Beatportal Feed

8 January, 2009 | 5.42PM

Become a Hed Kandi America resident DJ

Written by: Kirsty Kane
Filed under: Music News: hed kandi

Venerable house music label Hed Kandi, one of the world’s most successful dance brands, is currently running a DJ competition for North American residents.

Hed Kandi America needs up and coming DJs to represent them across North America (that hints at a plan to set up regular club nights across the continent), so if your sets align with Hed Kandi’s distinctive sexy soulful and vocal house sound submit a mix at HedKandiAmerica.com.

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8 January, 2009 | 2.52PM

Top 10 DJ Chart

SIS [Various]

Written by: Ryan Keeling
Filed under: Music Recommendations: sis

Beyond his ubiquitous releases last year, very little is known about Turkish born, Frankfurt resident Burak Star aka SIS.

Perhaps taking his media training from fellow press-dodger Ricardo Villalobos, (who outputted his brass-meets-house anthem ‘Trompeta’ last year through his own Sei Es Drum label) SIS has been hiding under the radar since his November 2007 release ‘La Gurua’ pricked up the ears of the electronic community.

8 January, 2009 | 12.30PM

Podcast: Genrecast: Trance 19

Beatport

Written by: Beatportal
Filed under: Music News: podcasts trance genrecast

This week’s installation of the Trance Genrecast was handpicked and sorted by Beatport staff, and represents a selection of favorite trance classics.

As always, this Genrecast is an enhanced podcast, meaning you can view the artwork, skip through tracks, and purchase the tracks that are linked directly for download from Beatport.

This week’s trance genrecast features Mr. Pit, Martin Roth & DJ Eco, Jon O’Bir, Anjunabeats, In Charge and more.

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drum & bass

8 January, 2009 | 10.27AM

Cold Champagne

Phace [Neosignal]

Written by: Caleb Rakes
Filed under: Music Recommendations: neosignal, phace

Having been in the scene for some time, producing some blisteringly hard tunes for Subtitles and Vision, Phace and Misanthrop have joined forces to launch their new label, Neosignal, to try and establish a stronghold of cutting-edge, neurofunk drum & bass.

The first release, ‘Cold Champagne’ is the ultimate showcase for the label’s future releases; the sound is characteristically dark and eerie but also dynamic and gut wrenchingly heavy.

8 January, 2009 | 8.40AM

Electronic music’s struggle in a changing China

Written by: Terry Church
Filed under: Music News: china club culture

China’s continued rise as a global superpower is having quite a strange effect on the development of the country’s indigenous electronic music and club scene.

Whilst China’s gross domestic product grew by 8.7% in 2008, making its economy the fourth largest in the world, the club scene experienced something of a recession (at least the superclub scene did).

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8 January, 2009 | 4.45AM

Loco Dice to mix ‘The Lab’ on NRK

Written by: Sarah O
Filed under: Music News: loco dice nrk

NRK, the imprint responsible for the ‘Back in the Box’ series (among many others), have lined up tech-funk luminary Loco Dice for the first installment of a new series called ‘The Lab’.

The label has seen such wide-ranging and diverse talent as Dave Clarke, DJ Sneak, Louie Vega and Christian Burkhardt on its roster recently, and Loco Dice is undoubtedly a solid choice to join the stately ranks.

In this double-disc set, the Berlin-based jock shows off his versatility, with a first disc that fights dark and dirty, while the second is more the ‘lover’ of the two.

Have a stare at the full tracklisting after the jump.

8 January, 2009 | 2.59AM

Retro Sonics for London’s old skool fans

Written by: Zack Rico
Filed under: Music News: 808 state liquid retro sonics

Old skool ravers will have a new temple in London at the end of January in which to don white gloves and blow their air horns.

DJ Kid Fiesta aka Franc Gooding, co-director of Bloom Festival, has announced a new night called Retro Sonics that is dedicated to late ‘80s and early ‘90s house music.

Unlike many of the other retrospective raves around, the first Retro Sonics party will actually see two of the biggest early UK house pioneers play live, Shades of Rhythm and Liquid. Oi oi.

7 January, 2009 | 8.33PM

Under The Willow

Ryan Crosson [Alphahouse]

Written by: Lee Smith
Filed under: Music Recommendations: alphahouse, ryan crosson

The slightly warped releases of Ryan Crosson have marked him out as a key player in the North American techno nu-school, and here he returns to Butane’s Alphahouse imprint for more sinister fun.

Honing down the ricocheting percussion of his other work into a starker, sharper groove, both tracks are designed with the foggy hours of the night in mind.

7 January, 2009 | 4.57PM

Green Velvet to play Bloc Weekend 2009

Written by: Zack Rico
Filed under: Music News: bloc weekend green velvet

With Carl Craig, Kode9, Lee Scratch Perry, Frequency 7 and Appleblim having already confirmed for Bloc Weekend 2009, there was more than enough reason to make the trek to Butlins Holiday Camp, in Minehead, Somerset, England.

But now Chicago house and electronica god Green Velvet aka Cajmere has been added to the Bloc party, which takes place from March 13th-15th, 2009 (check out some of Green Velvet’s excellent past releases in the player after the jump).

7 January, 2009 | 2.44PM

You interview Jonas Tempel, CEO of Beatport

Written by: Terry Church
Filed under: Music News: beatport beatport 5 year tour

Beatport 4.0 will launch on 21st January 2009 and to celebrate, we’ve decided to give the Beatportal community the opportunity to interview the CEO of Beatport, Jonas Tempel.

Email your questions to the big chief using the email address below, and we’ll pose the best ones to Jonas.

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7 January, 2009 | 12.00PM

Podcast: Beatport Burners: Episode 91

Beatport

Written by: Beatportal
Filed under: Music News: beatport burners podcasts

Beatport Burners take the hottest new releases out there and wrap them up in a nice little weekly podcast, painstakingly handpicked by Beatport staff.

If you’re a DJ looking for what’s hot right now, then you need a dose of our weekly Beatport Burners, which includes tracks that are sure to be blowing up a dancefloor near you.

This week we’re serving up a fresh mix of Jay Lumen, Dousk, Angel Stoxx, a Daniel Portman remix of Tim Davison, and some beats from Toolroom and Tribal Vision Records.

And remember that Beatport Burners are ‘enhanced podcasts’, so you can skip through tracks, see the cover art and click through to Beatport to download releases.

So get in on the mix and check them out.

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indie dance/nu disco

7 January, 2009 | 10.24AM

Carlos The Jackal

Bonar Bradberry [Red Music Records...

Written by: Caleb Rakes
Filed under: Music Recommendations: bonar bradberry, red music records

Sounding familiar? It should do, because it’s Gary Numan’s ‘Music For Chameleons’ boldly re-edited and re-released as a slice of nu-disco pie.

This should in no way deter you from the quality of this brash tune, which itself has mutated into a funky, slappy bass, disco monster that’s as fun and quirky as its contemporaries.

7 January, 2009 | 9.01AM

Macworld 2009: Apple’s latest production tools

Written by: francispreve
Filed under: Music News: apple technology

Yesterday, Apple announced significant upgrades to several of their products, notably the iLife suite of media software, the more office-oriented iWork, and their high-end 17-inch MacBook Pro.

For DJs and producers, the highlights are GarageBand ‘09 and the new MacBook Pro.

When Apple revved the MacBooks and MacBook Pro last fall, the top-of-the-line 17-inch MacBook Pro was conspicuously overlooked, leading many industry insiders – Beatportal included – to presume that Apple had a major upgrade planned for this month’s Macworld.

True to form, that’s exactly what happened.

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7 January, 2009 | 5.38AM

Native Instruments’ 3 new products for NAMM 2009

Written by: Christen Reutens
Filed under: Music News: namm 2009 technology

Native Instruments has revealed that it will be dropping three new products at the NAMM 2009 music tech trade show next week.

The company said in a statement to the media that there will be one product each for DJs, producers and guitarists, and that the new releases represent “the biggest NI product innovation in years!”.

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(690) Views

6 January, 2009 | 3.49PM

Dutch star 2000 And One’s debut LP ‘Heritage’

Written by: Zack Rico
Filed under: Music News: 100% pure 2000 and one

The Netherlands’ underground house scene was vibrant in 2008 thanks to producers like 2000 And One, Lauhaus, Kabale Und Liebe and Aroy Dee.

Dylan Hermelijn, aka 2000 And One, has just announced that in February he will release his debut solo artist album ‘Heritage’ on 100% Pure, and judging from the previews available to listen to on his MySpace it could be one of the year’s best DJ-friendly house albums.