Testing Traktor for iPad

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Finally, Native Instruments released an app for the ipad called “Traktor DJ“. Since Traktor is the widest used DJ software and the ipad has so much to offer to manipulate music with its interface the expectations were extremely high. And they didn’t fail. The price of 18 EUR is ok for what you get and after reading the first reviews and I instantly had to download and try it.

I spent a nice long ride on the train with figuring out the thing and produce a little mix. The app runs smoothly and is very intuitive, it comes with effects like looping, delays, flangers and filters or freezes. The freeze function is certainly the most innovative. While in a loop, you can touch certain parts of the loop and play it, like single drums or sounds. While playing, mixing or skipping, it never gets out of synch, and combined with a soundcard you can send different sound signals to master and prelistening. So this is actually a serious alternative for a gig in a bar, maybe not in a club.

So here it is, enjoy 30 minutes of bass music with Benga, Kryptic Minds, Redrum and Fused Forces.

The mixes can be recorded directly within the app. I was a bit annoyed at first because I could not find a way to export it. But with a little help from the NI support I found the way. This is how you export and save a recording from the Traktor app for iPad:

“In order to export your recorded mix you need to sync (connect) your iPad to a desktop computer, then open iTunes and click on the iPad tab. Select the “APPS” tab and then scroll down to the section “File Sharing”. You will see TraktorDJ in the file sharing apps list. click on it, it will show you the recorded files which you can save now with the “SAVE TO” button to a location on your harddrive.”

Here is the official promotion video with Richie Hawtin preparing a set in the taxi:

Kryptic Minds Fabric Mix

feature-timoutYears ago my friend Tom Dicicco, who was an upcoming producer then and now a regular guest at Berghain, told me about Kryptic Minds. “They are reeeeealy good”, he said, with a knowing nod, as if he knew they were going to be that big as they are now.

With a heritage of dark, soundfocused and complex drum’n’bass they formed a whole genre of dub heavy, reduced and dense dubstep. The niche of dubstep I really love. They are part of the widespread DMZ crew, releasing on their very own Osiris Records and have a worldwide followership who love their “fearsome sub bass assaults that lead listeners into an edgy otherworld”. Their slow and focused tracks produce an energy which is highly hypnotic and infectious and to me they have been very influential in my own dubstep voyage since 2006. I was especially blown away by their performance at Outlook festival together with Youngsta. It was just so massive and overwhelming.

Now they released a mix as a part of the famous Fabric series. Check it out as it subtly driving forward and roomfilling. The better your soundsystem the more the bass will come to life.

Picture from the Osiris page

My “Massiv e Sharif” dubstep mixtape

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I recorded this mixtape a while ago, inspired by my stay at Outlook festival. It’s called “Massive e Sharif”. Massive as in big and voluminous, living bass lines and Sharif as in noble protectors of the tribe for elegant grooves and sophisticated rhythms. Enjoy.

Tracklist:

Badman VIP – Kryptic Minds
Blackout – Jack Sparrow
Kingfisher – RSD
Good Music – Bombaman
Sidewinder – Killawatt
Sweat – Untold
Booyant – Distal
The Raven – Biome
Avalanche – Photek
Deep Tech – Icicle
False Flag – Moving Ninja, Pinch

Great Dubstep video documentary


I found a great film about the evolution of dubstep and its protagonists and places. The SRK crew follow people through Croydon, the Big apple record store, the club Fwd, climb house roofs with Heny G from Anti Social Entertainment who explains how pirate radio shows work, visit Sub FM, explain the mastering process, film club nights, meet Mala, Skream, Hatcha, Kode9, Benga, N-Type, the Plastician, Mary Ann Hobbs, and many, many more. Very insightful and entertaining!

My best tracks from the Devorama party

The Devorama party was a big, packed, sweaty and joyful event. I was superhyped and excited that everything went so well and sat at the terrace with the last crew until the sun rose. The party guests showed their devotion with buying more drinks after the 30 free beer crates were gone. And of course, I took my chance to play some tunes after Symbiz had finished the energy loaded show. Here are my favorites of this quite dark dubstep set which actually made some people dance in the end.

Starting very dark and intense with Kryptic Minds – Badman VIP

Spill in some echo reggae sweetness, RSD – Kingfisher

It gets a bit funkier and people start to get it with Killawatt’s Mantra

And my highlight Distal – Booyant

I ended with more straight tunes, like Martyn and Mike Slotts All Nights

to hand over to Paula who continued with discoish tunes from the Loftus Hall

The pic up there is by Matze Hielscher, finde more party pics here!

Symbiz Sound


Symbiz Sound are probably the most entertaining bass music crew in Berlin, these two guys blow your mind when they play live. They go mental on their self built controller, sing, rap, play guitar, use the siren extensively and know exactly how to play with the audience. The first time I saw them, they managed to fill an empty tent with a raging crowd over the course of 30 minutes.

Symbiz’ ragga and tropical infused dubstep is densely filled with effect sounds, interesting changes, great vocals and funny ideas. Computer games get mashed in, a polka band, ironic shouts. It’s great fun, not too serious, yet with an attitude. These guys know what they’re doing and they never seem to run out of ideas.

Here is their most recent video, “Who cares?” as a 3D version. You’ll need cyan/red glasses to see it properly. Here’s the 2D version.

Here is the making-of which shows the immense effort needed to produce this. They got support by the Technical University of Braunschweig.

To prove their live qualities watch this:

At Melt, I was so impressed that I took the chance and asked them if they wanted to play at our P3000 Devorama summer party. And they said yes! So now I am so looking forward to tomorrow when they blow the roof off the place where we usually work.

The picture is from the Juicy Beats Fb page.

Splash Festival happening now

Splash Festival is Germany’s most popular hip hop festival. I remember the first Splash in 1999, I was 19 and did an internship at Intro magazine. I travelled to more than 10 festivals in one summer (which is a lot but nothing compared to what Christine is doing this year) and Splash was one of them. I even got to go on stage and introduce artists to the crowd. I can’t quite remember why they let me do that but it was definitely a good time.

This year, Splash turns 15 years old and I very much like the idea of the video trailer with the son who wants to go to Splash for the first time and the dad who looks like he’s been going there for the last 15 years. After some years of bad luck with heavy rain and big shot artists on the line up who cancelled in the very last minute, for the last two years, Splash festival succeeded to turn around and present international musicians together with the German stars in a superb location.

This year will see Whiz Khalifa, ASAP Rocky, Mac Miller, Skream, Beginner, Caspa, Cro and many others. Weather looks good so far, all the best at Splash!
Follow the #splash15 Hashtag and listen to DJ Ron’s Uptowns Finest special Splash show

Mix of the week: Sbtrkt essential mix

Sbtrkt came out of nowhere and just like James Blake, Jamie Woon and Nicolas Jaar captured very fast a place in the area of bassy, dubby and abstract dance and pop music. All they did, they did well and everything seems planned and thought. Their debut record “Sbtrkt” is very complete and well done, they have a real hit on it to get radio plays (“Pharaos“), they remixed Radiohead and released mixtapes for RinseFM and Mary Ann Hobbs.
Here is the essential mix which starts very shattered but then rolls up to some real danceable dubsteppy and breaky floor monster. Click here for the tracklist. Firts of december they will be in Berlin at Lido

SBTRKT ESSENTIAL MIX by sbtrkt