Stereocool - Simple (ft. Ace)

Funky and bassy and I love the bright synth pads this song.

Apparat Organ Quartet - 123 Forever (Robotaki Remix)

Leave it to a Montrealer to take a good song and make it better. I feel warm and nostalgic inside.

Tesla55 - Gets You Down (Hit and Run)

Love this new disco with a funky 80s feel

Starpoint - Object of My Desire

Went to an X Factor taping last night

I never watch this show but it was fun to see how a live taping works and watch young singers have their dreams realized or crushed. Highlight of the show however was getting to sit 50 feet from Britney Spears! Here's a video of the judges walking out. They made us put our phones away after that.

Meek Mill - A1 Everything

Madi Diaz - Trust Fall (Jenson Sportag remix)

Midi Fighter 3D walkthrough

The Midi Fighter 3D went on sale last night at a very reasonable $249. Of course, I already have mine after winning it in a contest. People often come up to me on the street and they're like, "Hey, so what does the Midi Fighter 3D do?" Actually, that never happens. But DJTT did post a handy walkthrough video that explains the features quite well. Check it out.

Midi Fighter 3D unboxing

Finally received the Midi Fighter 3D in the mail that I won in this contest. I was inspired to make a quick and messy unboxing video, the first unboxing video of an MF3D on the interwebz!

Wavves at the Mohawk

Here's another SXSW video I never got around to posting until now. We were mainly at the Mohawk to see Kool Keith, but I gotta say, Wavves killed it. The kids loved it. It also helped that we had one of the best places to stand in the venue.

Update: I won a Midi Fighter 3D!!!!

Wow, I'm blown away! For the second time, I won a free Midi Fighter! Only this time, it's the crazy awesome Midi Fighter 3D. It's a brand new arcade button-based, motion-sensitive midi controller from DJTechTools.com.  I came in second place, but in a last minute move of generosity, DJTT decided to award four Midi Fighters in the contest. FUCK YES!!!!!

They launched this contest to win one of the first Midi Fighter 3Ds. I had to use their set of sounds in the form of an Ableton Live Pack and create a controllerism routine under two minutes in length. Their sounds were mostly oriented towards hip hop, dubstep and drum and bass.

Here's my cue point juggling routine from 2010 that won me my first Midi Fighter.

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).

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

Dual Citizen - Club Action mix

I took this picture at a Yo Majesty show in Austin a while ago. Yo Majesty will tell you all about the club action. They appear early in this mix of 80s electro, club rap, disco house, and other assorted electronic dance music I've been listening to lately. You can grab the mp3 from the Soundcloud embed below. Track listing:
Russell Dabney - In the Middle of the Night (Instrumental)
Yo Majesty - Club Action (Dual Citizen acapella)
Akasha - Thunder in Your Love (Instrumental)
Lil Kim - Crush on You (Dual Citizen acapella)
Louis La Roche - F.U.B.A.R.
Britney Spears - Radar (Dual Citizen acapella)
Shook - Hold Tight
Penguin Prison - Don't Fuck With My Money (Penguin Prison Club Mix)
Moon Boots - Off My Mind
Bernban - Midas Touch the Sky (Midnight Star vs. Kanye West)
Theophilus London - Girls Girls $
Break Machine - Break Dance Party (Dual Citizen edit)
Justice - Helix Yacht - Psychic City (Classixx Remix)
Goldroom - City Girls Sander Kleinenberg - The Healer (Shazam remix)
Dual Citizen - You Got Me Feeling Emotions
Fred Everything & 20for7 - Friday (Crazy P remix)
NWA feat. Snoop Dogg - Chin Check (Dual Citizen acapella)
Maximum Balloon feat. Theophilus London - Groove Me
Lorenz Rhode - Back
Treasure Fingers - Rooftop Revival
Moulinex - Lover in Me
Quakers and Mormons - New York Town (Lenno remix)
Robotaki - Visual Dreams (Instrumental)
Madeon - For You Miami Horror - Holidays (Lenno and Jesse Oliver remix)
Mitzi - All I Heard Junior Boys - A Truly Happy Ending (Keljet remix)
MSTRKRFT - Bounce (LA Riots Unreleased remix)
George Duke - Brazilian Love Affair (Zimmer edit)

Will Nile Rodgers help Daft Punk bounce back?

Daft Punk's "Discovery" is one of those albums I would bring with me if I were trapped on a desert island. The songs created an imaginary futuristic land that I think about all the time. The record was so undeniably influential, and it got a whole lot of people interested in electronic dance music.

Lately, however, Daft Punk's music has not lived up to it's reputation, especially the lackluster Tron: Legacy soundtrack. The hooks weren't there. The structure was weak. I was very disappointed by that album, to say the least. Yeah, yeah it's a movie soundtrack. Whatever, it fell flat.

Now there's fresh hope! Legendary producer Nile Rodgers of the disco band Chic is supposedly working with Daft Punk, at least according to this interview in Houston Culturemap.

"Those guys are great,” Rodgers said. “They're coming to my apartment on Monday and we’re going to talk about making a new record together."

Holy shit! I really hope so! Rodgers has exactly what Daft Punk has been lacking these days: the ability to create a catchy song people want to listen to again and again. The ability to get people out onto the dancefloor.

Rodgers has produced a shit load of albums, including Madonna's "Like a Virgin", David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and records by Duran Duran, Grace Jones and Diana Ross. Hopefully he his magic can propel Daft Punk back to the heights they haven't seen since Alive 2007.

Moog MINITAUR Analog Bass Synth

I'm hyperventilating over this. Every year, the National Association of Music Merchants hosts an industry conference during which music equipment manufacturers show off their latest products. There is a shit ton of awesome stuff. But perhaps none as awesome as the Moog MINITAUR.

Moog, whose line of synthesizers helped define modern music since the 1970s, has come out with its cheapest pure analog synthesizer ever! That position used to be held by the amazing Slim Phatty, which retails for $799. I know that seams like a lot, but it's crazy cheap compared to most of Moog's analog synths. For example, the blue Minimoog Voyager, which I would buy tomorrow if I won the lottery, retails for $3,395. 

But now we can all own a slice of the Moog magic for just $599. $599 for crying out loud! I'm saving up for a bike now, but once I get that (and maybe a subwoofer), I'm going to start putting aside cash every month for a piece of the dream. 

Treasure Fingers - Rooftop Revival

Really love this Treasure Fingers song, but annoyed that the mp3 hasn't been released yet! Maybe I can ask him about it when we go see him with Theophilus London next Friday at Austin's newest venue, the Beauty Ballroom.

Dual Citizen - You Got Me Feeling Emotions

Happy New Year! Here's a new song from the Dual Citizen laboratories. Special thanks to Mariah.
   Dual Citizen - You Got Me Feeling Emotions

>>> DOWNLOAD <<<

Louis La Roche - F.U.B.A.R.

Ever since I was first exposed to the instantly classic Canadian film FUBAR back in 2002, I can't help but think about Terry and Deaner every time I hear the acronym for "Fucked up beyond all recognition."

In fact, it's been altogether to long since I've rewatched the mockumentary about that pair of booze fueled ragamuffins. It would probably take a few flats for those heshers to appreciate the joys of new disco, but perhaps producer wizard Louis La Roche could find his way to their hearts.

I have been enjoying LLR's sampled filtered house music for a while, and now he's handing out his newest track for free.  Giver!

Louis La Roche - F.U.B.A.R by louislaroche