There Goes My Vacation To Moscow This Week

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russians visiting a health resort received a rude shock when a nurse used hydrogen peroxide instead of water to give them enemas.

Itar-Tass news agency reported Thursday that 17 tourists in the Caucasus spa town of Yessentuki had to be treated in hospital after the mix-up.

Sources at the sanatorium said the mistake was explained by water and hydrogen peroxide looking the same. Hydrogen peroxide, which can be used to bleach hair, is used as a disinfectant but should not be ingested.

Source [Reuters]

Attention: Rare Vinyl Soundtrack Collectors and Cat Stevens fans

Harold and Maude Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Deluxe LP)

Vinyl Films Records has just release the Holy Grail of unreleased soundtracks, Harold and Maude!

Thirty-six years after its initial release, every one of Cat Stevens' masterful songs from the film are compiled in one incredible package. In addition to such classics as "Miles From Nowhere", "Where Do The Children Play?" and "Trouble", the album includes the two songs written specifically for Harold and Maude, "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out" and "Don't Be Shy", along with alternate versions of both Harold and Maude tracks.

Over two years in the making, the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Harold and Maude comes with an extensive 36-page full-color booklet filled with never-before-seen photographs and an oral history of the making of the film and the music, as told by the filmmakers and participants. Also included is a bonus 7" single with unreleased versions of "Don't Be Shy" and "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out", two suitable-for-framing posters, and much more!

Available only on 2500 copies of Limited Edition Vinyl.

LP Package also includes -
- 2 foldout 18" x 24" posters
- Bonus 7" with previously unreleased tracks

TRACKLIST -

1. Side One:
2. Don't Be Shy
3. On The Road To Find Out
4. I Wish, I Wish
5. Miles From Nowhere
6. Tea For The Tillerman
7. I Think I See The Light

Side Two:
1. Where Do The Children Play?
2. If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out
3. If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out (banjo instrumental)*
4. Trouble
5. Don't Be Shy (alternate version)*
6. If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out (instrumental version)*

Bonus 7″
a) Don't Be Shy (demo version)*
b) If You want To Sing Out, Sing Out (alternate version)*

* previously unreleased

Source [Light In The Attic Records]

RECORD STORE DAY: April 19, 2008 ... be there !!

www.recordstoreday.com

On Saturday, April 19, 2008, hundreds of independently owned music stores across the country will celebrate “Record Store Day.”

On this day, all of these stores will simultaneously link and act as one with the purpose of celebrating the culture and unique place that they occupy both in their local communities and nationally.

Plans are underway to set up special events at all of the stores on this day, as well as provide customers with a goodie bag that promotes new formats, new releases, and exciting information on music, theatrical, and gaming releases. Working with our partners, the indies will also link to run extensive marketing campaigns both on a national level and a local level.

All indie-record stores are invited to participate by making April 19, 2008, a celebration day for their store. In-store performances, sales, demonstrations, dances, and everything that makes an indie record store unique should be on display that day. Sign up today!

Some of only the many quotes by famous and not-so famous people regarding record retail stores:

Cameron Crowe

"The record store. Where true fandom begins. It's the soul of discovery, and the place where you can always return for that mighty buzz. The posters. The imports. The magazines. The discerning clerks, paid in vinyl, professors of the groove. Long live that first step inside, when the music envelopes you and you can't help it. You walk up to the counter and ask the question that begins the journey -- "what is that you're playing?" Long live the record store, and the guys and girls who turn the key, and unlock those dreams, every day."

Chuck Berry

"Music is an important part of our culture and record stores play a vital part in keeping the power of music alive"

Hang in there folks ...

I know I have been slacking off on my daily posts recently, but I should be back to almost "normal" within the week, I hope. Still catching up on some personal stuff and getting myself set up for my new job that starts this week. I'll be heading to Nashville on Thursday to meet my new co-workers and check out my main office. It should be real cool, since it's a vinyl pressing plant that has been around since the 1960's (yes, many Elvis records pressed up there over the years).

Meanwhile, read through my archives if you haven't been with me since day one. Many timeless posts mixed in. Also check out some of my buddies in my "Must See Blogs" section in the right column all the way down.

Also, enter the Contest. Two weeks left and you people have been holding out.

Thanks for your patience.

Spyder

Led Zeppelin guitarist wants world tour

TOKYO - Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page said Monday he was ready to take the iconic band on a world tour after burning up the stage at last month's reunion concert in London. But it probably won't be before September.

"The amount of work we put into O2 was what you would normally put into a world tour anyway," Page, 64, said of the intense rehearsing the band did for the Dec. 10 concert at London's O2 Arena.

The band's three surviving members — Page, singer Robert Plant and bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones — were joined at the sold-out benefit show by the late John Bonham's son Jason on drums.

Page, who was in Japan to promote the new Zeppelin release, "Mothership," said the two-hour-plus concert was proof that Led Zeppelin can still perform at its best.

He said the band, which formed in 1968, was ready musically to get back together and take it out on a wider run, but it was not clear when it would go on tour as the singer had other plans.

"Robert Plant has a parallel project and he is busy with that until September," Page said.

Plant and bluegrass star Alison Krauss will begin their world tour with a run of shows in the southern U.S. this spring. The two released an album in October called "Raising Sand" that debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard chart in the U.S. The duo will tour Europe in May before returning for North American shows still to be announced for June and July.

Page said the band set their standards very high before agreeing to do the reunion, their first in 20 years. Led Zeppelin broke up in 1980 after the elder Bonham's death.

Page said they rehearsed for weeks, apprehensive that the cohesion they had in the 1970s when they were at their peak might be hard to rediscover.

"We wanted people who might not have even been alive in 1980 when we finished to understand what we were," he said.

Page said all went well until he broke a finger in three places, forcing the band to postpone the show for several weeks.

"But we did the show, and it was great," he said. "It was instant in terms of chemistry."

Source [Yahoo]

URP Music Distributors - New Vinyl 12"/LP Distributor Announcement

United Record Pressing, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is now setting up a new vinyl distribution division.

Our new company is URP Music Distributors. Contact information is below.

We are just getting set up now and have a lot to do this week and we will advise our customers everything we will be offering very soon. Our official new start date is February 1, 2008.

I will be working out of a Florida-based sales office. Pressing facilities and warehouse will be in Nashville.

Also, if you need some vinyl pressed up, let me know. Since we are now owned by a pressing plant, we can possibly get your own label pressed up. Please make sure you own the rights to the music and it has no samples or you have sample clearance.

Get ready – Vinyl is Alive Again !!


Best regards,

Spyder
Sales & Marketing Manager
URP Music Distributors
ph: 1-615-823-7598
ph (toll-free in U.S.): 1-866-252-3520
fax: 1-615-301-9899
e: Spyder@URPDist.com
website: http://www.urpdist.com/

Masters At Work return to Ministry Of Sound nightclub... with CD's and Serato

Learning from the Master

Masters at Work - Kenny Dope Gonzales and Little Louie Vega

GRAMMY Award-winning duo Masters at Work make their first joint appearance at Ministry of Sound for five years on Saturday.

Kenny Dope Gonzales and Little Louie Vega,(pictured) will play a six-hour set in the main room at a massive, one-off Soul Heaven party.

They'll be joined by Phil Asher, with Neil Pierce, Andy Ward, Aaron Ross and DJ Rupert in the bar room.

We caught up with Louie ahead of the event and heard his thoughts on the state of the house scene.

MT: Who do you think is setting the standards now and who will be big this year?

LLV: Henrik Schwarz, Dennis Ferrer, Ame, Mr V, Alix Alvarez, Frank Roger, Joe Clausell. This crew are coming up with some really crazy things. Then on a more mainstream level, Bob Sinclar and Martin Solveig.

Describe what your sound is when you play out.

It's hard because a lot of people would say Latin, but its not all Latin, It goes from diva vocals to soul music, to Brazilian music to jazz music, to minimal tracks that I have done.

You've never been one to follow trends, though. Is it a case of playing what makes you feel good?

Exactly, things will stand out. If you like them you like them, if you don't you don't. I play music that I feel moves me, music that gives me chills. It's how you play the particular song - you can see the reaction from the people, how you bring it in, what you do to create a dynamic. You can make a crowd sing a song just by the way you are playing it. I'm proud and honoured to be able to do that, whether it's a DJ or a person on the dance floor.

Music is in a transitional stage. How is it changing for you? Is it getting better or worse?

Obviously, vinyl had a great run, and now it's becoming more of a purist thing. With my releases at Vega Records we still take care of the vinyl fans. That's something that is close to my heart because I am a DJ and I still collect vinyl, even though I play CDs when I'm travelling.

Do you play from laptop as well?

I have Serrato (DJ mixing software) as well so I can do either. The laptop is great because you get to carry tons of music. It's a good time for independents and small labels because you get to sell your tracks digitally around the world from different digital stores. You can promote through the internet, you can sell your records without having to invest tons of money in marketing and production. At least you can get a start.

Are you saying it's better at the moment?

It has its better side and its worse side. It is not easy for an independent label to survive, you have to be very consistent and make good music.

The best thing is that nobody can stop me making music. I make tons of music, I always have ideas, my mind is always fresh full of them as I am travelling around the world. We can almost control our destiny because we are creating the music and finding the new talent. That's what I have dedicated Vega Records to finding new talent.

Soul Heaven with Masters At Work is on Saturday at Ministry of Sound, Gaunt Street, SE1. 11pm - 7am.

Tickets are £20 in advance from www.ministryofsound.com/tickets. For info and guest list, email ablackett@ministryofsound.com. More information at www.soul-heaven.com

Source [BD Recorder]

BT's Kidnapped Daughter Has Been Found Safe; Mother in Jail

GOOD NEWS ... we previously posted a public service announcement regarding the kidnapping of the daughter of electronic musician/producer Brian Transeau, better known to fans as BT.

We can now report :::

The three-year-old daughter of electronic musician Brian Transeau -- who performs under the name BT -- was found last night after a month-long search, TMZ has learned. A team of U.S. Marshals, two private investigation teams and the Santa Monica P.D. had been searching for Kaia since December, finally locating her last night. Her mother, Ashley Duffy, was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Lynwood Jail (Paris' old stomping grounds) without bail.According to authorities, Duffy absconded with Kaia from Transeau's Maryland hotel room -- Duffy was there for a visit but instead took the kid. A warrant for Duffy's arrest was issued two weeks ago for "out-of-state child abduction from the lawful custodian" as well as "out-of-state child detention from the lawful custodian." Transeau has scored a bunch of Hollywood hits, including "Monster" and "The Fast and the Furious."

"Last.FM Becomes "World's Best Jukebox": Bigger Than iTunes, All Four Majors Onboard

All Major Labels to Stream Free Music on Last.fm

NEW YORK -- Last.fm, the social media site acquired by CBS last May, now lets users play any song from the Big Four record labels and thousands of indie labels and artists up to three times, for free.

At a press conference at CBS' headquarters Wednesday, executives revealed plans for Last.fm to become "the first website to offer free, global, on-demand access to the largest licensed catalog of music."

CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves kicked off what he called a "groundbreaking" announcement by saying that the company had wondered, "Could this culture meld with our culture? And I'm pleased to say it did.... Community is clearly the future."

Then Quincy Smith, president of CBS Interactive, took the podium to announce an overview of the plan to distribute music from the Big Four major labels -- Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and EMI Music -- plus Ioda, Naxos, The Orchard and about 150,000 indie labels and bands, all for free. Each label deal is different, according to Smith. The total number of songs available now is 3.5 million, but the company is aggressively adding content, and Stiksel said it will never stop adding music. "The mission is to have every track available," said Last.fm co-founder Martin Stiksel.

Imeem announced a similar service last month. When reached for comment, an imeem spokesperson was still crafting a formal reaction, but told us, "imeem pioneered this model for delivering streaming full-length music on an ad-supported basis. Last.fm's news simply reinforces our view that there's a significant opportunity in this market, and that 2008 will be a critical year in development of the model."

Still, Felix Miller, co-founder of Last.fm, called the new service "the world's biggest jukebox, and it's free for anyone to use" without logging in.

Stiksel then conducted an overview of the Last.fm site, which looks much like it did before Wednesday's announcement, but with far more licensed music from high-profile artists. He said that not only does the site provide single-song, on-demand streaming (128 Kbps stereo MP3), but also complete album streams three times on a "try before you buy" basis.

"We're overlaying the content on top of the already very active community" on Last.fm, Miller said. "When I buy a CD, the artist gets paid once.... What we're doing with the model we're proposing today for Last.fm is that playback gets monetized.... If I clock 100 plays, this means the artist gets paid 100 times the money."

Users can listen to each track up to three times under the free program. Last.fm plans to set up affiliate deals with iTunes, Amazon.com and 7digital to convert users to a paid download upon the fourth listen, and will also recommend similar music -- or, you can use the expired song as the basis for a customized internet radio station. Stiksel said the radio listening page is attractive to advertisers, because people return to the screen to rate and skip songs. He also said CBS and Last.fm are working with the labels to increase the number of free plays beyond three.

Stiksel called the ads that will support the program "tiny" and said "they run alongside the music, when people are most engaged." The video ads will be targeted to where users live and what they listen to. If someone signs up without having been assigned to a demographic segment, an algorithm creates one based on how similar they are to other members in the community. The ads' volume will default to the mute position. Advertisers will come from Last.fm's previous advertisers, but the company will leverage CBS' advertising relationships as well. The network is currently reaching out to its advertisers to tell them about the opportunities surrounding Last.fm.

Every time you listen to a song on the service, Last.fm tracks it, despite the lack of a login requirement. If you delete your cookies, the site apparently won't be able to track you. I confirmed that by deleting the Last.fm cookies file within FireFox, one can listen to a song for a fourth time without even restarting the browser. When asked about the possibility of people using this trick to gain unlimited listens, Miller said he would prefer not to talk about it, but that only technically sophisticated users with an agenda would bother. (One unwelcome side-effect of the cookies being deleted could be that Last.fm loses the demographic information so valuable to the site's advertisers.)

Any independent artist can submit their music to be part of the site, and will receive undisclosed standard fees with no label deduction.

No download is required to use the service, which launches Wednesday in the United States and Europe, and in other countries soon.

At the end of the conference, the stereo started playing a ska cover of The Clash's "I Fought the Law and the Law Won."

Source [Wired]

Last.TV is currently in the works for video whores.

Brokeback Mountain star, Heath Ledger, found dead at 28 years old

The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment building at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, according to the New York City police. Mr. Ledger was 28.

At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A in the building for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of Mr. Ledger’s bedroom. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger unconscious. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities.

The police said they did not suspect foul play. Officials said pills were found near the body.

Mr. Ledger, a native of Perth, Australia, won acclaim for his role as a co-star in “Brokeback Mountain”, a 2005 film. The film, based on a short story by Annie Proulx about two cowboys who fall in love, won critical acclaim. Reviewing the film in The New York Times, the critic Stephen Holden wrote, “Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.”

Mr. Ledger met the actress Michelle Williams while filming ‘’Brokeback Mountain.” The two actors fell into a romance and moved to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, where their comings and goings were widely noted by paparazzi. They had a daughter, Matilda Rose, who was born on Oct. 28, 2005. The couple separated last year.

In an interview in London for an article published in November, Mr. Ledger said told The New York Times, ‘’I feel like I’m wasting time if I repeat myself.” He said in the interview that he was not proud of his latest role, in Todd Haynes’s “I’m Not There,” in which Mr. Ledger was one of a half-dozen actors depicting the musician Bob Dylan. ‘’I feel the same way about everything I do. The day I say, ‘It’s good’ is the day I should start doing something else,” said in the interview.

Calls by The Times to Mara Buxbaum, a publicist for Mr. Ledger, and Steve Alexander, the actor’s agent, were not immediately returned this afternoon.

Source [City Room - NY Times]


Ledger started a record company with singer Ben Harper. His first step in the music business was directing Harper's music video for "Morning Yearning".

He had directed and produced Australian artist N'Fa's work, including his video "Seduction is Evil".

In 2006, Ledger directed three music videos: "Cause an Effect" and "Seduction Is Evil (She's Hot)" for Australian hip-hop artist N'fa, as well as "Morning Yearning" for Ben Harper.

Nfa - Seduction Is Evil (Inertia Recordings)
CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

Lil Kim splits with Atlantic Records - Going Indie

Lil' Kim Parts Ways With Atlantic

Kimberly Denise Jones, better known as rapper Lil' Kim (or Queen Bee) has left Atlantic Records and intends to release her upcoming as-yet-untitled album independently.

On DJ Kay Slay's Sirius Satellite Radio show "Streetsweeper Radio" last week, Kim shared that she harbors no ill feelings toward Atlantic. She said she was afraid to release her music independently several years ago but is now more comfortable in her knowledge of the music business to work her project.

It's rumored that the MC will join Capitol Music Group's independent arm, Imperial Records, however Kim's management was unavailable for comment. Fat Joe is also signed to Imperial.

Lil Kim's upcoming album, which was originally slated for February, is now tentatively set for April or May 2008.

Kim's Atlantic swan song, 2005's "The Naked Truth," has sold 394,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Source [Billboard]

Lil' Kim - "No Time"(featuring Puff Daddy)
Lil' Kim's 1st release from her debut cd, Hard Core (1996)


Lil' Kim - "Crush On You (Lil' Kim Song)"
second single from Hard Core (1997)



Lil' Kim - "Not Tonite (featuring Left Eye, Da Brat, Missy Elliott, and Angie Martinez)
third single from Hard Core (1997)
samples Kool & The Gang "Ladies Night"


Then most recently,
Lil' Kim - "Chillin' Tonight" (2008)
this leaked track off Ms. G.O.A.T. which is the first official Mixtape by Lil' Kim, which was released in late December 2007.
Not an official video - just a slideshow

Adele - Calm and Cool During Rising Fame

CONSIDERING the accolades already bestowed upon 19-year-old singer Adele Adkins, it's remarkable she's so relaxed.

Just before Christmas, the BBC's annual poll of industry experts put the London lass at the top of the pile of those most likely to succeed in 2008. Last year, Mika achieved the same feat, and look where he is now, while The Bravery and Corinne Bailey Rae were the most heavily tipped artists going into 2005 and 2006 respectively.

On top of that Adele has been told she'll get the Brits Critics' Choice Award at the glitzy bash on February 20.

But despite these two headline-grabbing occasions, not to mention articles in every broadsheet newspaper and music magazine, Adele remains as laid back as ever.

While she does admit to being "dead excited and a bit nervous" about the release of her debut album, 19, those butterflies aren't making her miss any sleep. It's 10.30am when we speak, and she sounds a little croaky.

"I've only just got up, mate, had a bit of a lie-in," she says in her broad North London accent, before commenting on the massive amount of hype already surrounding her.

"I don't notice all that because I'm rehearsing in a little box room all the time. I don't read my press either. I mean, I know about stuff, like the Brit award and the BBC thing, but I don't take much notice," she says.

"I didn't really know what that BBC poll was before, but then I found out who had been at the top of it before, I couldn't believe it. Over Christmas and New Year, I was with my mum and we weren't paying much attention to news or anything, then when all the papers came out with that news in, we were really confused and didn't know what was going on!"

Adele's first foray in the public spotlight came after an appearance on Later...With Jools Holland last year. It came before Adele had released a single, or even finished recording her album. After careful consideration, she decided to perform on the late-night show, and while she says it was horrible at the time, she's glad she took the plunge.

Terrifying

"I felt sick on the day, it was terrifying, but I look at it on YouTube about once a month now and remind myself how amazing an experience it was. It was so flattering of the producer to invite me on - you can't just blag your way onto Jools Holland - and the line-up was ridiculous," she giggles.

"Bjork was on, and she's one of my favourite artists. I didn't get to meet her - she was pretty moody on the day and didn't talk to anyone - but I did chat to her son who was very buff, so that was nice!

"Paul McCartney was on too and he's lovely. I walked past him in a hallway hoping I'd pluck up the courage to say 'Hiya, great performance there, Paul' or something, but I couldn't do it and went to jelly, but he stopped me and spoke to me, which was so nice of him."

The TV performance was followed in October by a limited edition single, Hometown Glory, which saw Adele's stock rise even higher.

"I couldn't believe how well that song did. I was in New York finishing the album at the time and heard it'd been played on the radio. I thought I'd get played once on Zane Lowe's show or something, but Radio One and Two were playing it all the time, it was amazing. I'm so flattered it was received so well because it was the first proper song I ever wrote."

Adele attended the famous Brits performing arts school in Croydon, South London. Former pupils include Amy Winehouse - more of whom later - The Kooks, Kate Nash, members of The Feeling and Katie Melua.

While there, Adele dabbled with writing "bits and pieces" of songs, but didn't develop the jazz-tinged sound she has now until leaving the academy.

"When I was a bit younger, I was just listening to the Spice Girls and Destiny's Child. I love R n B so much, I wanted to be the next Beyonce and I still do sometimes! But it's really hard to sing like that, all those notes are a nightmare, so I gave up on that one," she says with a laugh.

Etta James

"The way I sing now came when I heard Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald. I was 15 or 16, and taught myself to sing by listening to their records. I'm obsessed with people's singing voices, I love trying to understand what they're feeling and listening out for the emotions."

Adele hasn't been writing songs for long, and the majority of the 12 numbers that make up her debut were written last May.

"I wrote nine songs in a short space of time, all about this awful relationship I was in. I never quite got down what I was really feeling in those songs, though," she confesses, "although I was trying to.

"It wasn't that I was holding back or anything, but I just couldn't get it down. I was bitterly upset and then my manager played me this Bob Dylan song Make You Feel My Love.

"The lyrics are just amazing, and summed up exactly what I'd been trying to say in my songs. It's about regretting not being with someone, and it's beautiful. It's weird that my favourite song on my album is a cover, but I couldn't not put it on there. I'm not normally a Dylan fan either," she says in typically open fashion.

As for the rest of the songs on the album, there's pretty much something for everyone, from the epic, slow-burning Hometown Glory, to the upbeat pop of Cold Shoulder, which was produced by Amy Winehouse collaborator Mark Ronson.

"I keep getting called 'The New Amy Winehouse' and things like that," says Adele. "It doesn't bother me, I'm the biggest Amy fan there is, but when people hear more of my music they'll realise we're not alike. I haven't made a Motown record like Back To Black, I've made a modern pop album.

"If I was compared to someone I didn't like, then I'd be annoyed, but I think so highly of Amy it's nothing but a compliment."

Adele plays the Royal Northern College of Music on Sunday, January 27. Natty supports. £10. Click here to book. She releases her debut album 19 on Monday, January 28. Her single Chasing Pavements is out now.

Source [Manchester Evening News]

MEANWHILE,
Adele has revealed that she would like to do collaborations with Kanye West and White Stripes frontman Jack White.

She told Orange World: "I wanna make a bluegrass record so I would like to do that with Jack White."

Hearing about Kanye West posting her Chasing Pavements video on his blog and writing "This s**t is dope" the overjoyed Brit Award winner went on to say: "I’m amazed. He’s like a megastar. I’d like to collaborate with him too."

Source [MTV-UK]

Michael Jackson ft Akon - Wanna Be Startin Something 2008

Michael Jackson, Akon Are 'Startin' Somethin''

On Thriller 25 Track -- Listen To It Here!



Forthcoming commemorative set to feature reworkings of classic MJ tracks by Kanye West, Will.I.Am, Fergie.

The first single from Michael Jackson's forthcoming Thriller 25, a collection of tunes celebrating the 25th anniversary of the King of Pop's classic LP, will be a newly recorded rendition of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " that features Akon, Will.I.Am and, of course, Jackson himself.

"He's incredible," Akon told MTV News about working with MJ. "He's a genius. Just to be in the same room [with him], I felt everything I wanted to accomplish in life has been achieved. That aura ... that's how incredible that aura is. We about to shake the world up, man. You know how you be with somebody and you can't even explain [the feeling]? I used to sit and think, 'How does somebody sell so many records and dominate a whole business genre to a point [where] nobody can't be a part of that without associating with you?' The way he thinks ... some artists think regional, some think national, I was thinking international. He thinks planets. It's on another level."

The track is a new take on the original, according to a press release, and was produced by Akon and Jackson. MJ mixed and mastered the new cut.

Thriller 25, which is due in stores February 12, will include the original version of the 1982 record, in addition to five tracks previously unreleased in any form, including a Kanye West-helmed remix of "Billie Jean"; Will.I.Am's reworkings of "The Girl Is Mine" and "P.Y.T."; Fergie's version of "Beat It"; and an outtake from the original Thriller sessions called "For All Time."

The set will also feature a DVD, including all the Thriller-inspired short films ("Thriller," "Beat It" and "Billie Jean"), in addition to Jackson's Emmy-nominated performance of "Billie Jean" during the "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" TV special. The DVD reportedly will also boast an exclusive, Jackson-penned greeting to his fans.

Initial reports suggested Jackson had also worked with Pharrell, Ne-Yo, Neff-U, Jerkins, Chris Brown, Dallas Austin and Teddy Riley on the project, but it remains unclear whether those collaborations will materialize.

Source [MTV]

Madonna "Keep The Trance" - new leaked track

Intended for Madonna's 2005 release, Confessions On A Dance Floor album.

Keep The Trance is a demo track co-written by Madonna and Mirwais, and recorded during the album sessions. The song was eventually reworked into the Live Earth charity release "Hey You", which has very similar lyrics.

Madonna - Keep The Trance (unreleased).mp3


Madonna - Keep The Trance (Dubtronic Extended Mix).mp3


LYRICS
Hey you,
Don't give up
Either good or bad
There is still a trance around you
Keep the trance

Hey you,
Be yourself
Don't be shy
Here's the reason why you've got to
Keep the trance, keep the trance

Keeping it together you'll make it all right
Come on check it out and we can keep it tonight
Keeping it together you'll make it all right
Come on check it out and we can keep it all night
Keep the trance

Young girl, young boy
Open up your heart
That is what you're born for
If you wanna change you've got to
Keep the trance, keep the trance

Hey you, old man
Remember this
None of this is real,
Including how you feel that's why you
Keep the trance, keep the trance, keep,keep, keep

Keeping it together you'll make it all right
Come on check it out and we can keep it tonight
Keeping it together you'll make it all right
Come on check it out and we can keep it tonight
Keep the trance, yeah

Hey you,
Love yourself
If you never can
Love anybody else,
You can keep the trance, yeah
Keep the trance, yeah

Come on, come on

Young boy, young girl
Now open up your heart
That is what you're born for
If you're on a change you've got to
Keep the trance, keep the trance
Come on

Keeping it together you'll make it all right
Come on check it out and we can keep it tonight
Keeping it together you'll make it all right
Come on check it out and we can keep it tonight

Keep the trance
Come on, come on, come on, come on

Keeping it together you'll make it all right
Come on check it out and we can keep it tonight
Keeping it together you'll make it all right
Come on check it out and we can keep it tonight

How To Survive In Today's Dying Music Industry

The Death of the Music Business Industry' in 2008 Says New Report

New report details emerging music promotion trends to be successful in today's new music business model.

The music business as we know it is dying a fast death and gone are those days of pressing up and selling CDs. That's bad news for those still playing the same old music game but definitely not bad news for those artists and labels willing to ride the new wave. But all is not lost with the music industry. Emerging trends in online marketing and social media optimization has created new opportunities to market to a larger audience. Those who survive will see the need to step outside of the traditional label relationship and be more cost effective while still being able to make money and have longevity in the business. Those who fail will continue to do what they've been doing. Nevertheless, there are some hot new trends to jump start any music promotion campaign in 2008.

8 MUSIC PROMOTION TRENDS FOR 2008

Viral Videos: We saw what it did for Soulja Boy. Imagine what a little creativity could do in your online promotions.

Digital Sales: It's killed CD sales but created new sales opportunities (i.e. ringtones, mobile marketing, etc). Combine your digital sales with your Myspace, Facebook, & social media marketing strategy.

Free Music: It's not completely free but funded by advertisers and sponsors. Heard of RCRD LBL or Spiral Frog? Find out how Puma & other advertisers are helping their artists promote their songs.

Online PR: Print media is always a great source of publicity but notice how magazines are shrinking in size and becoming less content & way too much ads. Besides, online PR gets your message out quicker and to a larger audience.

Blog, Blog, & Blog: Besides being a great tool to stay in touch with your audience, blogging also helps to optimize your search engine rank.

Guerilla Marketing: Nothing beats in your face marketing that you can't seem to avoid.

Control at the Hands of Your Audience: It worked for Radiohead when they let their fans name the price of their CD. It could work for you.

New media technologies: Myspace, Facebook, Ning, Bebo, Joost TV, Goodstorm Mixtapes. Need I say more.

Source [Newswire Today]

Time Warner and Others ISP's are About to Cap Your Bandwidth

Time Warner Cable to Test Internet Caps in Texas
Tiered Cable Modem Plans Aimed at Heaviest Broadband Users

Time Warner’s overage caps could be as low as 5GB per month

That amount of data would be gone in a snap for any heavy internet user; YouTube, streaming TV, iTunes, Flickr, and other things we need not mention would put you on their watch list as a potential pirate. They probably pass that info on to Homeland Security too, so you can expect a knock on your door.

Time Warner Cable is targeting the small number of subscribers who eat up most of its Internet bandwidth, with plans to test a new tiered pricing structure for broadband access later this year in Beaumont, Texas, that will charge customers based on how much data they download.

The operator plans to offer four different packages that would cap monthly data downloads at 5, 10, 20 or 40 Gigabytes, according to Time Warner Cable spokesman Alex Dudley. As of yet, there’s no unlimited option planned for the trial. Pricing has not been determined for the tiers, he said.

The tiered pricing would apply only to new customers, not existing ones. If customers exceed their data-download limit, they will be charged additional per-gigabyte fees. “It’s kind of like a cell phone plan,” Dudley said.

The Beaumont system provides service to around 90,000 voice, video and data subscribers in 15 towns. In the region, the operator currently offers unlimited-usage broadband service for $44.95 to cable TV customers and $54.95 to non-TV subscribers.

The goal of the trial is to improve overall network performance by setting usage limits for the 5% of subscribers who use more than 50% of total network bandwidth, Dudley said. “A very small number of users is using an incredibly large percentage of the bandwidth,” he said.

Time Warner Cable has not determined when it will initiate the test, according to Dudley, except that it likely will be sometime in the second quarter.

Some cable operators already set limits on the maximum amount of data subscribers can download.

Cox Communications, for example, caps downloads at 40 Gbytes downstream and uploads at 10 Gbytes upstream per month for its “preferred” broadband package, and at 60 Gbytes down and 15 Gbytes up for the “premier” plan.

Comcast’s policy is to issue warnings to users who consume too much bandwidth. While it does not define data thresholds, Comcast has said a subscriber who downloads more than 1,000 songs per day would trigger a warning to cut back on usage.

Source [Multichannel] via [Crunchgear]

Before And After

BEFORE (1929)
Fats Waller - This Joint is Jumpin


AFTER (2004)
Lisa Hunt - Joint Is Jumpin (Twisted Dee & Jayito)

Windsong/Pinnacle Buy Themselves Out and Become Independent Again After 12 Years

MBO at U.K. Distributor Pinnacle

Senior management at leading U.K. independent distributor/exporter Windsong/Pinnacle has completed a buyout from its parent company Arvato Services, a subsidiary of German media giant Bertelsmann.

The management buyout (MBO) of the company -- based in Sidcup, Kent, south-east of London -- was led by Windsong/Pinnacle chairman Sean Sullivan and finance director Andy Leonard-Myers. Details of cost and funding were not disclosed.

"The team at Windsong/Pinnacle has worked hard to build and retain its unique position in the marketplace handling an enormous range of music, DVD and games," said Sullivan in a statement.

"We are excited at the prospect of returning to independence," he added, "and operating a business that is nimble enough to respond to increasingly complex market conditions and client needs."

Pinnacle distributes some 400 labels in the United Kingdom, including Anti/Epitath, Cooking Vinyl, Fierce Panda, New West, One Little Indian, Putumayo and Rykodisk.

According to a joint statement, the transaction will enable Arvato to "focus on its entertainment services business, which manages large customer relationships with recorded media companies in the U.K. and globally."

Noted Arvato Services U.K./Ireland chairman/CEO Matthias Mierisch, "we will also continue to grow our logistics services, specifically in hi-tech and healthcare sectors."

The statement added that, following the buyout, Pinnacle would look to expand its offerings to cover marketing and promotion support, strengthen its digital services and extend reach into European markets.

The current company was formed when record exporter Windsong Exports' founder Steve Mason bought the then-bankrupt Pinnacle Distribution in 1984. On the back of the success of the success of distributed label PWL's stars like Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Bananarama, Pinnacle/Windsong Group chairman Mason built the company into an dominant force in U.K. indie distribution.

At its peak in the late 1980s, Pinnacle calimed to account for more than 10% of all U.K. music distribution; according to labels body the BPI, in 2006 it accounted for 5.1% of U.K. album shipments.

The Zomba Group acquired a majority stake of what had become Windsong International (comprising Windsong Exports and Pinnacle Distribution) in 1996. The company then became part of Bertlesmann's operations when BMG acquired Zomba in 2002. The Windsong/Pinnacle operatiosn subsequently became part of Arvato, which specializes in providing media and communication services. Mason retired in July 2004.

Source [Billboard]

new $5000 2-channel Vacuum Tube Guitar Amp - Gimmick or What?

Introducing Metasonix' G-1000 Fu¢king Fu¢ker (the letter "c" has been replaced so Google doesn't block my ads again), a two-channel guitar amp. It's hideous, it's yellow, it will be pixellated every time a rich rockstar puts one in his video, and I'm sure it sounds incredible.

They wont be able to advertise it in many magazines or sell it on many mainstream sites like Ebay.

It is 100% vacuum tubes, from input to output. It contains 100% new-old-stock (NOS) tubes. Types never seen in guitar amps.

The G-1000 consists of two totally independent amplifiers, with very different preamp sections. One channel is called the HAPPY channel. The other is called the ANGRY channel.

For damn good reason. "One sucks your face, the other gnaws your foreskin off."

The HAPPY channel is a more-or-less conventional instrument amp. It has plenty of gain and distortion (if desired), it has a conventional guitar-amp tone control section, and it has reverb. Everything else about it is DEVIANT. It has a PHASE control, which allows mixing of normal and inverted signals—or it may be adjusted to cancel out the original signal and pass only the distortion products....and, it's all made of unusual tubes. Mostly pentodes, ha ha ha.

The ANGRY channel is well-named. It is designed for instability and raw, berserk distortion effects. It, too, has typical guitar-amp tone controls and reverb. It uses a 6BN6 and two remote-cutoff pentodes. "Ask your mother what those are. She's already tasted your foreskin anyway."

Artwork on the amp's front panel by Dave Lovelace, of "Retarded Animal Babies" infamy. (http://www.umop.com)

Oh, the amp's name? The idea came from Mike Brown of Livewire Synthesizers. Blame him. (It came from one of Dave Lovelace's cartoons. Yes, the Fu¢king Fu¢ker is a real, live cartoon character. A super-villain, come to think of it.)

G-1000 is made on a custom basis only and should be available in late 2008. Expected retail price is US $ 5000.

A high-resolution photo of the G-1000 is on our website at: www.metasonix.com/G1000large.JPG.

Source [Metasonix] via [MusicThing] via [Daily Swarm]

2 Legendary Harlem Vinyl Records Stores Being Forced To Close Against Their Desires

The record store Bobby’s Happy House was replete with photos of the owner, Bobby Robinson, with stars like James Brown. The store shuts its doors on Monday.

On Saturday morning, Bobby’s Happy House, a music store in Harlem that opened in 1946, was in a state of chaos.


Bobby Robinson.



Sikhulu Shange, 66, has until March 31 to vacate the Harlem Record Shack after 36 years in business on 125th Street.

The store’s owner, 91-year-old Bobby Robinson, who was wearing a dark blue suit and his trademark black fedora, seemed bewildered as he surveyed his store. Albums were stacked on the floor, photographs of him with Fats Domino, James Brown and others had been pulled from the walls and the store’s glass display cases contained only a few scattered CDs and cassette tapes.

A few hundred yards northwest, at the Harlem Record Shack on 125th Street, an employee with a handmade sign was urging passers-by to sign a petition to keep that store from being evicted.
Inside, the voice of the store’s owner, Sikhulu Shange, 66, rang through the Record Shack as he vowed not to go easily, even though he was under a court order to leave within a few weeks, after 36 years in business there.

Mr. Robinson and Mr. Shange, who have been friendly rivals for Harlem’s music dollars for almost two generations, are on the cusp of being forced out of business here within weeks of each other as Harlem continues its uneasy transition from being a haven for some of the city’s poorest residents to a place where apartments selling for $1 million and tripling commercial rents have become unremarkable occurrences.

Bobby’s Happy House, on Frederick Douglass Boulevard near 125th Street, is closing on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Mr. Shange has been given until the end of March to vacate his store.

Each man represents a distinct generation of black men who arrived in Harlem as young men seeking to contribute to a neighborhood they had long heard about and had admired.
Mr. Robinson, originally from South Carolina, came after World War II. He speaks in the language of that time, using words like “colored,” which has long been retired.

Mr. Shange, who arrived from South Africa in the 1960s, came of age during that era’s tradition of protest. He wears dashikis and repeats words like “empowerment.”
Each man said the runaway pace of change in the neighborhood during the past few years was unlike anything they had seen before.

“Everything you see here, I built,” Mr. Robinson said, waving his arm around his store as friends and family members boxed up decades of mementos. “How do you think I feel?”

On the other hand, Mr. Shange, who was at the center of an eviction battle in the 1990s that culminated in gunfire and an arson attack that killed eight people, left no doubt about his feelings. He was angry.

“There was a time when everybody was running away from Harlem, but we stayed, keeping the culture alive,” he said, as shoppers surveyed the small store’s African, gospel, jazz and R&B selections that are kept in locked glass cases. “We don’t have nothing to show for being in the community all these years and keeping it beautiful. Tourists are not coming here to see McDonald’s and Burger King. They are coming here to see black culture.”

The two stores have survived so long, the owners say, because they offer services and products customers cannot get anyplace else.

At Bobby’s Happy House, those services included recording albums onto cassettes or CDs for customers and allowing visitors to pull up a plastic chair and chat with Mr. Robinson, who was a noted record producer. His work included Wilbert Harrison’s No. 1 hit “Kansas City” in 1959 and groundbreaking hip-hop songs by Doug E. Fresh and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five during the late 1970s.

The inspiration for the name of Bobby’s Happy House, which has had various names over the years, was a doo-wop song Mr. Robinson wrote for Lewis Lymon & the Teenchords in 1956 called “I’m So Happy,” a hit in the Northeast. (Lewis Lymon was the younger brother of Frankie Lymon, best known for a song with the Teenagers, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?”).

At the Record Shack, customers have found in Mr. Shange, a former dancer, an authoritative source on American soul music and hard-to-find African music. In a nod to their customers, both stores continued to sell records and cassette tapes, formats most other stores have not sold for years.

“A lot of old people are ashamed to go to a store and ask them for cassettes,” said Mr. Robinson’s daughter, Denise Benjamin, who has managed Bobby’s Happy House for her father in recent years.

Both Mr. Robinson and Mr. Shange said it was unclear what role the downturn in the record music industry has had on their stores, but HMV and the Wiz, two large retailers that sold CDs and other items, have closed stores on 125th Street during the past few years.

Mr. Robinson and Mr. Shange said they had been caught off-guard by their evictions and the transformation of the neighborhood. Each has a different landlord. Within a few blocks of their stores are more than a dozen construction sites for projects that include a 19-story hotel, office towers and luxury co-ops and condominiums.

Once the last of the old records have been cleared from Bobby’s — and other tenants in the block-long building have moved out — the new owners, a partnership of the Sigfeld Group and Kimco Realty Corporation, have said they will tear down the structure and replace it with a four-story office building, including retail space on the ground floor. None of the old tenants, including Mr. Robinson, said they had been invited to set up shop in the new building. Several store owners have filed a lawsuit contesting their evictions.

Ms. Benjamin said family members decided not to join the lawsuit because they wanted to save their money to find a location nearby.

Representatives for Sigfeld and Kimco, which bought the building for $30 million in August, did not respond to phone calls and e-mail messages seeking comment. Mr. Shange’s landlord, the United House of Prayer for All People, won a court order forcing Mr. Shange to leave the store empty and “broom clean” by March 31. The church has not announced its plans for the space, and a church representative at its headquarters in Washington declined to comment. David M. Grill, the attorney representing the church in New York, did not return a phone call and an e-mail message seeking comment.

Mr. Shange, who has been paying $4,500 a month — about $500 more a month than Mr. Robinson at Bobby’s Happy House — said that he was willing to pay more, but that the church, which is above the store, had refused to negotiate.

Mr. Shange said the store was organizing a protest rally on Sunday at 11 a.m., when many of the church’s parishioners will be arriving for services.

A flier at his store advertising the rally reads: “Protest Greedy Landlords! We will not be moved from Harlem!!! We must reclaim, preserve and protect our historic black community. If we do not, no one will!!!”

Eight thousand people have signed a petition opposing his store’s eviction, he said.

When Mr. Shange faced eviction in 1995 during a dispute with a different landlord, who held the sublease for the Record Shack, weeks of demonstrations over the plans of the landlord, who was white, to evict the black-owned store took on a racial tinge. The dispute ended after a protester walked into the landlord’s store, which was next to the Record Shack, carrying a handgun and a container of paint thinner. After shooting and wounding four people, he set the store ablaze before shooting himself. He and seven other people died in the blaze.

Mr. Shange said he expected the coming demonstration to be peaceful, just as others in support of his store have been in recent months.

Unlike Mr. Shange, Mr. Robinson’s daughter said she did not particularly object to the changes occurring in Harlem, which have included new bank branches and grocery stores.

“I don’t mind change, but when people have had to endure everything — and you know if you’ve been here 60 years you’ve endured a lot,” she said, her voice trailing off. “This is everything to him.”

Source [NY Times]

Adele's Chasing Pavements single debuts at #2 on UK Charts, plus video for Hometown Glory

Hotly-tipped soul singer Adele has narrowly missed out on a number one single after being held off by Basshunter's Now You're Gone.

Chasing Pavements by Adele debuted at number two in the singles chart, leaving the English version of the Swedish dance track at the top for the second week running.

But the second-place raises expectations that 2008 will be Adele's breakthrough year, with her eagerly-awaited debut album 19 out next week.

With no other new entries, Britney Spears dropped down a place to three with Piece of Me, while Lupe Fiasco's Superstar and Don't Stop the Music by Rihanna completed the top five.

There were also no entries in the top ten selling albums of the week, although Scouting for Girls' self-titled record rose three to knock This is the Life by Amy Macdonald off top spot.

Top ten UK singles

1 Now You've Gone – Basshunter featuring DJ Mental Theo (1)
2 Chasing Pavements – Adele (new entry)
3 Piece of Me – Britney Spears (2)
4 Superstar – Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos (7)
5 Don't Stop the Music – Rihanna (6)
6 Rockstar – Nickelback (4)
7 Crank That – Soulja Boy Tellem (3)
8 Elvis Ain't Dead – Scouting for Girls (10)
9 Homecoming – Kanye West (14)
10 Be Mine – Robyn (23)

Source [InTheNews]

Pioneer Introduces Two New DJ Machines

Pioneer Livens DJ Performances with Two New DJ Machines

NAMM Booth #211B (January 16, 2007) – Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. Professional Sound and Visual Division, the leader in Pro DJ products and the innovator of the CD turntable, today unveiled the latest addition to its family of DJ compact disc players, the MEP-7000, Professional Multi-Entertainment Player and the SEP-C1, Professional Software Entertainment Controller. Pioneer’s DJ CD players have established a worldwide reputation for their superior performance for both professional and amateur DJs, continuing to strengthen their status as an industry standard.

“Both the MEP-7000 and SEP-C1 correspond to the trend of laptops being utilized by professional DJs,” said Matt Dever, vice president for Pioneer’s Professional Sound and Visual Division. “Recent developments have changed the way mobile and club DJs catalog and play their music. No longer are they carrying crates of vinyl or even books of CDs full of music. Laptops, USB flash media and hard drives are fast becoming the commonplace in the DJ rig.”

The MEP-7000 is a compact, easy-to-transport Professional Multi-Entertainment Player inheriting the basic functions and operability of the popular Pioneer CDJ- series turntables. In addition to playback of conventional music from CD/CD-ROM/DVD-ROM discs, the MEP-7000 enable users to play MP3/AAC files stored on various memory media formats. The dual-player is extremely convenient for DJs performing in an environment where space dedicated for the jock is limited and flexible media playback is a must, such as a café or bar where various parties or events are held. The system also enables DJs to easily create and set up pre-programmed play lists for “gigs” at such times as a dinner hour set or a break.

The SEP-C1 Professional Software Entertainment Controller is a dual MP3 music controller which allows the user to manage and control playback of audio files stored on a PC. It emulates the full-scale DJ performance of the CDJ series operability without the need of a mouse or keyboard.

MEP-7000 Professional Multi-Entertainment Player features:

• Flexible Audio Format Playback - As well as playback of traditional audio compact discs, the MEP-7000 supports MP3*1/AAC/WAV*2/AIFF*2 stored in a USB memory devices, hard disc drive (HDD) and CD-R/RW and DVD±R/RW allowing for easy playback of existing music libraries and new digital downloads.


• 4.3-Inch Color LCD & Intelligent Graphical User Interface - In addition to the high-resolution 4.3-inch color LCD panel, an intelligent graphic user interface and rotary selector enables rapid track search through large collections of digital audio files. A play list function also speeds the track selection process for recalling frequently played songs.


• Control Functions for Pioneer’s DJ software (DJS3) and Other PC Applications - The MEP-7000 includes Pioneer’s DJS all-in-one DJ software application for playback from a Windows based computer (PC not included). When the system is connected to the DJS, no mouse or keyboard is required for navigation and DJ performance. The MEP-7000 also supports control of other software, such as SERATO Scratch LIVE*4, without the need of the control discs. It can also act as a full MIDI controller for any MIDI-compatible PC application.


• Scratch Jog Effect and Digital Jog Break enhance DJ performance - In addition to traditional scratching, the MEP-7000 also features two patterns of Scratch Jog Effects – BUBBLE5 and TRANS5. Three patterns of Digital Jog Break effects freely control the audio effects according to the rotation of the jog dial – JET*6 / ROLL*6 / WAH*6 broadening the scope of any DJ performance.


• Auto Mix Function - An auto mix function automatically mixes playback of the tracks registered on the play list in four modes such as ECHO or ZIP. Audio is seamlessly beat matched and mixed on the fly.


• Industry’s First*7 Area-Color Organic Electroluminescence (OEL) Display - Two high-visibility Area-Color OEL displays provide outstanding visibility for the pitch, playback time and position information. Together with its main 4.3-inch color LCD, the OEL display ensures smooth DJ play regardless of lighting conditions.

Other Functions:

• Karaoke Mode: Full support for CD+G playback for karaoke performance.


• Library Function: Allows selection of tracks from various categories like genre, artist, etc.


• Tempo Control Range: The user can choose among four pitch ranges available for the tempo slider: ±6%, ±10%, ±16%, and WIDE.*8


• Pitch Bend Button: Enables fine adjustment of the track speed by simply pressing a button.


• Seamless Loop: Repeats looped audio without interruption. A loop can be set from as small as one frame up to an entire CD’s length.


• Hot Loop: Restarts the loop seamlessly from its entry without interruption of the music.


• Memory Cue/Loop: Allows the user to store any CUE/LOOP point to the player’s internal memory.


• Auto BPM Counter: Measures and digitally displays a track’s tempo.


• Digital Output Terminal: A digital audio output is available for the highest quality connection.


• Monitor Out Terminal: Provides a composite video output for karaoke display or larger view of the main display.


• Keyboard Support: Users can select tracks rapidly by using an external USB keyboard (sold separately).


• Legato Link Conversion: Reproduces richer and more natural sound by up-sampling the audio information lost in CD format.


• Vibration Proof Construction: Shock-proof memory plus the same floating mechanism used in Pioneer’s mobile entertainment audio components to prevent skipping and resist vibration.


• Rack-Mount Ready: Ready for rack-mount which is useful for mobile/club/studio installations.

SEP-C1 Professional Software Entertainment Controller features:

• Control Pioneer’s DJ software (DJS*3) and Other PC Applications - The SEP-C1 includes Pioneer’s DJS all-in-one DJ software application for playback from a Windows based computer (PC not included). When connected to DJS, no mouse or keyboard is required for navigation and DJ performance. Furthermore, the SEP-C1 supports control of other software, such as SERATO Scratch LIVE*4, without need of the control discs. The SEP-C1 is also a full MIDI controller for any MIDI-compatible PC application.


• 4.3-Inch Color LCD & Intelligent Graphical User Interface - In addition to the high-visibility 4.3-inch color LCD panel, an intelligent graphic user interface and rotary selector enables rapid track search through large collections of digital audio. A play list function also speeds the track selection process for recalling frequently played songs.


• Auto Mix Function - An Auto Mix function automatically mixes playback of the tracks registered on the play list in four modes such as ECHO or ZIP. Audio is seamlessly beat matched and mixed on the fly.


• Industry’s first*7 Area-Color Organic Electroluminescence (OEL) - Two high-visibility Area-Color OEL displays give the SEP-C1 outstanding visibility for the pitch, playback time and position information. Together with its main 4.3-inch color LCD, the OEL display ensures smooth DJ play regardless of lighting conditions.


• DJS Effects Enhance DJ Performance - Eight effects within Pioneer DJS (Delay, Echo, Auto Pan, Auto Trance, Auto Filter, Flanger, Reverb and Pitch Shifter) add versatility to mixing performances. The effects can be synchronized with the music tempo (BPM) at the click of a button.

Other Functions:

• Tempo Control Range: Choose among four pitch ranges available for the tempo slider: ±6%, ±10%, ±16%, and WIDE8


• Pitch Bend Button: Enables fine adjustment of the track speed by simply pressing a button.


• Seamless Loop: Repeats looped audio without interruption. A loop can be set from as small as one frame up to an entire CD’s length.


• Hot Loop: Restarts the loop seamlessly from its entry without interruption of the music.


• Auto BPM Counter: Measures and digitally displays a track’s tempo.


• Rack-Mount Ready: Ready for rack-mount which is useful for club/studio installations.

The MEP-7000 and SEP-C1 will be available in June with a manufacturer suggested retail price of $2,299 and $1,199, respectively.

Source [PioneerDJ]

Stanton unveils new SCS Virtual Turntable Digital DJ System

The Stanton SCS digital DJ rig gets laptop DJs as close as possible to the vinyl experience without having to lug around turntables. (Credit: Stanton)

This week's 2008 NAMM expo (National Association of Music Merchants) in Anaheim, Calif. came with a treasure trove of slick digital DJ gear. The first cool announcement was the SC series, Stanton's latest take on the laptop DJ interface.

Stanton's SCS.1d virtual turntable controller features a 10-inch vinyl control surface. (Credit: Stanton)

At first glance, the SC setup looks like a traditional analog turntable and mixing board, but in reality it's an all-digital system (look, Ma--no tonearm!) that makes DJing from your laptop a much more physical and engaging experience. The Stanton SC rig comes in two parts: the SCS.1d virtual turntable ($1,499); and the SCS.1m virtual mixer ($999). Both parts of the system are each rad in their own right, so here's the breakdown on features.

Stanton's SCS.1d virtual turntable is undoubtedly the most eye-catching of the pair, using a 10-inch, high-torque motorized platter covered in real vinyl. Scattered around the spinning virtual record are transport controls, navigation keys, rotary encoders with readout strips, a motorized pitch slider, and a velocity-sensitive MIDI trigger section for launching tracks or samples from your preferred DJ software.

If you're going to go virtual, the Stanton SCS.1m mixer/audio interface offers up the goods. (Credit: Stanton)

While the SCS.1d is the better-looking half, the SCS.1m is clearly the brains of the operation. This virtual mixing board features four channel strips with EQ control, panning, volume faders, and a crossfader. More importantly, the SCS.1m includes a low-latency FireWire audio interface for your PC, capable of a 96KHz sample rate that should give those vinyl holdouts something to cry about. Each of the four channels also include red LED rotary controls and alphanumeric displays over each fader that can labeled within your software to prevent you from getting confused after a few comped drinks.

The Stanton SC System is expected to ship in May 2008 with the full system (both units) retailing for approximately $2,499.

Source [Crave]