lostep’s “Burma” and the Habersham remix of Pat Foosheen’s “The Unthinkable” were really the cutting edge of progressive electronic music for their time. I was heavily influenced by tunes like these and you can hear it in a lot of my early tunes like “Apricot” and “Okoboji”. I think a lot of the progressive guys then, either moved more experimental into the world of Minimal Techno or they went more crowd-pleasing with the emerging Electro House sound. My move from New Orleans (at the time a breakbeat city) to Chicago (obviously a house city) is what really changed my approach in the studio and the reason I started making four-on-the-floor beats. I wasn’t influenced by the global trend, but rather my new location and adapting to it. I wanted to make something that worked in my DJ sets here in the windy city. My first endeavors into that were tunes like the Dane Cook sampling, “Dood I Just Wanna Dance,” and more notably the bootleg remixes I did of Snow Patrol and Anna Nalick. I think that moment in time of being absolutely confused and just saying “screw it” in the studio caused these amazing happy accidents. I didn’t have any idea that they would become successful; I just did them for fun. The Dane Cook thing was definitely influenced by the emerging Electro House sound and the bootlegs were influenced by the big Trance DJ’s I was hearing at the clubs. I never set out to make trance music, but it just ended up appealing to those DJs and that audience. I felt creatively pigeonholed at that point and it was debilitating to me creatively. At this time the big room “Stadium Techno” sound of guys like Dubfire and Simon & Shaker was on the rise…I immediately started playing and trying to make these records in hopes of letting my audience know that I wasn’t all about trance. I’ve since then evolved back into more emotional, melodic, and dare I say trancey tunes, while still maintaining some of the “headiness” of experimental techno and dynamics of big room electro house.

“I think that moment in time of being absolutely confused and just saying ‘screw it’ in the studio caused these amazing happy accidents.”-Blake Jarrell

Dance music, right now, is an amalgamated mess, but it’s very interesting. I think the genre lines are continuing to blur. We’re seeing a lot less purism and more borrowing of techniques across the board. There is this hipster electro house movement thing going on in the USA that is getting a lot of younger kids into the music, something we’ve been forgetting to do the past few years, and it’s a good thing. Guys like Wolfgang Gartner, Deadmau5, Chuckie, Steve Aoki, and even Pretty Lights are exposing a whole new generation to the electronic music world that the club, progressive, and trance crowd wasn’t reaching. I think inevitably these kids will mature and crave more emotional, melodic, and heady music…and that’s where the progressive house and trance sounds come in. With that said, I don’t think it can really be defined creatively, but its more defined by scene, age group, market, etc. To me, the stuff I’m making is no different, it just doesn’t happen to be as intense. I think the younger kids seek the aggression and intensity in Electro House and Dubstep because it’s essentially heavy metal for rave kids. In the end, it all really just boils down to house music, it’s the same thing done in slightly different ways.

Tape.Side.Two Is EDM cyclical or does it flow and progress, constantly changing and evolving? We are told that change is good? Is it? Of course with a hit on the dance floor, not to mention the charts, and of course in sales of the record, itself, one would ask that you, the artist, would want to constantly be changing his style, so that your sound does not become monotonous. Or while creating a song, do you find: a vibe that works, people on the dance floor love, a label that believes in that song (as well as you) and makes money? Then, do you stick to that, not venturing very far from that strategy, which you know for a fact, works?

Mr. Jerrell It is most CERTAINLY cyclical, and I say that all the time. There are always these forays into more aggressive sounds (electro house and dubstep), more drummy (tribal house), more heady (techno/tech house/experimentalism), but it always comes right back to melody and harmony laid over a good groove to dance to. In the end, people want memorable music that they can hum along too or sing back in the crowd with their peers. I think it’s a good thing because it shows what the human condition really craves. They always want to relate to and be part of the music but change is good also in small and short doses. I think these forays yield great results in experimentation of productions and techniques, and when things swing back towards the melodic realm you always see the best techniques from these sprinkled back in sparingly and tastefully. That’s a beautiful evolution to me.

“…it always comes right back to melody and harmony laid over a good groove to dance to… it shows what the human condition really craves”-Blake Jarrell

I try not to think too much about my “style” or worry about getting on the bandwagon of whatever style is popular at the time. I definitely do draw influences from it, but I never try to copycat. I think that’s a HUGE problem going on at the moment. I recently had a twitter conversation with Wippenbergand Ben Gold about this copycat phenomenon going on. It’s getting so bad that people are copying every exact move of a successful track and just changing the melody slightly…and sadly it charts well! This says a lot about how oversaturated the electronic music market is. People are willing to sacrifice all creativity in order to obtain the end result of having a successful track. People are no longer in love with the process and pure altruism of being an artist…working hard, giving it everything you got, doing it because you love it, and expecting nothing in return. Rather, they are seeing it as a way of getting quick recognition, fame, money, girls, a fabulous lifestyle, or whatever the case may be. Sure, a lot of us want that, but this is a sad thing for the artistic aspect of music. However, I have tremendous faith in art and I think it will naturally clean this element out via the consumer. At the end of the day, music lovers aren’t stupid, and they will not reward this behavior much longer. We saw this when people stopped buying CDs because they were paying too much money for 12 songs when only 1 or 2 of them were any good. We’re starting to see it again now with blog culture, youtube, and people just straight up refusing to pay for music because there is way too much of it and no quality control. Quincy Jones said it best in a recent interview “The record company industry is OVER…” and I think he’s right. That’s why I don’t worry too much about record labels or distribution anymore. The business side, especially marketing, is getting harder and harder for the powers that be to control. Everything is viral now and it is going to continue as long as the internet is around. The fans are getting more say in what music they are exposed to, and I think that is a wonderful thing.

Tape.Side.Two Every DJ has his own vibe. Every artist has his own style. Whether it is technical or emotional, what would you consider yours to be?

Mr. Jerrell As a DJ I’ve always tried to walk the fine line between entertaining and educating the crowd. I feel like if you lean too much one way you are doing yourself a disservice and if you lean too far the other way you are undermining your audience. I really miss the old days where DJs like Sasha, Danny Tenaglia, Danny Howells, and loads of others would play a whole night, beginning to end, for 8 or more hours telling a story and working up an incredible vibe. That to me is what true DJing is all about. I think nowadays DJ sets are moving more towards being artist showcases where a producer who just so happens to DJ shows up and plays an hour or two of his hit songs. For me as a music fan, this is ok every now and then, once or twice to see a favorite producer of mine perform, but it creates no desire for me to see that artist again because I’ll have already heard all of his songs played in his own set and the DJ sets of other DJs. Every time I went to go see those legendary DJs, their sets would be completely different and sometimes contain none of their own hits at all. Sometimes I was even a little let down but most of the time the sets were some of the most memorable experiences of my life and I was always curious to see them again and still am to this day. I feel like that magic is starting to fade in DJ sets these days. I’m trying to correct that with my residencies and Concentrate nights in cities like Chicago and Montreal where there are some amazing clubs, fans, and promoters who all “get it.”

“As a DJ I’ve always tried to walk the fine line between entertaining and educating the crowd.”-Blake Jarrell

As an artist or producer I try to do the same thing. I believe every artist should write exactly what they want to write, whenever they want to write it, but I think it’s also important to be careful about how it is released and whether or not your existing fans will “get it”. I used to want to release every single thing I made and lately I’ve realized some stuff is better off kept to myself or put out under an alias. There is too much music out there, too much confusion, so I only release the stuff that I think will have the best chance at connecting with my audience and what matches their taste or their idea of what Blake Jarrell or Concentrate is all about. I make mistakes and I learn from them. That’s the best part about being an artist for me: the learning process and growing creatively.

Blake Jarrell in Photo

Tape.Side.Two Mashups are in right now and it seems dance music is trying to find a sound leaning toward the underground, juxtaposed to a radio-friendly sound. What is your perspective on this? Or is the progression of EDM, where it is and where it is going not so easily simplified?

Mr. Jerrell I like mashups every now and then and have even done a few myself. I, however, have never taken artistic credit for them and don’t think that it’s justified if all I’m doing is slapping an acapella over a finished song, layering two songs together, or editing the arrangement of the song, etc. Sure, I’ve created something “new” but art is in the eye of the beholder and I don’t necessarily consider that “art”, not from my judgments on my own creativity at least. I try to hold my own art to a higher standard than that, I guess. My perspective is that it is the natural evolution of the music, the technology available, and the fact that some songs are better without their original beat and replaced with something that expresses it more completely. It’s sometimes more exponentially magical to hear two songs you love mashed together. Other times it feels like a complete tragedy. I rarely play mashups unless they are my own

Tape.Side.Two It seems like a lot of songs on and off the radio are being remixed. I consider you to be one of the best remixers today, creating a new vibe for a specific song to be played for the dance floor, while maintaining the songs original integrity, thus creating a stormer, something new and awesome, never heard before. These days, from a listener’s perspective, a DJ can do this in the booth at a moments notice using such tools, such as Ableton Live and like programs. What are your thoughts on this, creating a new sound or mashing up different songs on the fly for the dance floor or in your studio?

Mr. Jerrell Thank you. I’m a HUGE proponent of DJ and live performance technology in electronic music. I absolutely love it and love seeing it live and reading about it in magazines or on the internet. I used to DJ and do live remixes and even live on the fly performance and production with Ableton Live back in 2002-2005 when it was still “not cool” or accepted to use a computer in the DJ booth. People, especially other DJs who were ignorant to the technology, thought that Ableton did all the work for you, and nothing could be further from the truth. My, how times have changed. A vast majority of DJs now use programs like Serato and Traktor, especially local club DJs, and this technology definitely DOES do most of the work for you! It’s amazing. When I used Ableton you had to painstakingly warp marker all of your tracks and clips by hand, yourself, which is considerably more work and time consuming than the auto beat detect of today’s popular programs and I would go as far as to say it was harder then beatmatching with a pitch control on a turntable. Not only that, a considerable amount of time was required getting your session view prepared and laid out and everything midi mapped so that you could actually use the program like a musical instrument, where’s the lack of integrity in playing a musical instrument on stage? Now that they’ve dumbed this process down in Traktor and Serato to the point that my dog could DJ a perfect set, it’s suddenly accepted into the norm. It is what it is I guess. I don’t look down on people who use those programs though…all that matters at the end of the day is good music coming out of the speakers. I just think its ironic how attitudes change only when the masses can get their head around it and use it themselves.

Tape.Side.Two In general, how does the crowd react? Can they tell the difference? Do they know and understand the work that is put in on the spot and can you feel the vibe reciprocated back to you in the DJ booth not only from the men and women on the dance floor who waited weeks to see you, but the guy out there who knows his music and knows exactly what you’re doing? Or is the trick to make it seamless so the audience doesn’t know exactly what you are doing in the booth?

Mr. Jarrell That is another hilarious phenomenon as well. The average person on the dancefloor could not care less if the music is being performed via computer, turntable, instrument etc. It’s the 20 other DJs and forum chinstrokers in the crowd that are wallflowering themselves in the corner that always have to pass their two cent judgement on it. But like I said before, I think today it’s a lot more accepted because it’s been pioneered so hard for years by guys like Sasha and Richie Hawtin who had to take the brunt of the ignorance for so long. Another point here or good philosophy rather, would be that nothing said on forums really matters (which is really the only place where people voice their opinion on these things.) In the end, all that matters is the fans dancing to your music on the dancefloor and good music coming out of the speakers…however you may choose to do it.

Blake Jarrell in Photo

Tape.Side.Two In using such techniques, and pioneering new ones, what has been the response from other DJ’s, producers, artists, and labels? And do you take it as helpful criticism to aid your work, or do you block it out and go with your gut instinct?

Mr. Jerrell That really depends on what context you are asking about me using it in. I’m guessing you are referring to it in a live performance situation? If so, I no longer use a computer or Ableton Live for performance. Not because I don’t want to, but because it’s just so damn hard to travel with and rely on. I feel I can get my point across really well DJing on the new Pioneer CDJ2000s using USB sticks for my source audio. This keeps travelling even lighter. Pioneer products are also industry standard so you can request them in your rider everywhere very easily and they are very trustworthy, battle hardened pieces of gear that stand up to a major beatdown. I have gotten some online criticisms of using USB sticks because, again, people don’t understand what is actually going on with them. There seems to be this belief that the set is prerecorded and just played back from the USB stick, but what people don’t realize is the individual song files on the USB sticks load up exactly like the individual song files when putting in a CD and all the same beatmatching and performance are required as you would if you were playing vinyl or CDs. I don’t take these criticisms to heart like I used to when I was getting harped on for using Ableton because I know now that with time these attitudes will fade as people decide to educate themselves on the technology instead of arguing from ignorance.

Tape.Side.Two Is it constant battle to keep up with the newest of technology? Or does a real DJ just know how it’s done and does it right?

Mr. Jerrell I wouldn’t say that it’s a battle for me. I really find it exciting when new gear comes out. The evolution of what we had back in 2005 to what we have today in 2011 is just mind-blowing. If you could go back in time to 2005 and use some of the stuff we are using today you would probably be burned at the stake. It’s all evolving so fast and at exponential rates that it is hard to imagine the future of it, but I’m really looking forward to learning it and using it.

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For all you Blake Jarrell fans out there, here’s a sweet and savory taste of some of his original productions and remixes. You can almost feel the sweat dripping from the DJ booth. So take a listen and enjoy these gems. They are quite wonderful. You will definitely get up and start dancing before you are finished!

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Here at Tape.Side.Two, I love to support artists and producers who are changing minds and redefining genres with in sometimes they are placed. To get a real taste of Blake Jarrell and what flows from his decks, please buy his full length mixed albums put out under the Armada label. Here are a few places you can make the purchase and support the Electronic Music Industry in the process. Please, don’t steal the music, rather, I urge you to buy it…this allows artists to be more creative and lessen any discouragement they may have because of p2p sharing. Just don’t do it…Rather, please use these links or your favorite music shopping site:

Amazon

Blake Jarrell on Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Beatport

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Blake Jarrell was heralded by John Digweed as “definitely someone to look out for in the future." If you already have one of his DJ mix albums or are on the edge of whether to make the purchase, check out his Podcast. He delivers it hard and hot with his take on the latest crowd-pleasing tracks while sneaking in his own originals and remixes which are truly one of a kind. If you like the progressive sound with a melody that will get you dancing, just remember to turn up the volume. Please download his podcast here:

Blake Jarrell Podcast without iTunes

Blake Jarrell Podcast with iTunes

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Visit Blake Jarrell’s Soundcloud site and you might get your hands on a special mix or if you’re lucky, a bootleg of one of your favorite songs…dare I say his remix of Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars!”

Latest tracks by Blake Jarrell

Please visit Blake Jarrell's own sites:

BlakeJarell.com

Blake Jarrell on Facebook

Blake Jarrell on Twitter

-by Jason T. Eaton

Tape.Side.Two@gmail.com

Audio Components to Add to Your Sound System | Overstock.com

2011-01-02T02:15:00.000-08:00

Audio Components to Add to Your Sound System | Overstock.com

Dresden & Johnston Show Schedule

2010-10-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

The first dance songs I fell in love with. What about you?

2010-08-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the first dance songs you fell in love with?

I guess I would say I had a few experiences of electronic music bliss over the course of a few years starting in the late 1990’s and ending in the early 2000’s. The first and most influential song which started “it all” for me would have to be “Around the World” by French electronic duo, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, also known as Daft Punk,

If you can believe it, I remember the first time I took a listen, without even realizing I was doing so. It was while scrolling the channels in my teenage years, when I inevitably came to MTV, much like most teenagers did in those days. (I think I left if parked on that channel for the duration of high school.) And of course an episode of Daria was on, In this episode the main character, Daria, herself, a teenager with a cynical yet shockingly observant view on the realities of life, was perusing her closet for whatever reason, and guess what was playing in the background, but none other than Daft Punk’s “Around the World” off their 1997 album, “Homework” off of Virgin Records for Daft Trax.

The subtle groove of a vocoder-processed chant gently nudged my ear and I knew I had experienced something new and exciting. A sound that would be carried within me for all time.

Check out the video for the song. It's very French! Hopefully you'll take note of where some of American artist's music videos and TV shows derived inspiration from. Daft Punk's "Around the World" music video on youtube.

We move; we change. However we don’t forget our past and this was a moment in time that I will never forget. This song was my first, and like our first love’s in any genre (hint hint) it will always remain in my heart.

Trying to get my hands that new sound has seemed to be a treasure hunt I’ve been trying to keep up with most of my adult life. Trying to catch up to that beat, or get my hands on that DJ’s latest album. Take for instance Fat Boy Slim. And who didn’t rock out to “Rockefeller Skank,”

when it seemed to be in every teen movie of 1998, in a perfectly choreographed dance sequence during that obligatory prom scene? The song, off his 1998 album, "You've Come Alone Way Baby,"

peaked at #72 on the Billboard Top 100. A feet for a dance song at the time.

It took me a while before I was able to track down the originator of this song. The song itself contains samples from a myriad of artists, including, “Vinyl Dogs Vibe" by Vinyl Dogs featuring Lord Fitness, "Peter Gunn" by Art of Noise featuring Duane Eddy, "Beat Girl - Main Title" by John Barry, and "Sliced Tomatoes" by Just Brothers. This wasn’t a house song in it’s typical form, but a new genre pioneered by Fat Boy Slim (Norman Cook), himself, called big beat. His song, Rockefeller Skank, was released on Skint Records under exclusive license to Astralwerks in the United States, in 1998.

Check out the video for Rockefeller Skank. It's utterly American, or as perceived from one who might not live in America necessarily and has an unusual eye as to whom American's are and what they do, for fun. Maybe not. Take a look and draw your own conclusions and tell me you don't positively love the cheeky take on America and it's subcultures.

It was a time when house music was seemingly upbeat, no pun intended, a happy sound, where twisted disco vibes were purveying.

Emotions seem to be cyclical in dance music. It occurs in all genres. Basically, the cycle goes from underground to radio-friendly and back to underground with the corresponding emotions leading the way. And let’s not forget what’s happening in the world at the time the song is written, IE: a recession, or the rest of the world, IE: a war. I know this is a very basic generalization, but I promise you, the listener, that I will try my best to explain this cycle in my future blogs. Most of you are probably aware of this already. Now, with that said, I can only tell you what I know from what I see and hear in my primitive experience of immersing myself into the culture of dance music…listening to everything I can get my hands on and purchasing, when I can, the grooviest of the bunch.

However, I digress.

A few years later, I was in college and ready to change the world when out of the blue, I heard something new over the radio, It was unlike anything I had ever heard before, completely filtered and the beat that was just pop enough for radio airplay, but was able to mesmerize dance music enthusiasts such as myself. After a few phone calls to radio stations, I found out it was Basement Jaxx’ “Rendez-vu,”

off of their 1999 XL album “Remedy.

Of course, it was unlike anything I had heard at the time. A bit of synths, a strumming guitar, a chunky base line and a filtered hook of which the song is centered around letting us, the listeners, know that one is ready for a rendezvous. Note rendezvous with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe whom make up Basement Jaxx come from Brixton, just south of London, England and their radio-friendly song was new and completely shocking to my rock sensibilities, something different than my favorite bands at the time.

It was late at night, as most radio stations use the cover of darkness to test new songs they don’t know exactly how to classify. Was it a dance song? Could it make it into the top 40? Would normal day listeners enjoy it? After all, it did reach #1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Needless to say, I bought the album the next day.

And lastly, I give you the video for Basement Jaxx' "Rendez-vu"

So my question for you, the listener, so little time. “What dance songs first turned you on?” Which of these dance songs had a groove that you just couldn’t get out of your head and sticks with you to this day? I gave you my first three, thus I would love to know your first three. After all, good things come in threes.

Now with those questions posed, were you able to see the similarities in all the videos? Well, I'll give you the answer to that one. They remind us we all wear masks, either to hide who we are or what we're doing, whether it be good or bad. Eyes Wide Shut anyone? Maybe Stanley Kubrick was on to something just before he passed away. The rational for hiding a person's true character, be it through the wearing of a mask, hiding it in the chorus of a song, or adapting it to film (or music video,) is one that will take us on a journey that we may not be ready for. Hopefully, you, the listener, will keep reading my blogs and together we'll explore these underlining rationals, however we must leave that for later consumption and continue to explore what originally turned us on?

So I leave you with a few websites where you can purchase these albums in their entirety:

Daft Punk: Homework

Fat Boy Slim: You've Come Along Way Baby

Basement Jaxx: Remedy

2010-08-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

I grabbed an article for you think over in LA Weekly, check it out::

The Last Dance: Is the Superstar-DJ Era Over?

By Dennis Romero Thursday, Apr 2 2009

Avalon co-owner Steve Adelman: “I don’t think it’s over, I think it’s evolving”

At the indie-meets-dance club Echoplex in Echo Park, DJs spin, but just as often these days a floor-friendly sound will emerge in the form of a band, a laptop act or something in between, as was the case with Love Grenades on a recent winter night.

The quartet’s three frontwomen dressed up like pinup girls, opera-length gloves and all, and cooed and sang in a correspondingly sultry haze, complemented by ’80s-inflected musicians on bass, guitar, drums and sequencer. The Grenades’ dance-punk sound has been remixed by friend-of-the-band Sam Sparro, another local artist who has skipped deejaying on the way to dance-floor stardom. Love Grenades don’t deejay, but their recent single, “Tigers in the Fire,” is being peddled on DJ culture’s No. 1 online retailer, Beatport. Clubland is being invaded by artists like these, dance-friendly acts that don’t need turntables to get their point across.

The dance world has been rocked in recent years by laptop-, sequencer- and band-based acts ranging from Justice and the Black Ghosts to Booka Shade. Daft Punk’s Kanye West–led resurrection last year highlighted the duo’s own immersive, turntable-free live act. And the local nu-electro festival HARD Haunted Mansio surpassed the 5,000-ticket mark in the fall with nary a superstar DJ in sight. All this has even some jocks asking if the spin is no longer in.

One of the hottest acts to emerge from the electronic–dance music arena in the past few years is Toronto-based producer Deadmau5, who got his start as a computer programmer before graduating to successful bedroom production. Because he came to deejaying from the tech-geek world, he faced culture shock on the club circuit. We can imagine him meeting all those douche jockeys caught up in drug-filled hazes of their own perceived stardom, egos stroked by groupies, guest lists and MySpace comments — all this stoke for, as Deadmau5 wrote on his own MySpace page, “some dude” who presses “the ‘play/stop’ button and occasionally move[s] a pitch slider.” Late last year, Deadmau5 was interviewed by Irish Daily Star and gave a money quote heard around the DJ world: “I don’t really see the technical merit in playing two songs at the same speed together, and it bores me to fucking tears. I’d like [DJs to] dis-a-fucking-pear. It’s so middleman. They’re like fucking lawyers. You need them, but they’re all fucking cunts.”

Here’s an artist whose music is required spinning for the biggest DJs, and he can’t hold his tongue (but his label can, and they declined to have him speak for this piece).

Deadmau5 admirer and former Angeleno Dave Dresden has worn many hats over the past two decades, including radio host, dance-music journalist, music scout for BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong, and half of defunct DJ duo Gabriel & Dresden. He says Deadmau5 is right. “The day of the DJ as a guy who plays other people’s records might be done,” he says, pointing to newer acts like Morgan Page, who often play their own music live via laptop.

The superclub Avalon Hollywood has in recent years made more and more room for the post-DJ act while giving a cold shoulder to superstar DJs, especially those spinners who play straight-line hypnotic trance. While it still hosts plenty of big-name jocks — mostly of the minimal-techno variety — the venue has seen more than its share of hybrid live acts, including Booka Shade, Gui Boratto and Martin Buttrich.

“I don’t think it’s over, I think it’s evolving,” Avalon co-owner Steve Adelman says of DJ culture. “I think people are going more into electronic bands, live acts and semilive acts. We strive to have a whole production and visual experience that’s not just focused on watching a guy on two turntables.”

L.A.’s Frank Dominguez, a.k.a. down-tempo electronic act Aime, started deejaying 10 years ago but switched in recent years to incorporating nonturntable elements, such as keyboards, effects pads, a drum machine, a laptop and even an iPod. At 31, he plays for a generation of clubgoers more accustomed to the shuffle-play dynamics of an MP3 player than the ecstasy-fueled Botts’ dots of a superstar DJ. “People now would much rather see an artist performing with more than just changing records back and forth,” he says. “The kids go with what’s more stimulating.”

Adelman, who’s been in the superstar-DJ-booking business since the mid-’90s, says those most affected by the demise of the name DJ are local “midlevel” spinners, not huge trance names like Tiësto and Armin Van Buuren. URB magazine editor Joshua Glazer adds that some of the so-called midlevel DJs who had settled stateside around the DJ boom of the new millennium have gone back to Europe, replaced locally by nu-electro bands. Still, Glazer argues, the DJ isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

So what did you think? Have you been to a show lately, and by show I mean a club where a DJ is mixing? He's not only working with two turntables, but as the article mentioned, he has to work with sequencers, drum machines, and other forms of tape and dat machines. Not to mention the ubiquitous Abelton Live which almost every DJ worth his weight in gold shavings is using to create new sounds directly for that specific dance floor. It's not easy being a DJ these days, there's always new technology coming out which one has to familiar himself with. Not to mention that ultimate search for the perfect song and let's not forget that mixing, eventually leads to the production of original material, and then one must keep producing to keep his name out there. Either that or become and expert at mixing, being able to do trix on the turntables that most turntablists only dream about.

So is the idea of the DJ leaving us, being replaced by these hybrid bands such as the Love Grenades here to stay? Have you listened to the radio lately? Have you noticed that every other song seems to be a dance song, purely produced for the sake of being a dance song and not a remix? My only hope is that dance music doesn't go the same way disco did and there be a huge backlash, causing it to be a joke in later years.

But is the idea of the DJ leaving us? After all, the best "dance music" events have been hybrid bands like Underworld, then you have Groove Armada and Goldfrapp. And lets not forget the orginals: Kernkraft and Afrika Bambaataa.

Just some thoughts for you to ponder.

-Jason

2010-07-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Here is the final cover art for Underworld's latest album.

2010-07-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

Just found out..."Barking" comes out on September 9, 2010. How excited are you? We sure are!

2010-07-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the track listing of Underworld's new album "Barking"

Bird 1 (Co-Produced by Dubfire)
Always Loved A Film (Co-Produced by Mark Knight & D. Ramirez)
Scribble (Co-Produced by High Contrast)
Hamburg Hotel (Co-Produced by Appleblim & Al Tourettes)
Grace (Co-Produced by Dubfire)
Between Stars (Co-Produced by Mark K & D. Ramirez)
Diamond Jigsaw (Co-Produced by Paul van Dyk)
Moon In Water (Co-Produced by High Contrast)
Louisiana

For more info check out Underworld's website: Underworldlive

Underworld's New Single - Scribble

2010-06-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

This is about the third time I’ve tried to write an article about the upcoming single from Underworld, named “Scribble.” At first glance of the cover art, I could not help but wonder if some of their inspiration had come from Lady Gaga. Then when I finally purchased the music from their website underworldlive.com and listened to it, I realized that none of the music, itself, was inspired by her. Don’t get me wrong, I’m one of Lady Gaga’s biggest deeply devoted fans, however, I am even a bigger supporter of Underworld.

At first listen, I couldn’t believe the turn Underworld had taken…a twist for drum & bass? Yes, by the second listen I was damn sure it was drum & bass, I thought the byline from their website was mistaken, and I thought my ears were deceiving me. I didn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. Where were my four on the floor beats?

However, by the third listen, I was a marlin caught with no chance of release, with the hook telling me that everything was going to be “OK.” It was in the same dance spirit as “Born Slippy,” however with a twist, no longer about shady blonds asking for a kiss, rather a new high, a euphoric one, reminding me of the days when I first started listening to dance music, when ecstasy was still readily available and wanted if not needed to go see a DJ spin live. Before the days when music became dark and twisted. Before everyone became depressed and deprived of that euphoric spirit that seemed to catch all of us at one moment or another.

(Don’t get me wrong folks. I understand there is a war going on and I am one of our soldiers’ biggest supporters, but music seemed to go in the same way the country and the rest of the world did… then came the economic collapse, which just turned the dark into twisted)…Twisted America Records anyone?

Unerworld’s first single, Scribble, is a joyous ode, if not overjoyed in the same spirit that Digweed’s “Heaven Scent” was…do I smell a classic brewing?

I longed for those days, before emo-tech caught hold and everyone tried to work out their depression and aggression through emotive lyrics and electro beats that when listened closely brought tears of despair, not joy, at least, to my ears and eyes.

I wasn’t able to dance for many years having been left with the “Beautiful Burnout” and only a Mark Knight remix to pick up the joyous slack.

Unbeknownst to us, this whole time Underworld, made up of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, have been quietly collaborating with the likes of Dubfire and Paul van Dyk to create their new album, “Barking,” sure to be a hit. A few weeks after the initial posting of Underworld’s first single, which they co-produced with High Contrast, a drum & bass producer out of Newport, Eng.

What Underworld was doing was sending out their “raw material” to high class DJ/Producers and (hopefully) as I haven’t heard the album yet, getting back high class work, retooled of course in true Underworld style.
Needless to say, I can’t wait to hear the album which has yet to see a release date. Hopefully it hasn’t run in to any problems with their American label TVT, but according to Amazon.com, you can pick up “Athens” on June 29. That’s right around the corner folks.

For all of you whom love Underworld you can check out their website and see the track listing at:

New Album Details

Now remember, they do much more than just music, so be sure to check out the whole site, Tomato: their Art Depo included! I went to their art exhibit a few years back with my best friend, Steve, in NYC. Having missed them by hours, we checked out their art for ourselves. It wasn’t what I expected, rather, that of true artists, no scribbles there. But I’m sure with “Scribble,” you’ll be euphorically satisfied.

2010-06-27T00:37:00.001-07:00

This is a blog for you and for me.