Djuna

Cool beans! I'm working on 3 tracks at the moment, given enough time I hope one of them will be finished this month. Hope to be a part of it!

@LFO my Reloop mixer can keep the same pitch as well. That's a live set, not a DJ set.

True, but you kinda miss my point. Did the ability to mix on laptop create new and interesting ways to mix? Maybe, but I still haven't met a DJ who did something different. And a side-effect to worry about is that standards are lowered: anyone with a laptop can start, some with pirated software play mp3's and music downloaded from youtube; the aspect of searching for a certain release and mastering a certain skill disappears. Regarding contact with the crowd: I don't think it has to do with the gear being used... And overall I think people should be more in contact with the music, not the person on the stage. But that's an other discussion. ^^

Nowadays the only way to tell if someone is mixing on the spot or just playing a (premixed) playlist, is when (s)he is playing with vinyl or CD's. But even with CD's I saw some DJ's never setting a que point or changing discs, which is a bit suspicious... So I guess the only way to be sure is that they play vinyl. Anyway, what's maybe more important to ask is this: do laptops help to create better DJ-sets and musical experiences, or not? Until now no DJ could convince me of that. By the way, for the mixing fans, here is Carl Cox playing a psy/techno set with 3 decks.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKMG_hZeGMA

Acoustics, how a track is mixed, which speakers you use, ... But when I listen to a reference track and walk 4 meters further, it sounds differently though. It would surprise me that it wouldn't happen in your room, since that would be against a natural law. I wouldn't worry too much about it, if you're speakers are set right and you have a certain acoustic treatment you'll do fine. That's why there are certain 'rules' on where and how you should mix, inside a room with nearfields.

\m/ Tasted their beer yet?

Well, one of the misconceptions in dance oriented music about mastering is that a cd has to be mastered 'for the dancefloors', and this means - in that same line of thought - that it has to be compressed to a certain (harsh) level with barely any headroom, reducing the joy of actually listening to it at home (that's why I barely buy any newschool anymore), increasing listening fatigue, mastering every release almost the same way as any other release, ... It's a trend and a commercial way of thinking, it's less about the music. Though the tables are turning in the music industry globally, and more people are getting aware (see the recent articles that are online about Taylor Swift's latest album being louder than AC/DC), I guess it will take a bit longer in the goa scene.

I get your first point - in 5 years of 'oldschool' there was much more diversity in music than in more than 10 years of newschool. We're all to blame I guess (artists, labels and listeners). But I'm not really talking about the music itself, but about the actual scene today and how it is being build up or down (that's debatable) by former known artists.

It's a thought that I've been thinking about lately, and a new topic brought it up... To get straight to the point: not that they NEED to be, but most goa artists who made music in the 90's don't add a thing to the goa trance scene nowadays. The ones who do can be counted on one hand, figure of speech. But still all of them are treated as 'old gods', given the highest places on the line-ups at parties and festivals, increasing the subjective relevance. I can understand it, of course it's great to hear and see them again after all this time. Or to buy previously unreleased music on new physical releases. But I don't believe any more that it helps the goa scene to just replay old music and... nothing else. To grow, you have to create. Another symptom of that is that there's almost no synergy between new and old artists - old artists get the chance to play and promote their old music, while it's actually the new artists who keep the scene and goa trance alive. Two different situations where one sure is more finite than the other. This can't last forever, and shouldn't be counted on forever. Any (other) thoughts?

I disagree completely! You can be much more creative if you don't use the same midi or sample files, BPM or key. Otherwise it's more a cover than a remix/remake imo.

It's more 90's, but The Sound of Belgium is a nice documentary about New Beat - if your girlfriend likes Karftwerk this is a good next step I guess.

Dragon Twins - Wildgroei Forgot to mention here that I got a new track uploaded on Soundcloud, have a listen! By the way, I am followable on faecesbook right now -> https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dragon-Twins/896884070375035 ! "> " type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">

Nice stuff man that last one, kind of like oldschool acid trance. The mixing sounds a bit thin maybe, and the percussion is a bit too dry. Hmmm, I don't know, maybe it's just taste and will I have an other opinion hearing it an other day. Either way, cool style you got there!

It's nice, the composition is good, soundwise it's not that special but it stands its ground. It has a bit of a dub techno feel, but I'd play a bit more with the reverb and delay through the track (feedback it, amplifying it, maybe a second delay/reverb with different modulation settings, all that jazz) to make it more exciting. The snare around the 2:00 mark has a strange clicky sound in the mid area in the right channel, I'd cut that out. Maybe make the snare mono, cut out the lower part, and send it to a chorus effect if you want it stereo? Just typing out loud, I guess it would suit better with the overall clean sound. After hearing it a second time, that snare around 2:00 has different layers right? Because at 6:00 the click sound doesn't appear anymore. If so I'd get rid of it, or make it bigger, right now it's neither fish nor fowl (had to look that expression up on google ). Cheers!

Aah, that's nice. Cool frontplate and knobs you got on your x0x by the way. I got a Minibrute SE recently, though I like the MS20's ESP better it's also very nice to process external audio through its LFO's and filter. Not only acid, but soft pads too for example.

Ufomatka's latest is also clocking above 150 BPM, and it's niiiice. Next to Ganesha Pramana I can't think of any other good track of the new school; following Shpongled's post..

Haha, great! It's just a good joke and immediately their are people on their high horse - maybe that's the reason? (no offence )

That Ufomatka stuff is niiiice! Fuzzonaut sounds okay but a bit too sterile to my taste (I'm not even going to mention that SunVillage fiasco.. ). But Ufomatka, hell yeah! He's got balls, and I like balls. The same balls Lapsus has, also with a serious but playful vibe in his tracks. And no irritating, easy melodies and song structure - that's almost rare these days! Definitely going to keep track of this guy. Here's his soundcloud link for the new fans: https://soundcloud.com/alex-ufotrip

I think so too; in a more hardware based studio where music is recorded in takes, not segments, and with external sequencers etc., it is very helpful to have more hands on deck.

Be sure to do that! Thanks. These tracks not specifically, but yeah, they are one of my favourite oldschool artists - the combination of groovy percussion with hypnotic basslines that can go on and on really mark their "alien" like sound I dig so much... Cool that you mention them. ^^

Yeah I like it too, it has a more beginning-of-the-90's feel to it. I must agree with that Omegahertz track though, damn.. Maybe it's supposed to be a joke? Not a big fan of his music but the other stuff I heard from him is much more uh... "grown up".

True that! And for some it's buying gear, and then later one realising they get more things done without it.

How ironic, in a topic about ego!

Nobody said that, but this is a topic for people working or wanting to work with hardware. By the way, that software you make your tunes with, didn't that cost you anything..? Because you wouldn't DOWNLOAD a CAR, would you?!!

I very much disagree on you with this point. If you think that dancing to music can be entrancing, then why not with making music? In an audience, I love it to see an artist whose body language is totally in line with the feel and power of the music he or she creates at that very moment... Now don't make me post a Jimi Hendrix video! But this has nothing to do with the video that Anoebis posted imo, that stuff is just easy music for easy people. But live and let live I guess...