Beatport Blog

Minus unveils The Cube at 10-year anniversary Contakt events

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News:

After a 10-week hiatus celebrating 10 years of Minushttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_l.gif, the collective has unveiled a new concept in community.

Beginning with a date in Detroit during Movement 08, fans of Minus will have the chance to interact with the The Cube — a method of registering their live presence within the Minus environment — and will then have access to exclusive tracks, will be able to upload demos and will have the chance to win some quality gear, including Native Instruments’ Traktor Scratch System.

According to a conversation with Richie Hawtin, founder of the label, The Cube explores “how technology allows us as artists — and the audience — to make further human contact than would have been possible in the past.”

So what exactly is The Cube?

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• Check out Minus on Beatport

Ableton releases Orchestral Instrument collection

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News:

A highly useful tool for composing and arranging musical sequences, Ableton Live is now expanding their technology to include a four-sampled instrument collection, representing the four sections of an orchestra. 

Utilizing a technology called SmartPriming, Orchestral Instruments is able to provide big symphonic sound with a minimum of CPU action.

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Nostalgia for the future: Two Armadillos interview

• Written by: Lee Smith
• Filed under: Music News: giles smith martin dawson two armadillos

One of its members is the promoter of a trailblazing London club night Secret Sundaze, globe trotting DJ, expert in all things deep and housey, and occasional music writer of some repute.

The other is knob twiddler and studio boffin extraordinaire, better known as synthy tech-house purveyor King Roc.

Together, Giles Smith and Martin Dawson are Two Armadilloshttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif, and luckily for us, their busy schedules have still found time to squeeze out a run of slinky, sensual deep techy goodness that’s earned them something of a name on the underground scene.

With their ‘Nostalgia’ release on Buzzin’ Fly currently making regular appearances on the globe’s more sophisticated dancefloors, Beatportal caught up with the dynamic duo at their London base to find out where they get the time. 

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• Get 'Nostalgia' on beatport.com

Turbo Omnidance Pan American tour live blog coverage

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: d.i.m matt walsh thomas von party tiga turbo recordings

Canadian-based Turbo Recordingshttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_l.gif celebrates their 10-year anniversary with a double CD and a global tour starting in North America and following through to Japan, Korea, China, Australia and Europe. 

Label head Tiga set it off in 2005 and has since pumped out 20 top-notch records by the likes of such names as Boyz Noise, d.i.m, Sweetlight, Chromeo and others. 

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• Check out Turbo Recordings on Beatport

Modeselektor interview for Mutek

• Written by: Christen Reutens
• Filed under: Music News: modeselektor

With Mutek festival just around the corner (it takes place in Montreal from May 28th to June 1st 2008) Mutek have been uploading some interviews with the artists performing at their event.

There’s quite an interesting piece with Germany’s Modeselektorhttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif, in which they talk about their recent album ‘Happy Birthday’ [check it out in the player below].

Modeselektor were recently voted Best Dubstep & Grime Artist in the Beatport Music Awards, and this is in part, is down to the success of their LP which featured high profile collaborators like Thom Yorke and Otto von Schirach.

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• Get 'Happy Birthday' on Beatport

DJ Mag’s live broadcast with James Zabiela

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: dj magazine

Britian’s DJ Magazine have been expanding their operations recently and to celebrate the launch of their Lithuanian magazine, they’re doing a live broadcast with James Zabiela from a club in Lithuania tonight.

Deck wizard James Zabielahttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif will be spinning at Club Galaxy in Vilnius and DJ Magazine’s live webcast begins at 11pm UK time [which is in about five hours] at http://www.selfcast.com/djmag.

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• Check out James Zabiela on Beatport

The Orb releases new album

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: malicious damage

Considered by some to be the original founders of ambient house, you might remember The Orbhttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif from their ambient, chilled out sounds dating back to the early 90s. 

Their new album, ‘The Dream’, is due out in June and promises to bring listeners an updated, “retro-fresh” sound that explores the deeper dimensions of the chill, downtempo breaks they made so popular way back when.

But, according to XLR8R online magazine, “Members of The Orb want to make it very clear that their forthcoming full-length is, in no way, a ‘comeback’ album.”

Click through to read the full story and check out the track list http://www.xlr8r.com/news/2008/04/orb-preps-new-album.

Let’s hope this one is as good as their critically acclaimed dancefloor megahit from yesteryear, ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’. 

Hit the video for ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’ after the jump.

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• Check out The Orb on Beatport

Caspa and Rusko take on Beatport

• Written by: Dan Cole
• Filed under: Music News: caspa dub police rusko sub soliders

Caspahttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif & Ruskohttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif, stars of last year’s Fabric mix CD series, seem to have been gracing the pages of every single glossy music magazine under the sun recently.

Their south London grimey dubstep anthems have been carving up dance floors across the globe and championed by main stream BBC Radio DJs Annie Mac and Mary Ann Hobbs.

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• Check out Dub Police on Beatport

UK club review: The Gallery launch party at Ministry of Sound

• Written by: Ellie
• Filed under: Music News: the gallery

When yet another of London’s clubs, Turnmills, released a statement saying they were closing, the North London club scene looked bleak and left fans of The Gallery wondering how their favourite club night could survive.

So when Ministry of Sound announced it would be hosting the trance night, the question on everyone’s lips was, “Will it work?”

And the answer is, “Yes!”

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• Check out Armin van Buuren on Beatport