The EU is currently in the process of making the low-cost 1980’s technology GSM (Global System for Mobile) available for wireless internet services throughout Europe. The GSM technology uses low-end radio frequencies (900MHz/1800MHz) currently dedicated to voice and data services.
With the inception of the multi-media licensing boom of the past 10 years, an enormous new network of opportunity has arisen for independent artists from around the world. Major companies with deep pockets began dynamically utilizing independent music for global marketing campaigns, in-store broadcast, and major multi-media transmissions.
Having amassed an extraordinarily large catalog of successful independent music from a multitude of artists, producers Jan Pulsford and Dustin Michael teamed in 2007 to create 5250 Music, a “music for moving images” licensing company focusing on pairing top-quality independent music with major multi-media and broadcast companies. Collectively, the two have over 40 years of professional experience and music industry ties, and it seems that this fledgling company will soon become a progressive player in the massive world of multi-media licensing.
…calling all car commercials…
Renowned “Grande Dame of Electronica”, Jan Pulsford has been at the forefront of the electronic music scene since the early 80’s. Pioneering/Producing/Performing electronic music for major label artists such as the Thompson Twins and Cyndi Lauper, and constructing countless remixes and sound libraries over the past 20+ years, Jan Pulsford has undoubtedly left her mark on the evolution of electronic music as a whole.
Find out more about Jan Pulsford and her vast achievements and collaborations here at www.musicALLmusic.com
The above is a direct quote from the infamous Sean “Puffy/Puff Daddy/P Diddy/Diddy” Combs in a blatant statement that what you hear and read may be only smoke and mirrors. Since the early days of this century’s music business industry, songwriters have been taken advantage of by vocalists. Current pop figureheads such as Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Usher, Celine Dion and countless others regularly use songwriters to coin their million-selling albums and singles, and all the while taking partial credit in both the writing and publishing.
A recent story spotlighting this ongoing ignominy was made by AP writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody.
One of the founding hip-hop DJ pioneers, Bronx native DJ Kool Herc, was honored this week by Congressman Jose Serrano who placed a statement concerning the DJ and his cultural contributions in the permanent congressional record. The statement has brought attention to affordable housing in the Bronx - during the 1970’s, Kool Herc and his family & friends were able to live and survive in the Bronx due to affordable housing.
New York City is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, and low income housing in its districts gives an insurmountable people a chance to live comfortably and prosper.
When mixing tracks into a dance music dj mix, always drop in the second track on the first beat of a 32 (or 64 or 128) beat matrix from the first track. Listening for the turn-around in a song is your best cue point to drop a track - if you mix in too early or too late, the mix may not sound as proper as it should and the turn-around(s) of both tracks may clash.
Every dance music song is different, and experimenting with the various cue points is the key to a good mix. Really listen to the music you are mixing and know your tracks, backwards and forwards.
Make some love with that mix!
Dance music is created for the specific purpose of mixing and blending with other pieces of dance music. It is (for the most part) created in measures that have specific mathematic properties - these mathematically precise properties ensure that any given track will conveniently fit within the parameters of a proper/standard live mix.
Here is the breakdown of the standard dance music grid. You can easily see a pattern built upon the 4-beat-per-measure dance music concept.
(60 seconds play time @ 128bpm)
128 beat matrix
64 beats (4×4x4) + (4×4x4) 64 beats
32 beats + 32 beats + 32 beats + 32 beats
Example of a standard EDM track: 128 beats (mix-in), 128 beat matrix x 4 (body with movements), 128 beat (mix out).
Diverse forms of electronic dance music genres have varying formats of general structure. For instance: slower bpm genres of EDM may be constructed and move well within a 32-64 beat matrix (evolving as needed), while genres such as Progressive House and Drum n Bass tend to adhere well to the common 128 beat structure in long building and diminishing movements. The grid format is only a schematic in which a dance music producer uses to construct the music - and like any skeleton, bones may be broken and reassembled as deemed appropriate by the creator.
It comes as no surprise to anyone who has been listening to dance music for an extended amount of time, to hear that the evolution of dance music develops at the pace of a garden slug - at best. Every year (or sometimes every few years) there comes a track out of nowhere that is so innovative and fresh, it sets the standard for the genre - or even the entire sound from that point forward. Take Daft Punk for instance; by showcasing an ever-changing variety of melodic 8bit samples sliced and diced between a funky floor-friendly electronic backdrop, Daft Punk has been able to consistently rise to the top of the charts for well over a decade.
The reason for Daft Punk’s ongoing success is the fact that they experiment with their art/music, and create new sounds and styles of electronic dance music in the process. Instead of following the current genre trends, they are the trendsetters via experimentation. A producer can spend thousands of dollars a year keeping up with software and hardware development, but it does not mean that the music created will reflect their financial effort - at best, it only creates a dated sound. For the most part, dance music producers are follow-the-leaders, and create music that can only be sold within the current market restraints - this ensures that the overall sound and style of the music will gradually change over long periods of time - which is fine and dandy, but where is the experimentation - where is the art?
The evolution and advancement of the music itself depends solely on the breaking of rules and standards by artists and producers - Revolution by example. Be creative with your art - stir the emotions - engage the listener - it is the only thing that really matters.
Every Monday night @ the world famous Station Inn in Nashville Tennessee, music lovers from all over come to hear the unique sound of the Time Jumpers - a collaboration of 11 professional Nashville studio musicians that play a hot blend of jump blues and western swing.
A major feature was just published online - read more here… http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jul20/0,4670,MusicTimeJumpers,00.html
Bass is a tricky and beastly character to work with, particularly within the digital realm. When constructing/manipulating bass lines, and especially sub-bass lines, it is always best to start out with uncompressed 24bit+ sound (of you have access to it). Use your equalization software to minimize and round off the ocean-like sub-rumble of the 40hz (and below) range while maintaining (or boosting) the thickness of the 120-300hz ranges - then you can safely proceed to maximize the volume of the bass itself without compression (save the compression for the pre-mix). Of course, every producer has their own trade tricks to make a track really boom, but in the end, it all comes down to an intricate balancing act between proper frequency output and compression.
Remember: compression can be your best friend, or worst enemy - depending on how you work it - no diggity.