Ladies and Gents stick the kettle on, get comfortable and prepare yourself for one of the most influential and accomplished producers on this planet Brian Transeau AKA BT as he delivers his fourth long player of his 14 year career at the forefront of electronic music production titled ‘Emotional Technology’ on Dutch imprint Black Hole Recordings.BT is the creative force currently driving digital song writing and sound scaping in its evolution into the audio-visual-spiritual art form that will define and inspire the human narrative of the 21st Century. He is re-mastering the obsolete soundtrack of our late analogue planet, reassembling from the chaos of smashed bytes blurring our sampled lives a new paradigm of beauty for This Binary Universe .
“To marry melody, harmony and memorable song writing with the most bleeding-edge technology possible is my passion. These are the things that excite me.”

The distinct stamp of BT’s virtuoso artistry and craftsmanship is already imprinted across the wide pantheon of modern popular arts and entertainment.

He composed the high octane film score for the blockbuster hit ‘The Fast and the Furious’ as well as the haunting tonal background for Charlize Theron’s Academy Award-winning performance in ‘Monster’. His other scores include Doug Liman’s ‘Go’, ‘Under Suspicion’ (starring Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman), Miramax’s ‘The Underclassman’, Sony’s ‘Stealth’ and the video game ‘Tiger Woods Legends’.

His wizardry of the keyboards, classical or electronic, as well as his producing, song writing and orchestral composing and scoring talents have been showcased in collaborations with major artists, including Sting and David Bowie. Considered the founding pioneer of trance electronica, he has engineered legendary mixes for Madonna, Seal and Sarah McLachlan.

BT seemed fated for his present leadership role in new musical directions and innovations. His predilection for always seeking and ascending to the next level began when he first heard electronic music as an adolescent. “This is what my heroes Debussy, Stravinsky and the like were looking for. Technology-based music is the only idiom that packs such infinite sonic possibilities.” The revolutionary fruits of BT’s musical quest thus far are powerfully evident in the glitched-out yet warmly organic soundscapes infusing his epic albums, IMA, ESCM, Movement In Still Life and Emotional Technology. His fifth, currently untitled, studio album is nearing completion in Los Angeles and Australia (with guest artists such as Stuart Copeland of The Police). His second 2006 creation/release will be This Binary Universe, previewed by Keyboard Magazine : “In a hundred years, it could well be studied as the first major electronic work of the new millennium. It’s that good.”

BT’s musical explorations, progressing well ahead of the curve in digital sound composition and programming, necessitated the creation of his own software company ‘Sonik Architects’ in support of his expanding vision. Two new programming applications, Break Tweaker and Stutter Edit, both prototyped by BT himself in cSound and Supercollider (two command line-based music-scripting languages) will be commercially released under the Sonik Architects banner later this year.

BT – EMOTIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRACKLISTING

CD1:

1. The Meeting Of A Hundred Yang (New Unreleased Track)
2. Knowledge Of Self
3. Simply Being Loved
4. Force Of Gravity
5. Dark Heart Dawning
6. The Great Escape
7. Paris
8. Kimosabe (New Unreleased Track)
9. The Revolution (New Unreleased Track)
10. Last Moment Of Clarity
11. Communicate
12. The Only Constant Is Change

CD2:

1. Somnambulist (Mark Norman Remix)
2. Love In The Time Of Thieves (New Unreleased Track)
3. Force Of Gravity (Tiësto Remix)
4. Somnambulist (Junky XL Vocal Mix)
5. Superfabulous (Toksin’s Rawshaker Mix)
6. The Force Of Gravity (Dylan Rhymes Push Up Mix)
7. Kimosabe (Hyper Remix)
8. Communicate (Toksin’s Narcan Remix)
9. Somnambulist (Sander Kleinenberg’s Convertible Mix)

via: DanceNova

Friday March 2nd is a landmark date in the history of drum & bass. Ram Records has been one of the most important drum & bass labels in the history of the genre. They have been at the very forefront of drum & bass ever since Ant Miles and a sixteen year old Andy C released the label’s debut ‘Sour Mash EP’ in 1992, and almost immediately wrote the label into jungle history with their genre-defining and scene-shaping magnum opus ‘Valley of the Shadows’ in 1993.

The years since have seen the label become one of the scene’s dominant forces with one of the tightest knit collectives. Along with the founding fathers, the talents of Shimon, Moving Fusion and Red One were soon incorporated in to their stable, and later the likes of Nightbreed and Subfocus were added, creating one of the most formidable collectives in the scene. Their music has been of such consistently high quality it’s possible to pick a drum & bass anthem of the year for every year from the Ram catalogue alone.

The success of Ram also went hand in hand with the development of Andy C’s career and helped shape him in to drum & bass’ undisputed heavyweight champion. Ram will not only be marking their fifteen year anniversary with this monster of a party, but with the release of a commemorative CD/DVD pack that will include live footage from ‘The Executioner’ recorded on the night, along with interview footage with all the crew and much more.

The night itself is a blend of Ram mainstays such as Sub Focus, Shimon and of course Andy C, and a select choice of some of the finest talent from across the scene in mouth-watering back to back combinations including Mampi Swift back to back with DJ Fresh, Bryan Gee back to back with DJ Die and Fierce back to back with Commix.

The lounge dwellers will be treated to some gems too, including the wonky hip hop, breaks and downtempo of Danny Breaks, the no-nonsense party breaks of Jay Cunning, Neil Mitchell’s straight-up house, and the cherry on the cake, a very special AWOL set from the legendary DJ Randall! Not to be missed.

An extraordinary line-up for an historic anniversary in drum & bass, and a night that is set to go down in folklore. Let’s all toast to another fifteen years from the Ram crew!

via: DanceNova

d16, thus far known for it’s accurate software recreations of the classic Roland TB-303 and TR-909 have completed the triad of Roland’s big three analog monsters which have been the backbone of huge percentage of dance music. The new 808 clone is set for a release in the very near future. Head over the their website and check out the samples and hear for yourself. Available as VST and AU plugins. Great work guys!!

d16 website: www.d16.pl

Christopher Deam is a San Francisco designer and architect who has designed a modern trailer home with the DJ in mind. The modern design also makes it something one could be proud to host the next afterparty in.

Check out more at his website: www.cdeam.com

Image Line has recently announced their entry into the digital DJing market with Deckadance. A free demo is included with the latest download of FL Studio 7 available at www.tucows.com

Features:
• Works as standalone or VSTi plugin inside hosts like FL Studio, Ableton Live, etc.
• Hosts VSTi softsynths & FX
• 8-slot sampler with loop, recording, beat sync, WAV, Ogg and pitchbend support and can sample from the decks
• 8-slot VSTi host with MIDI database: load up to 8 MIDI plug-ins
• 8 Slot VSTi General MIDI file Player
• 8-bit self-output-record / midi controllable microsampler
• Full timecoded Vynil & CD support for all brands
• 64-bit DSP, high quality processing
• 6 inputs (3 x Stereo deck a input tracking, deck b input tracking, mic
• 12 outputs (6 x Stereo): master mix, monitor, deck a, deck b, sampler, vsti
• Inputs and outputs pins fully ASIO configurable in the standalone version
• MP3, WAV and OGG audio tracks supported
• Seamless Loop / Cueing
• Unique Loop and Leap feature
• Unique Reverse and Leap feature
• Full low-latency vinyl tracking system supported for each deck
• Vst host midi-in thru. (ie: control hosted vst’s from external keyboard/controller)
• Flexible monitoring options: pre-fader listener level, phone split (L/R). Monitor rout switch/ vumeters for all elements
• Flexible crossfader options (linear or curved mode w/curve adjustment, reverse switch)
• vSeamless “beat jump” functions
• -36dB to +12dB low/mid/high eq range control. Band kill of -48dB
• Auto-Sync buttons
• Auto-Slave to main tempo/host tempo button
• Auto Beat-Sync playback start
• Precisse pitch control
• Crossfader auto-transition control
• Crossfader with deck punch-in control
• 3 Band EQ with 3 Band killer buttons
• Deck accurate pitchbend slow/fast control
• Deck downbeat shift control
• Tempo tracking switches (for tracks with variable tempo)

Effects:
• lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandreject filters
• 8 Tap 3d Phaser
• Variable 3d Echo/Flanger effect
• XY control pads
• VST Plugin Support

Other Features:
• Fully editable “relooper” (reslice / rearrange loop in realtime)
• Vumeters and master crossfader with embedded vumeters
• On-the-fly disk recorder
• Internal torque simulation with realistic mouse scratch/hold
• Pitch control and tempo variation feedback calculated from vinyl tracking relative speed, making bpm matching a breeze with turntable (for those who likes the real thing instead the slave mode)

Supported timecoded Vinyl & CDs
• Final Scratch
• Serato Scratch Live
• MixVibes
• MS PINKY
• all other supported through vinyl control record speed “learning” mode

MIDI Support:
• Generic MIDI control support.
• MIDI Learn with easy to configure function <-> midi control assignment.
• Native remote DJ Controller support for: Behringer BCD2000 - Hercules DJ Console - Hercules DJ Console Mk2 - Eks XP10 Controller (native HID / USB communication for full device resolution)
• Keyboard support: Full monitor routing swithes for decks, samplers and vsti host. Playlist with virtually unlimited number of entries.

No pricing or availability has been announced for Image Line’s Deckadance.

Deckadance product page: www.Deckadance.com

John Digweed hardly needs an introduction; he is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most in-demand artists in the industry. Now following the success of the first in the Transitions series, he returns with the eagerly anticipated second volume, to deliver another characteristically sublime mix.’

With this single disc mix, to be released twice a year, John is able to compile a contemporary snapshot of his current set taking in the most up-to-date material on the scene.

Trans Vol.2
His standing as a world-renowned DJ has enabled him to include several tracks that are exclusively available on this album prior to their full single release. Amongst these are Guy Gerber’s atmospheric mix of Chaime – ‘Dana’, David K’s trippy masterpiece ‘Boul de Nerf’ and two tracks by G-Stylz (aka Bruce Aisher).

He incorporates further stand-out tracks from Buzzin’ Fly’s latest, Abyss ‘Mind Games’ and ‘The Dreamer’, as well as another exclusive from man of the moment Guy Gerber, entitled ‘Digital Memories’ and the incredible Joakim Mix of Antena’s ‘Camino Del Sol’. As with Vol.1, it is his flawless mixing and programming that Digweed brings to this project, creating a mix that offers new interpretations, improving with each listen as it shifts from 124 to a 129bpm finale across it’s 70 minutes.

As one half of Bedrock, Digweed has long been a force in the studio, and his production acumen is highlighted here, as he turns in subtle, exclusive edits throughout the album

In recent times John’s sound has reached an ever wider audience with ‘Transitions’, his globally syndicated radio show, which has over 2 million listeners a week and also provides the name and inspiration for the comp’.

Renaissance: John Digweed – Transitions Vol.2 is out now
Get John Digweed CDs
via DanceNova