Mistah F.A.B. and SBTRKT live at SXSW 2012

I shot a bunch of video during SXSW 2012, but these two are my favorite of the bunch. Number one is an amazing freestyle by Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B. He said his computer was stolen so he had no choice but to lay down some improvisational raps over a beat to entertain the crowd at the Thrasher Magazine party. Pretty crazy freestyling and the crowd was fucking loving it.

This one is SBTRKT playing Wildfire at the Fader Fort. This video had pretty decent sound considering the tiny little mic in my camera. Loved seeing an APC40 on the stage.  I have other videos of varying quality from Blouse, Trae, Kreayshawn, Crystal Method and Z-Trip on my YouTube channel. Check it out if you're interested.

Miami Nights 1984 - Ocean Drive

 I love the Dreamwave genre and how those artists create their own music videos by setting songs to the same 80s films and anime that inspire the retrofuturistic style of music.

Miami Nights 1984 -- a band from Victoria, BC -- released their second album "Turbulence" on Saturday and posted this video just a few days ago. It's their song Ocean Drive set to the 1983 anime film Golgo 13 The Professional. Here's how their label describes the album:

Spanning 12 tracks, Turbulence builds upon the synth-pop charms and synthesizer solos from Miami’s first album with more character: orchestra stabs, percussive rushes, slow motion bends and epic interludes distinguish the album. So does the album’s more intense moments which promote the Outrun electro sound we have championed for many years.

Sounds pretty awesome to me! If you like it, the album's available on their Bandcamp site, iTunes and Amazon (coming soon).

So this just happened....

Houston rap legend Bun B shot a video directly across the street from our place! This is the coolest thing ever to happen on our block! Could totally walk up and just watch him, no barricades or anything. The music was kind of quiet though, which I guess doesn't matter in the grand scheme of shooting music videos.

Questlove and A-Trak at SXSW

This was a fun show last night in this building, which is normally a warehouse that sells used office furniture. I'm not a huge fan of A-Trak but his set was tight. I will say his subwoofers were so loud that the bass drowned out other frequencies in the music, especially in this reverby warehouse.
But the mix was perfect for Questlove, an amazingly knowledgable DJ who also plays drums for the Roots on a show we watch regularly, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Forget the fact he's on NBC every night, he's a straight up killer DJ who will force you to shake your ass by mixing genres and eras will making it seem like the songs were written to fit together.

Blackjoy - Mercurian (Jupiter Remix)

It seems all my favorite new disco comes out of France these days. No big surprise really, given that in many ways it is the country where disco house originated. Here's a remix by Jupiter, a name I can't help but think was inspired by the legendary synthesizer. I know they at least have a Jupiter 6, so it must be true.

The song has tons of plucky analog synths, morphed vocals, big wide spectrum snare, and a relatively laid back tempo. It's everything I like about the genre. You can download the mp3 for free on their Facebook page (only 192 kbps, oh well). Stony Roads says Jupiter is putting out an album soon, so that's worth keeping an eye out for.

The Midi Fighter in 3D

This is a really cool new midi controller. The Midi Fighter 3D is a better looking Midi Fighter that allows you to control additional parameters by tilting the device or rotating it. So you could turn on a bitcrushing effect by pressing one button, then tilt the Midi Fighter sideways and the effect would get more intense. Or whatever! You can set the parameters or use the included mapping.

Unlike in the video, you don't have to go swinging the thing around to make it work. You can just casually tilt it off your table, and the feet are curled to make that easier.  He uses a simple electro house song to demonstrate the Midi Fighter 3D, but I can imagine all sorts of possibilities with a whole range of music.

Plus it just looks so damn cool. There's something about LEDs and arcade buttons. The MF3D goes on sale in April for $249.

Over the past three years, I've been watching DJ TechTools grow up into a real consumer electronics company. This device got them more attention than ever from the tech press. Here are some short writeups.

Synthtopia: DJ TechTools Introduces MIDI Fighter 3D, ‘The Most Expressive Compact Controller On The Market’
CNET: MIDI Fighter 3D, the BFF for ADD DJs
Engadget: Midi Fighter 3D has arcade buttons and motion control, still can't throw fireballs
The Verge: MIDI Fighter 3D brings motion controls to DJing