Deadmau5 has recently uploaded a series of videos onto his YouTube channel and Instagram account, teasing new visuals for his upgraded ‘Cube 2.1’ stage set up. Based on these videos, it looks like Deadmau5 will return with some truly stunning visuals and so could be in the running for one of the best live setups for an electronic music artist in the world.

In the ‘deadmau5 – Let Go Feat. Grabbitz (Cube 2.1)’ video, deadmau5 takes us behind the scenes of his Cube 2.1 setup being created and tested in what looks like a warehouse. This particular video has already amassed over 10 million views, which is 10 times the amount of his YouTube fanbase, proving how exciting this is for the electronic dance music industry.

posted by David Miller (via weraveyou)

When it comes to wear and tear, equipment failure and breakage, no piece of DJ equipment is 100% immune. Even the most delicate handed DJ’s will always find the weak spot in their favorite piece of gear with daily use. But with the help of Infinity Faders, broken fader stems will no longer be on that list of problems.

Until now, components within a DJ mixer were largely accepted as-is, with no offerings to enhance their mechanical reliability. Fader breakage is a constant and serious problem for live DJ’s that really use their mixers to fullest throughout a show. This can finally change with necessity being the mother of invention once again.

Peace of mind is the greatest benefit with this product. Made out of machined and anodized billet aluminum in the USA, these faders are guaranteed to not break for life. Currently available for the Rane mixer lineup, they will also be available for the Pioneer S9 mixer very soon, along with some special edition component color ways.

Check out Infinity Faders HERE to learn more.

posted by Deville

Rae Sremmurd and Migos got back-to-back #1s without making any pop concessions. Here’s how they did it.

Their heyday was 47 years ago, but The Beatles still have the most number one hits in the history of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. No one, not Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, nor Madonna has been able to equal or top the record 20 #1s they produced between 1964 and 1970. Hip hop isn’t a genre that’s historically paid much homage to the Fab Four, but recently, two rap groups that have flirted with Beatles comparisons have found themselves sitting atop the charts.

Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles” is a more optimistic reimagining of a line from Kanye West’s 2010 track “Gorgeous” (“What’s a black Beatle anyway, a fucking roach?”), with Swae Lee and Slim Jimmi using the group’s fashion, sex appeal, and commercial success as signifiers of their own rockstar lifestyle. A scene from the video even mimics The Beatles’ final live performance. Migos hit #1 directly after “Black Beatles” with “Bad and Boujee,” but their Beatles connection dates back a few years, when the “Migos are better than The Beatles” meme swept the internet. Their recent hit doesn’t make any explicit references to that (unlike 2015’s “Migos Origin”), but its success has sparked a rebirth of the meme, with both Donald Glover and indie rock band Japandroids declaring Migos our generation’s Beatles last month.

Neither “Black Beatles” nor “Bad and Boujee” went #1 because of their respective connections to the most successful singles group of all time, but like The Beatles’ loud, shaggy-haired swag did in 1964, they seem to represent a revolution, or at least a breath of fresh air to an increasingly bland Hot 100. The three #1s that preceded The Beatles’ first chart-topper (1964’s “I Want to Hold Your Hand”) include of two songs that sound like slow dance staples at old folks’ homes, and a novelty hit by a singing nun. 2016, in comparison, had Drake’s most parent-friendly song yet (“One Dance”), a random-as-hell collaboration between Sia and Sean Paul (“Cheap Thrills”), and a smash hit by some “frat bro dudes” that ripped off an adult contemporary song from a decade prior– not exactly as whitewashed and sterile as 1963’s list of hits, but just as boring.

Migos wisely dropped “Bad and Boujee” not just on commercial streaming platforms, but also on Soundcloud, which despite not being directly factored into Billboard’s Streaming Songs equation (due to “a combination of factors,” per Pietroluongo), is more easily shared than a Spotify or Apple Music stream. Remember, Streaming Songs calculates not just streams, but also “traffic” and “user-generated clips,” which means that an “omg Bad n Boujee [multiple flame emoji]” tweet counts, as do the popular clips of Migos performing the song in Nigeria and Sid the Science Kid dancing to it.

It’s near-impossible to guess what weight Billboard gives to all of these factors, but whereas Radio Songs and Digital Songs are difficult systems to game, the Streaming Songs arena has turned into a free-for-all of streams, shares, and memes. The winning idea seems to be making singles as accessible and shareable as possible, buy any memes necessary. As Gunner Safron told Pigeons & Planes in that aforementioned interview: “It’s almost like a new format of blogging. A few years ago everyone wanted to get placed on different blogs, and now you want to get on tumblr pages, on Instagram pages, and showcase your work through third parties where you don’t have to be the leader of the conversation. You can allow others to tell the story for you.”

posted by David Miller (via hotnewhiphop)

The second-string quarterback on a losing Super Bowl team gets paid $53,000. Halftime performers like Lady Gaga are still getting paid $0.

Is this fair?

Last year, the NFL admitted that it doesn’t pay its marquee, halftime Super Bowl performers. Now, it looks like a long-standing tradition of not paying musicians is continuing.

According to a source involved in Lady Gaga’s performance detail, the superstar has been paid exactly $0 for her Sunday evening performance. That is, a performance that included a ‘dive’ from the roof of Houston’s colossal NRG Stadium, endless theatrics, fire, multiple songs, and even pre-performance interviews and press conferences.

By stark comparison, every player on the losing team from Sunday’s Super Bowl LI got a $53,000 spot bonus from the NFL. That includes everyone, even those that never play a down. Members of the winning team, whether Tom Brady or his backup quarterback, get $107,000 each.

In total, that means the NFL pays a total of $2.81 million to the losing players, and $5.67 million to the winning players. And that is just the players.

This isn’t a new development. Back in 2014, leaked information also showed that Bruno Mars received nothing for his Super Bowl Halftime performance. “Though the league has attracted acts as varied as Beyonce, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson to perform during its biggest game in the past, it has never paid any of them,” Time reported after receiving similar tips.

Other recent performers, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beyonce, and Katy Perry have also reportedly been paid nothing for their shows.

“It’s a pretty good deal. It’s the famous win-win for both parties.”

In response, the NFL has actually admitted that halftime performers are paid nothing. But, they responded that the exposure was well worth it. “We’re putting someone up there for 12 and a half minutes in front of the largest audience that any television program garners in the United States,” NFL Director of Programming Lawrence Randall said at the time.

“It’s a pretty good deal. It’s the famous win-win for both parties.”

That said, Lady Gaga did ink a multi-million dollar deal with Pepsi, also a Super Bowl LI sponsor. While that money isn’t directly paid to Gaga for her performance, it probably wouldn’t be possible without it. The Pepsi deal is expected to continue through much of 2017, with the Super Bowl blasting things off.

And, blasting Lady Gaga’s comeback. That’s important for an artist like Gaga, who probably peaked several years ago and needed the boost.

posted by David Miller (via digitalmusicnews)

Renowned audio products company Technics announced over the weekend that the SL-1210GR, a new direct-drive turntable to be released in Europe. The piece of hi-def audio equipment is a differently-colored version of the SL-1200GR turntable the Japanese company announced last month.

Both of these new turntables offer less pricey alternatives to last year’s reissue of the historic Technics SL-1200 turntable, the SL-1200G, which costs $4,000. Unlike the SL-1200G, they have a single rotor motor instead of dual rotor, and an aluminum platter instead of brass. Technics’ original SL-1200 was in production from 1972 until 2010, when it discontinued due to changing market conditions.

Previously, the company’s creative director Hiro Morishita explained to the New York Times that it would be “problematic” to market the SL-1200 to DJs because that’s not who it’s really designed for.

The SL-1210GR will be on sale in April and cost roughly $1620 (£1299).

posted by David Miller (via djmag)

Many years ago in the heyday of the skratchlounge forum, I postulated the idea that small jog wheels weren’t the best vehicle for clean scratching, and looked for an alternative. It’s clear that rather than trying to achieve smooth motion with a tight rotational movement, linear motion is a much better solution, and proposed a conveyor belt device, one that would allow for spin backs and to mimic the basics of vinyl play but in a more compact linear controller format.

Like most ideas I’ve come up with, it progressed no further than a single forum post now archived somewhere on a drive. But it makes me so happy to see someone else with the same basic idea actually do something with it. And Fong Fong has finally taken his SliderKut idea seen online last year, honed it, and put it on Kickstarter to help make it a reality.

This video gives a more complete idea of the potential. One thing I’m not too clear on is the use of timecode. In the top video, the SliderKut isn’t acting like a turntable — it’s a slider of a fixed length and isn’t playing audio constantly i.e. the wheel display in Serato isn’t rotating. In this respect, it appears to be very much like the ScrubBoard, but obviously much slicker.
Now if this could operate like a touch sensitive static jog wheel via HID, with a start/stop button and taking control of playback when touched, then this has potential to be a real alternative to jog wheels. Perhaps not at 400mm long, but something smaller with all the controls at one side. Imagine the slider as a waveform controller and it makes more sense. I can even picture a mobile phone powered controller running from an app and incorporating a fader.
Either way, it’s great to see left field thinking happening, and equally having crowdfunding platforms to potentially make them into a reality. Good luck Fong Fong!

posted by David Miller (via djworx)

Watch Randy Jackson lead a discussion with Los Angeles artist Tokimonsta, hip-hop producer Hit Boy, and Interscope’s Zedd about their creative approaches to music and how they best implement technology into their innovative workflow processes.

posted by David Miller (via native-instruments)

What began as a group of friends starting a stunt to get the Foo Fighters to perform a show in Cesena, Italy, has now become the biggest band in the world. In July 2016, 1,000 Foo Fighter fans that included drummers, bassists, guitarists, and singers, all came together to perform the Foo Fighter’s “Learning to Fly” in hopes of getting Dave Grohl to play in their hometown. When Grohl didn’t show up, the fans took it upon themselves and started their own massive band fittingly called the Rockin’1000 and began performing covers of some of the greatest hits of all time. Watch above as they perform Nirvana‘s 1991 classic, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” in unison.

post by David Miller (via hypebeast)

Let’s keep this one simple. If you like Jamiroquai, you’ll like this just-released track. It blends the group’s classic 90s style with a some modern touches, and a beat that moves. And, changes right when you need it to.

Actually, most people don’t realize that Jamiroquai has been packing clubs and festivals for decades. This is an artist that first surfaced in the 1990s, but one that never went away.

Actually, this is the first release in a long time. The group’s last album, Rock Dust Light Star, came out in 2010. The latest single is the first track from the upcoming album, Automaton, arriving March 31st on Virgin EMI.

Jamiroquai is not just one guy (another popular misconception). The group is fronted by Jay Kay, and backed by a number of different musicians. That includes percussionists Sola Akingbola and Derrick McKenzie, both of whom have been with the group since 1994.

In terms of mainstream popularity, Jamiroquai’s biggest hit remains ‘Virtual Insanity’. That track, released under Epic Records in the 90s, propelled the group to a Grammy (among other accolades).

Then, a big chunk of America moved on, though pockets of intense fandom emerged in places like Eastern Europe. Indeed, this is a group that has performed hundreds of gigs since the 90s. And, just like old school pioneers like Daft Punk, are enjoying a retro resurgence as EDM has exploded.

posted by David Miller (via Digitalmusicnews)

While The Weeknd and Selena Gomez’s relationship status is unsure right now after the two were seen cozying up recently, Justin Bieber has made one thing clear: He’s not a fan of the singer née Abel Tesfaye’s.

When TMZ asked Bieber whether he can listen to The Weeknd’s music, the pop superstar replied, “Hell no I can’t listen to a Weeknd song. That shit’s wack.”

The Weeknd and Gomez, Bieber’s ex, were photographed in an embrace sharing a kiss earlier this month, sparking romantic rumors. The two have not publicly announced anything, but speculation grew when The Weeknd’s ex-girlfriend Bella Hadid unfollowed Gomez on Instagram.

posted by David Miller (via billboard)

Mixfader has launched a mount to let you attach its portable crossfader to the Numark PT-01 Scratch portable turntable, giving you a neat, simple and totally mobile scratch practice solution.

posted by David Miller (via digitaldjtips)

Reloop have released a new mixer — the RMX–90 DVS — just in time for NAMM Music Technology Convention in LA this week.

The new mixer is a four-channel club mixer with integrated 8 in/8 out audio interface, with a strong emphasis placed on clear and powerful sound characteristic, that’s achieved via the mixer’s fully digital sound architecture and high-resolution 24-bit audio interface. Experienced DJs will be mixing in no time thanks to the intuitive club mixer layout, three band EQ (with classic & isolator modes) and filters on each channel.

The RMX–90 DVS unlocks the full version of Serato DJ, including DVS control. Serato’s advanced NoiseMap technology combined with a 24-bit USB interface — this allows for extremely low latency playback and precise record manipulation. Set-up is as easy as plug-n-play and DVS can be used immediately after hook-up. The RMX–90 DVS also comes with 2 Serato NoiseMap control vinyl records to start spinning instantly.

posted by David Miller (via djmag)