No Surprises, huh? July 16, 2008

After all the commotion caused by “In Rainbows” last October, it would be difficult to imagine Radiohead clinging to any music industry traditions. But to think their album could churn out any more oddities came as something of a shock.

Radiohead stepped up to the challenge, though, and this week, released their “House of Cards” video, whose images were produced, not with lights or cameras, but wholly with “3D plotting technologies”.

The video was crafted using visualizations of data describing the “shapes and relative distances of objects,” namely, Thom’s head. If that doesn’t quite cut it for an explanation, though, find out what really went into the project by watching it in the makings:

If the video really caught your interest, you can make your own and upload it to the Youtube group. Or read more about Radiohead’s “House of Cards” video at Stereogum.

Today’s Poll July 15, 2008

Master of Vibes July 15, 2008

Andrea Luschi, emergent Spanish painter, is opening his show, “Master of Vibes,” in Barcelona this week. A strong believer that artists should be recognized in their own lifetimes, Luschi focused the collection on contemporary DJs he believes will leave a mark on the future of today’s youth. Check out his portraits of Justice, Richie Hawtin, and more at art360.

Rocket Surgery Remix Contest: Compete to Win Your Dirtybird Record-Release July 15, 2008

Think you can mix? Just want to try?
Good. We’re looking for you.

This month, we’ve teamed up with Ableton Live and Dirtybird to host our second ever remix competition, featuring the Martin Brothers track ‘Dum’. Through September 15th, you’ll have the chance to remix the track and upload it to our competition website, where it will be showcased and voted on by listeners.

The winner, determined by online voters and Dirtybird evaluators, will receive a grand prize digital record-release with Dirtybird. Other prizes to be distributed among first-place and runner up winners include a pair of M-Audio BX8a Deluxe studio monitors, a Glyph Technologies professional-grade hard drive, Dancetracks free download credits, and Ableton software and merchandise.

We think this competition could be the chance of a lifetime for undiscovered, talented musicians and we’re not alone. “At Dirtybird, we are always on the hunt for new musical talent,” said Martin Brothers’ Christian Martin, “this contest is the perfect platform for hungry bedroom producers to break through to the next level.”

Dirtybird’s Claude VonStroke feels the same way. “We are excited about this contest and we are looking for some people who ‘get it,’” he told us, “so please don’t bother turning in your big room electro house remix. I want to hear some sweaty ass-jiggling tracks.”

The contest, running July 15th – September 15th, is free to enter and Ableton Live software will provide competitors with a complementary Live audio file-set, warped and arranged for easy mixing.

Visit the remix website (www.dirtybirdremix.com) now to test out your talents, enter the contest, and present your work to Claude VonStroke. Yours could be the sweaty ass-jiggling track he’s looking for!

Club Health 2008 July 9, 2008

Police officers, health officials, academics, and DJs from twenty countries across the world met in Ibiza last month to hold the Club Health 2008 Conference from June 23rd-25th. The collaborative three-day symposium sought to find solutions to nightlife issues of all kinds, ranging from drug use to excess noise to terrorism prevention.

Though organized in response to the drug busts and crime problems in Ibiza this season, the conference’s plans are focused less on immediate setbacks and more on long-term goals for the future of twenty-first century clubbing.

Club Health 2008 participants realize that clubs are “fantastic places to unwind and socialize,” said conference committee member Professor Mark Bellis, “Poorly managed, they are often places where binge drinking, drug abuse, and violence can ruin people’s lives,” he added.

Let’s just hope Ibiza finds favor in their eyes.

Hot Chip Tours North America July 9, 2008

After having released their new album, Made in the Dark, “delicious” electro pop UK band Hot Chip – as Sonar Prologues 2006 put it – is going to be touring North America this fall.

Rumor has it, Hot Chip puts on an inspiring show, which usually doesn’t go by without an outrageous, spontaneous dance party. And for those who can’t get enough, the band is suspected to be hosting some after parties, where they’ll be playing more of their wacky musical miscellany through the night.

They’ll be hitting California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, and Canada in September and then cruising down the East Coast in October. Check their website for more information and exact dates or to get a free title track download. But before you do, watch the video for ‘One Pure Thought’, their new single.

Danny Byrd’s Production Diary July 8, 2008

Danny Byrd just released some great behind-the-scenes footage of the making of his latest album, Supersized. In it, he talks about his decision to document the recording process, the meaning behind the album title, and his relationships with some of the album’s guest stars.

Full with stories about drunken encounters, talk box demonstrations, and his ever-decorative Spongebob Squarepants stuffed doll sitting nearby, Danny narrates an invigorating storyline that gives us insight to his wacky yet down-to-earth personality.

Check out his production diary. It’s definitely worth a peek.

Danny Byrd’s Supersized production diary from Hospital Records on Vimeo.

Minilogue: Artist Becomes Artiste July 8, 2008

We all know that Minilogue is highly acclaimed for their sound. But their latest album, Animals, released with Cocoon this past April, is more of a full sensory experience than their usual yet impressive upshot.

“Mixed in a seamless flow,” as their MySpace page describes it, “Animals is not a collection of single tracks but a journey . . . ” And an aesthetically pleasing one, too.

The album’s cover art displays some impressive sculpturing – all mythical creatures, matching the theme of the album’s tracks, of course – and seems to be as much a part of the album as the music itself. Minilogue have always been interested in fully integrating the visual aspect of their art but this goes above and beyond.

The meticulous detail with which each mini-sculpture is crafted matches the musicians’ scrupulous three-year album development process and just comes to show how much work the Swedish duo put into their art of all kinds.

And there are no optical illusions. They are all handcrafted originals, which you can see if you check out the pictures posted on their website.

Remember When That Teenage Singer Got Discovered on Youtube? This is Better. July 7, 2008

Sasa Djuric of Serbia is just one among many participants in the recent fad of crafting DIY Ableton Live midi controllers. But from the moment he was scooped up from the CDM Flickr pool, people realized his work went above and beyond most DIY creations.Djuric, His prototype controller is not only visually similar to the software’s on-screen controller but also works with it bi-directionally and even features functions that the software lacks, including a scratching board connected through NI Traktor. In fact, that is why he decided to take the DIY route to begin with: “There’s no commercial controller that really comes close enough to what I wanted to have,” said Sasa in an interview with createdigitalmusic.com.

What’s most impressive about Sasa’s projects, though, is the meticulous care he puts into every detail of the aesthetic, organizational, and technical functions of his creations. He crafts the buttons individually from 3, 4 and 6 mm laser cut acrylic, designs the 15 LED feeder receiver with feeders that have snap function, meaning “there will be no ugly ‘jump’ if the physical fader doesn’t correspond to the volume position in Live,” and even eliminates the spaghetti of wire seen with most professionally manufactured control boards. “I couldn’t afford to have messy wiring so I paid special attention to do it tidy,” said Sasa, “I wanted this controller to be as compact as possible . . . no place for mess.”

And he surely succeeded. The final product is not yet complete but it’s in its final stage and already looks like something Ableton could buy up and sell as is (hint, hint).

But whether the product sells commercially or remains strictly a DIY project, Sasa’a creations are revolutionizing the DIY Ableton movement. The fact that one man can craft what costs professional companies expert teams, huge production centers, and months of testing, really says something about DIY technology and seems to inspire people everywhere –

After posting photographs of his technology at different stages of production as well as video clips, breaking down steps to production and usage, Sasa has amassed quite a Flickr fan base. Join them and check out his media on Flickr or read more bout Sasa’s technology at createdigitalmusic.com.

Freerange Records Tee-Shirt Line July 7, 2008

Check out Freerange Records’ new Dripping Cloud apparel. The tees and sweatshirts, printed, of course, with a dripping cloud and the Freerange bird logo, come in a selection of different colors in both men and women sizes. And they’re all printed on American Apparel merchandise produced, thankfully, sweatshop free!