Okay, so I've read Phillip Sherburne's piece and many of the comments from DJs, Producers and others who ask some very good questions about streaming and cite many reasons why the quality of dance music seems to be suffering. Sherburne writes that today's dance music producer is so frazzled between DJ gigs and travel, that they have no time to write quality music. Is that true? I don't know, but what I do know is that music production is vastly different today than it once was. No longer are you stuck in a studio for a 15-hour session or back-to-back all-nighters. You can get stems from others contributing to your production or vocals from your singer in your DropBox, then drop them into your Ableton production on that 19-hour flight to Singapore. Sure, you're not stuck in your home studio, but your hotel room, your flight or your limo ride have replaced the studio as your production environment.
Tag: soundcloud
Maya Jane Coles: Watcher
One of my favorite producers of late, Maya Jane Coles, is a rising start in the house music arena. She’s been tagged on a number of lists:
- ‘Producer of the Year 2011′ by DJ Mag
- ‘Best Breakthrough DJ 2011′ by Mixmag
- Debuted at No. 9 on the Resident Advisor ’2011 DJ Poll’
- ‘Best Newcomer 2011′ at the Ibiza DJ Awards 2011
Here’s her latest track, Watcher, take from a Dogmatic Records EP. This track is a throwback to early Strictly Rhythm, Nervous, and King Street deep house tracks. It’s impossible for me to say whether Maya was actually influenced by these labels, given her relatively young age and the fact that she produced Hip-Hop and Drum’n’Bass earlier in her career. But, I can’t imagine from hearing this track that she wasn’t influenced in some way by early house pioneers to create this melodic and soulful, deep house experience.
You can buy it here on Beatport.
SoundCloud Product Analysis
I recently had the opportunity to engage in a product analysis project, where I took a look at the SoundCloud home page UI and their on-boarding process. I put together this document and in the interest of open-source, am making it publicly available, so that others can learn from it and use its recommendations in their product development efforts.
Hot Randall Jones and Soul Funky Remixes of Alicia Keyes “Empire State of Mind”
There are some records in life that touch your soul. When Alicia Keyes and Jay Z rolled out with “Empire State of Mind,” an ode to the New York City experience, it was a both a transformational and inspirational anthem, embraced by all those whose lives are touched by the opportunity and diversity that exists in the most exciting city in the world. I’ve listened to so many versions of the song, including a beautiful acoustic version she’d done for an iHeartRadio event in New York City, which is my favorite.
I was searching for house music remixes of the song and found not only an amazing mix by Randall Jones, but a nice video tribute to New York City. The track provides the backing for a cool video collage. I especially love the break-dancing parts. I grew up on “breaking” and it brought back memories of challenging myself to learn new moves that I could show off to my friends.
Having lived in the New York City metro area for over 15-years, building a career first in Internet music and digital media, I’d gone through tumultuous times and faced incredible odds. I somehow found a way to make my mark. No matter how difficult, there was always a new place to go, new people to meet, and new things to do. New York is so big, it’s like 5 cities in one. You’re never really in the same place twice for too long. For each ride on the subway or walking across blocks brings a different experience.
The Soul Funky Mix I’ve posted is another incredible mix of this amazing song. I love this track, because it reminds me of my time spent on Friday nights at Twilo, were I’d listen to two of the world’s best producers, Sasha and John Digweed, blend a mix of trance and emerging tech house sounds. The breakdown in this mix reminds me of those last nights spent twirling amongst the glow sticks and go-go dancers.
I found both the Randall Jones remix and the Soul Funky remix on SoundCloud. Both players offer free downloads of the track.
Randall Jones Remix
via Soundcloud
Soul’s Summer Bootleg Mix
via Soundcloud