First, there was the big bang. Next came our planet and the life present on it. Shortly after that, Sasha creates yet another 2 CD set that rocks people’s socks off, even those that were barefoot at the time!

I received an email from one of the many promotional companies that seem to posses my email address. This one came from AMG and gave details to the release of Sasha’s own emFire Collection, a 2x CD set sold both digitally and physically. Rather than trying to tell you all about it, here is the press release directly from the email:

Now, although this may not be the latest piece of news out, I still wanted to make sure that I posted this. Main reason being is that Sasha is still a huge force in the EDM scene. His releases touch millions and everyone in the industry takes notice when a release is made. Sasha is leading the digital revolution and has, and hopefully always will be, a major player that pushes the limits of technology. This is definitely some music that is worth checking out.

I have been meaning to do this for a while now and I finaly got around to doing it this week. I have gone with a 2 disc set this time because I had too many tracks spanning too many genres of house to get it all onto 1 disc.

So any way here it is.*

DISC 1
Funky house and some mainstream club tracks, uplifting and non-serious, ideal for the beach partys.

DISC 2
Deeper vibe that you can dance to or just chill, the ideal way to bring home the sunset.

Both CD’s are 320kbps and fit perfectly onto a CD.

cd cover

back & track listings

Every once in a while you get a piece of mail in your inbox that is, for lack of another creative adjective, awesome! Today I opened a piece of mail from Urb, a magazine dedicated to all things… well Urb-an. A majority of the topics pertain to Electronic Music or the culture, Hip Hop specifically. Although not to into the Hip Hop “scene,” I do appreciate quite a bit that Urb has to offer. That being said… I found this article in their blog today…

Hendrix: Rock Star turned Porn Star

Today, April 29th, Vivid Entertainment is launching the online release of the “Jimi Hendrix Sex Tape” for the our viewing pleasure.

Vivid Entertainment is selling the tape as a “sexual documentary”, aka PORN, to give the public some insight into the sex and rock ‘n roll scene of the uninhibited sixties. Founded in 1984, The Vivid Entertainment Group is the world’s leading adult film company - with high emphasis on high quality erotic film entertainment for the couples market. It has created wide brand-name awareness through its films and through licensing and marketing programs that extend to advertising, book publishing, and other consumer products.

Apparently, Vivid obtained this 40 year old footage from a rock ‘n roll memorabilia “collector” (how this person “collected” this tape is yet to be public). The film showcases the icon enjoying some double action brunette loving and reveals Hendrix as more of a “giving” than “receiving” individual - a little too much info for me, but I’ll give you as much info as you need to get you interested in this tape. The company sought several experts to authenticate the footage and the movie features commentary from Pamela Des Barres, author of “I’m with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie” and Cynthia Plaster Caster, famous for creating plaster molds of the penises of rock stars, including Hendrix, who said, “That’s Jimi Hendrix’ d*ck and I should know”.

Let’s face it, comments are better from the pros who’ve “been there and done that”.

Vivid co-chairman Steven Hirsch states, “This new movie shows that Jimi Hendrix could have been as great a porn star as he was a rock star.”

I guess he was a great porn star, we just didn’t have the proof until now.

Those who want to get their hands on it will have to wait until May 6th, but I have a feeling those hard copies will come sooner rather than later - can anyone say “bootleg”?

For more info, go to www.hendrixsextape.com.

Posted Tuesday, April 29, 2008 @ 11:46 in Music by Joanna Munoz

Joe Geffen is a friend of mine and local DJ currently living in the Los Angeles area. He performs weekly on Faderwave.net at Midnight - 1:30AM every Sunday and writes regularly for both djforums.com and redplasticup.com. Here is Joe’s review of Daedelus’ “The Axe Murderation LP.”

/ —> The Daedelus Redox <—

Joe

I want to preface this review with a bit of an explanation. I really really enjoy the work of Daedelus; his work continues to defy the fringes of what most people consider music. That is, in fact, the quality about his work that I enjoy the most. You really have to open up one of his albums expecting a jolt to your musical tastes. And so, you can imagine my surprise to walk into a small Los Angeles “Club” on a lonely Tuesday night, to walk past a small table on which was placed all of the releases of this artist. This stopped me dead in my tracks; IDM being sold in a LA club?? And so I looked up to see what kind of person would sell this stuff in a location as juxtaposed as this only to see a very polite-looking man of his 20s smiling at me, dressed fancily in a rust-colored, winged tux jacket, complete with matching tie. “Wait,” I said. “Daedelus is playing tonight?” “Oh, I’m Daedelus, and yes, I’m playing tonight”, he says, and - suddenly - I start to encounter the gripping emotions of being star-struck. Situations like this - where one’s expectations keep getting defeated - lie at the very heart of this artist’s work. At first listen to Daedelus, many mainstream listeners hear nothing but metallic clamour - rightfully so, I might add, as that is essentially the bulk of the sound. But, whereas with other artists those words constitute a “death blow” with which I mean to send potential listeners away, the right people will know that this is, in this case, a major compliment. Because, out of the sounds of seemingly simple computer-gibberish, you’ll start to notice cohesion in the chaos. Behold, this is the artistry of a visionary. So, without much more introduction, this is the Redox of Daedelus, starting with some of his most abstract to his most crowd appealing. —> The Axe Murderation LP <— I got this particular release from Daedelus himself, and upon choosing it from the selection of discs layed out before me, he simply said, “Yeh, that one’s experimental.” And after saying that I can handle it and I’m into hearing new techniques in music production, he looked at me strangely and said that, no, seriously, it’s really experimental. I just dismissed the claim and didn’t think anything of it until I put the record on my turntable, and DAMN! In terms of pushing the limits of music, this MUST be the cutting edge. I feel like, for the most part, if computers could synthesize music themselves, this would be the result. And while several songs on here, are cacauphnous, there still exist several gems. Please note, before listening to these tracks, be sure you have areally good speaker system that can handle a lot of bass. Here are a few to check out: Phthalocyanine: shape axed from the backdrop of shape. Primarily a remix of rhythm and bass, expect to find the remnants of chopped breakbeats superimposed over a very eerie track. This is Aphex Twin on LSD… well, more LSD for that matter… Venetian Snares: girl/boy as performed by selkirk retard orchestra for the daughters of asexual lithium addicts. The title says it all. Personally, I would say it was performed by the children of Rubber Johnny. Check it out. Eight Frozen Modules: Cutes like an axe. This is one of the aforementioned tracks where you need a pretty good subwoofer to resolve the bass tones. The discordancy of the synthesizers in this track and effective use of a mixer’s pan functions really come together to make a cool track…. actually, does that make any sense? <— Live at the Low End Theory —> His newest album (released earlier this year [2008]) commemorates his performance at, you guessed it, the Low End Theory in L.A., and is possibly the best example of how IDM can be worked into the club scene. As with most of his other danceable tracks, these tracks are infested with 1/16 notes and so much energy that it makes my head want to explode. There are no particular tracks that really stick out in my mind because the overall performance was simply incredible. I can only imagine what it must have been like in the club with lots of subs pumping bass everywhere. A crowd pleaser and a must listen, for sure! <—Exquisite Corpse —> Published back in 2005, this was my introduction to Daedelus and is the probably the best way to delve into this guy’s work. Within the first few tracks, you get a really good idea of how this guy successfully transcends traditional music structure by overlaying multiple different time structues over each other. While you might at one point be listening to your usual 4×4 beat, other layers will be in 3×4. Be sure to listen to the track Impending Doom; it’s hip-hop over a beat that’s been cut-up into more pieces than the personality of Britney Spears. Following that is Just Briefly, which is an excellent conglomeration of a swinging, glitchy beat that has, once again, been fragmented. In typical Daedelus fashion, however, it comes together into a very quirky danceable track. Lastly, be sure to check out the collaborative track with Prefuse 73,Welcome Home.

04.24.08 Los Angeles, Music No Comments »

This article can originally be found on djforums.com & redplasticup.com.

I <3 Richie Hawtin and everything he has done and continues to do for electronic music! It looks as though he is really pulling something together here. With the lineup that is planned for this event, I really had to make sure and bold it so that you could understand the magnitude of just who is going to be there!!! If you or anyone you know is going to be in Berlin this weekend, I would seriously check this out! Here is the email that I got today being on the “Minus X List:“

MINUS & COSMOPOP present Berlin has become a destination point for clubbers from all around the world with hundreds of people migrating towards the city every weekend, enjoying its ever-evolving musical soundtrack. A soundtrack created by dozens of local and international DJ’s and artists, many of who call Berlin their home. You can always be sure to find a label night of Cadenza, Minus, Cocoon or Pokerflat. But there is something missing!! We are happy to announce an event to which we’ve invited as many of our favourite DJ’s, artists and labels to come together in celebration of the music that we all love: the “Sunday Adventure Club” Open Air … come and celebrate with us! Date: Sunday June 15th, 2008 Location: open air location near the Postbahnhof, Berlin large outside area with 1 stage, 2 inside floors in case of rain, the event will be indoors Opening hours: outside stage 10am-10pm, inside stages 6pm until open end Line up: richie hawtin, josh wink, luciano, matthew dear’s big hands, karotte, tobi neumann, zip, magda, marc houle live, paco osuna, troy pierce, matt john, guido schneider, steve bug, heartthrob live, konrad black, loco dice & marco carola back to back, rebekah aff, cassy Ticket prices: 15EUR pre-sale Tickets will be available after Friday 25.04. on www.sundayadventureclub.de or at your nearest CTS/Eventim box office. Limited capacity, get your ticket now!! www.sundayadventureclub.de

So I see a billboard on the way to a friends place last Friday while on the freeway… It Reads…

What happened in Piedmont, Utah?

www.whathappenedinpiedmont.com

So as I continued my 35min drive to my buddy’s place, I contemplated what the hell this could mean for the remaining 25min that I was going to be in the car… Could it be something big that I missed in the news? Could it be a non-profit organazation trying to bring to light some conspiracy? Am I really wasting this much time wondering what is on a fucking billboard?

So I did what any person with a wee amount of curiosity could have done… I went to the site. This is the first post from www.whathappenedinpiedmont.com.

So it’s April 20th.

Forget about all the other reasons you shouldn’t celebrate 4/20, and remember the true reason you do and should!

Puff, puff, pass…

Happy 4/20

So my friend Alex is in this band called Somehow Still Alive and they will be opening for Alien Ant Farm at the Pangea Music Festival in Hollywood Park. Normally I’m not into local bands because I see them the same way as I do when I meet another DJ; they’re a dime-a-dozen. However, with Somehow Still Alive, this wasn’t the case! After listening to their debut release, Afterall, I was totally convinced that these guys were not just legit, but fucking good!

The first thing that really hit me with this album was that it had that “Califonicated” sound in each of their songs, almost being laid back as opposed to very tight and gritty as is with most Rock/Metal bands. Like a combination of Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Disturbed, the band has a very individual sound, something that had to be present for me to really give them, or any local talent for that matter, a chance. Now I am not much of a rocker, but I grew up listening to Rock, Punk and Metal bands. Being somewhat removed from the scene, I first expected to throw their CD in and hear another generic rock, metal, or punk band. To my surprise it didn’t have the screaming, overly loud drums or guitar, or those annoying mumbled vocals that sound as if the lead singer is chewing on the microphone.

From the first song, This Time Its Personal, the albums takes off running with a twangy lead guitar pushing out licks as the bass guitar echoes with a deep and dark bass line. Each track after the first has a bit of its own individuality from the last keeping the listening experience refreshing and flowing, making sure the song you just heard doesn’t sound like the one before it. Once you get to the title track, Afterall, you will be convinced these guys know how to write, play and truly rock! From start to finish Somehow Still Alive kept me entertained and eager to hear the next song up! If you have a chance, check these guys out, you will not be disappointed!

This is my favorite song of their debut: Frontline.

Below is the event flyer for the Pangea Music Festival. There is going to be 100 bands over the course of the day with 10 stages to entertain, providing many different styles of music! Tickets are available at Ticketmaster or from the bands directly. This is an all ages show so be prepared for young kids as well as the old rocker crowds. Food and Alcohol will be available at the venue and the event is sponsored by KROQ 106.7 FM, Los Angeles.

The Detroit/Windsor pioneer breaks the silence and gives us a look into what M_nus and +8 have been up to… take a read…

WE ARE BACK!

Our Ten Weeks of Silence has now been officially over for nearly a
month and already our (sort of) quietness has been punctured, yet
again, by the sound of the night, Basslines & Bleeps! But after
such a pause, I feel that we are all once again invigorated, ready to
tackle the late nights and long days of touring and performing,
bringing with us new ideas, aspirations and inspiration that will take
us and our music through this year and beyond!

But what, might you ask, have we all been doing for the past ten weeks?

Well, perhaps attempting to live a normal life, sleeping, eating and
resting in our own beds and apartments, slipping into a rhythm similar
to what most of the planet calls “normal” and of course, enjoying the
time away from unfriendly airports and unfamiliar hotel rooms. But
perhaps more interestingly, spending a lot of time focusing on new
ideas, releases, music, and plans for Minus 2008 and beyond!

Over the coming months you will be able to enjoy the fruits of our
labor! Jesses wonderful Heartthrob album “Dear Painter, Paint Me” was
mastered and finalized today, and will be out in early summer! Jon
nearly drove himself mad locked away in his studio for most of the Ten
Weeks, with some subtle deep space results! Marc & Magda have been
sampling and looping their way through a collection of percussionists,
basslines and general nerdiness! Kevin has been mixing dozens of his
new songs in between packing for his summer move to Europe, as has
Barem! Man, the entire gang will be in Europe this summer, expect some
craziness!!! Jeremy, affectionately known as Jipples by his friends,
has been busy working on concepts of time travel from within his
laboratory deep within the cornfields of Indiana (oh, he’s on his way
over to Europe for the summer too!), while Adam & Joel have been
chasing each other in circles, trying to agree on which are the best
tracks for the next Tractile single! Mr. Pierce on the other hand has
been in constant collaboration with his LA-based vocal counter-part,
Gibby, working confidently on dark (of course!) and moody Louderbach
material! Matt has been so busy with his “Big Hands” live band project,
that we’ve given him a bit more time to finish his next False release.
? And, the rest of the gang?! Dice has just released his amazing new
album “7 Dunham Place” on his own Desolat and so we hope his next
studio sessions are for his long awaited follow-up to his brilliant
“Seeing through Shadows EP”. The same goes for Mr. Jonson, who was at
my studio the other day playing me some very inspiring ‘possibilities’
for his next Minus release! Hopefully if Ali “Dubfire” finds time to
get back in his studio, he’ll continue from where “Emissions” left
off!! Our other Ali spent his time off in Turkey working on a whole new
visual show that will be seen at some of our upcoming events! And of
course, we can’t forget to welcome the newest member of our gang,
Fabrizio Maurizi, who has the pleasure of having his first release on
Minus be our first release of the year!

And that’s just covering the Minus gang, what about Plus 8? Well, Plus
8 has already kicked into high gear with its first releases of the year
with an intense percussive workout from Paco Osuna! Coming up next is a
series of dance floor bombs by the Italian stallion himself, Mr. Marco
Carola! And keep your ears open because we are fast approaching
PLUS8100, and there’s sure to be some special surprises and excitement
surrounding that!

Remembering that this IS our Ten Year Anniversary, in the next days
we’ll be announcing more details on our ten special anniversary events,
Contakt, taking place worldwide throughout the year (hint, first Date,
Saturday May 17th)! To go along with that, prepare to make contact with
us in a way never before possible with the upcoming Contakt Membership,
offering new ways of strengthening the connection between all of us! Of
course, they’ll be lots of other special events, showcases, and Minus
nights throughout the year, a few to remember already are the Minus
stages at Sonne, Mond & Sterne (Germany), Extrema Festival
(Holland), Wild in the Country (UK), we also continue our cooperation
with our friends at Cocoon with TWO special Minus/Cocoon Disco Invaders
nights at Amnesia (Ibiza) this summer and the Sunday Adventure Club
returns to Berlin sometime in June, watch out!

On the business side, we’ve made a few changes, our friend Seth Hodder
has moved over to a new advisory position here at Minus, while long
time Clark Warner protégé, Rudy Delgado, has taken over his position!
We’ve also moved to Word & Sound Distribution strengthening our
physical distribution side, while also continuing to build up our
digital distribution network with our friends at Beatport.com and of
course here on our own m-nus.com website. Check out now the exclusive
m-nus.com digital only Plus 8/Probe re-mastering campaign. On that
note, I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Sigi and
everyone over at Neuton for years of support with Plus 8 and Minus and
continuing our talks regarding new opportunities together for the
future!! And always remember to keep an eye on m-nus.com for new
merchandise, special offers and other goodies!!!

I’d like to welcome Konrad Black, Barem and Ambivalent on board with
Clonk::, our related agency that handles most of the Minus and Plus 8
artists bookings, as well as many other friends! I’d also like to be
the first one to welcome Clonk:: and Katrin to Berlin, to welcome Patti
onboard to Clonk:: (he jumped ships!!!), and to welcome Nima onboard as
my new Tour Technician (r u ready?!)! We’re also in the process of
pushing forward to making Clonk:: the first Artist Agency offsetting
all artists traveling, allowing all the artists to entertain you now,
while helping to build a brighter future for the next generation of
Electronic Music lovers!

And on a final note, I’d like to personally thank everyone who came out
in support over the past few weeks, on the Spain Tour, at our
Anniversary celebration at Fabric (thanks Judy!), everyone at all the
events in Miami at the Winter Music Conference, and of course, to Ata
& everyone in attendance at an unbelievable night last week at
Robert Johnson (Frankfurt), and ALL OF YOU who made your way to
Mannheim last weekend for this years sold-out Timewarp event!!! For
those who didn’t know, I’ve moved over to a completely new setup for my
performances, releasing the shackles of turntables and going to a fully
digital laptop setup, allowing me to get closer to the edit than ever
before!!! Thanks to the THOUSANDS of you who were still on the
dancefloor at 2pm Sunday afternoon, to my friends who supported me on
stage for seven hours, to Sven, Magda, Marco, Dice, Ricardo, Luciano
and all the other artists who performed (and danced) and of course, to
Steffen and his team, who know how to throw THE Biggest Baddest Techno
party on the planet!!!

WE ARE BACK …and the 2008 Season has begun!!!!

Richie Hawtin