A young bedroom producer has reportedly taken to Facebook for the sixth weekend in a row to post a status letting everyone know that he would be staying in all weekend to work on some tracks.
Barry Jacobs, a self professed “sound engineer, beat maker and tonal impressario”, makes further claims that he doesn’t want to go out partying because “making tunes is so important to [him]” – a claim he also made unsolicited via a Facebook status update which received seven likes, most of which came from fellow self promoting “producers”.
He was also keen to point out how much he loves “these weekends off from partying where [he] can work on some serious beats” and how much he “can’t wait to drop these sick bangers on fuckers” because apparently “people are going to freak at this shit”.
“Nothing beats just chilling out, unwinding and getting stuck into making tunes bro,” he was heard tell a casual friend unprompted at a party. “I’ve been making tunes for years,” he continued, holding back from saying “I’m cool aren’t I? Love me please, I make music.”
Friends of the “producer” were quick to dismiss his claims that he’d be “strapped to ProTools all day Saturday”, claiming that in the five years that he has been DJing and producing they’ve never heard a completed track.
“Yeah I’ve heard snippets and 30 second clips of beats,” remarked one, David, “but never a fully formed and finished track.”
“I actually called over to him on one of his producing weekends,” he continued. “I found him playing World of Warcraft eating cheese Doritos and smoking spliffs.”
“He said he was just ‘taking a break’ but I could tell that he was lying by the embarrassed look in his eye and the fact that there was about four hours worth of wanked-in tissue in the bin,” David added. “The ones on top weren’t even crusty yet.”
“He always posts the same statuses on Facebook that say he’s busy working on his album despite the fact that he definitely isn’t, no-one has ever heard his music and his bedroom, rather than being a recording studio, is more accurately described as a wank dungeon,” concluded David. “It’s almost as if he just wants the props and acclaim of being a serious musician without actually being one.”
From house party DJ to South Africa's Got Talent, our new favourite DJ is on a mission.
He might have only just turned three, but DJ Arch Jnr has already won the hearts of people all over the world thanks to his skills on the decks.
The judges on South Africa's Got Talent loved his filter and cross fader work so much on his DJ controller, they slammed down the golden buzzer to send him straight through to the semi-finals.
He might not be beat matching or mixing tunes, but he's got plenty of years in front of him to fine-tune that and, judging by the amount of people he got on their feet with his fruity house beats, nobody's too bothered how he delivers the music.
It can't be too long until fellow South African Black Coffee gives him that co-sign, either. Watch DJ Arch Jnr's performance below.
5 Favorite Freerange Releases by Pittsburgh Track Authority
SEP 27, 01:00 PM
Pittsburgh Track Authority’s sound is a real amalgamation of styles that deliver a house music texture that touches on classic NYC garage, a touch of Detroit techno and even a hint of broken beat and R&B. The outfit consist of Preslav Lefterov, Thomas Cox and Adam Ratana; a trio of Pittsburgh producers and DJs who’s latest release ‘Your Situation’ is the perfect example of their sound and style.
Available now on Jimpster’s Freerange imprint, this proper 3-tracker is going to be causing some serious damage to the world’s dance floors. To celebrate the release on Jimpster’sesteemed deep house label, we asked the PTA boys to select their 5 favourite Freerange tracks and with a seriously wide range to choose from, this was far from an easy task!
Hanna “The Race”
Hanna is one of the most slept on house producers. Funky drum programming and nice instrumentation like most of his jams. One can never go wrong with him!
Robert Strauss “Rhythm of Life (Yoruba Soul Mix)”
The legend Osunlade turns in a mix that is not even house music. This is more along the lines of neo-soul and a very good interpretation it is.
Esoterik “Alcyone”
Kirk Degiorgio is maybe known more for his techno these days, but he is quite capable across many genres. This one mixes classic techno and house quite nicely.
Blackjoy “Untitled”
Perhaps one of the more obvious selections of Freerange jams, but for good reason. Classic deep house right here!
Swell Session vs Seiji “Prepared To Go (Jimpster Dub Mix)”
The man Jimpster does the dub mix to a Swell Session vs Seiji jam, both of whom are sick producers on their own as well. A lovely warm jam.
Pittsburgh Track Authority artist page and releases on Traxsource.
To celebrate the release of the amazing Bloq, the new sample based virtual instrument for Kontakt, Ableton Live and Logic Pro X, we decided to have a nose around the studio of Sample Magic’s very own super producer Sharooz.
With support from the likes of Moby, James Zabiela, 2 Many DJs, Erol Alkan, and Mark Knight, Sharooz is a one man machine when it comes to firing out super slick dance music on labels like Modular, Fools Gold, Lektroluv, GND and La Bombe. As one of the creators of Bloq, which a whole host of classic, iconic synths and drum machines, we thought it would be interesting to see what kind of set up our man had, as we went Inside The Studio with Sharooz.
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1) Congratulations on your first virtual instrument, BLOQ. How is it being received so far?
Thank you. It’s been incredibly well received. Computer Music magazine just gave it a glowing review and we’ve got a few other reviewers saying they’re really enjoying it. I’ve been responding in person to all the user feedback we’ve had and so far it’s been overwhelmingly good.
2) Tell us more about BLOQ. What was the main inspiration behind it and what prompted the move into virtual instruments?
I’ve enjoyed using and collecting vintage gear for years. It sounds so warm and none of the remakes come close. I rely on the sounds so heavily that I started to sample each machine, gradually building my own personal library for all the travelling and touring I was doing. With Sample Magic, we’d never done a Kontakt instrument before so it was a natural progression to release it commercially. I got in touch with Matt Fudge who did an amazing job on the scripting and making the most of bringing all the unique Kontakt features into the mix.
3) What is it about BLOQ that make it unique?
Bloq is unique firstly in the sheer quality of sampled sounds. Our signal chain was unparalleled – we used the Prism Orpheus as the AD conversion front end, the Neve 1073 and Focusrite ISA430 channel strips and the highest quality cables. Every sound from every drum machine was sampled in every possible pitch, tone and attack/decay iteration at 24-bit resolution. Every key in every synth patch was sampled uniquely and some of the patches even have three separate velocity layers for each note. We also spent ages putting together an innovative sequencer design. Matt, Luis Burdallo (the GUI designer) and myself spent weeks getting it just right so it would fit exactly in the limited screen estate we had available, but still excel functionally. The drum patterns took me ages too. I programmed four patterns for each drum machine and really went into detail with the variations, velocity levels and accents. Oh, and some of the kits are pretty unique – I’m almost sure ours is the only instrument to include rare drum machines such as the MXR 185.
4) Give us some insight into your production process. How do you typically begin constructing a sample pack?
Firstly I’d have to check the sampled source synth was exactly in tune with no dropouts and crackles in the sound. Then I’d create or recall a unique patch and sample each note at exactly the same length across 61 keys. We’d check the pitch again and make sure each sample was normalised and had matching transients and decays (with many of the older analogues this can’t always be guaranteed). Next I’d build the patch and loop samples if the preset was a continuous tone like a pad. Then I’d add unique effects, ADSR, filter settings and a sequence pattern if needed.
5) What equipment do you have in your studio?
SYNTHESIZERS: • Roland Jupiter 6 • Roland Jupiter 8 • Dave Smith Prophet ’08 • Clavia Nord Lead 3 • Teenage Engineering OP-1 • Roland MC-202 • Roland SH-101 • Elektron Analog Four • Roland TB-303 • Yamaha DX7 • Korg DW8000 • Korg Poly 800 • Korg Poly 61 • Korg Volcas • Korg Electribe 2 • Korg MS20M • Arp Odyssey • Sequential Circuits Pro One • Roland Juno 106 • Access Virus TI Snow
6) What is your favorite piece of equipment to use in the studio and why?
Right now probably the Roland TR-808 because it’s actually a relatively new acquisition. It’s used on everything and just sounds like history every time you switch it on. The punch, the timing, the warmth, the bass, the dirt. My friend Dean Coleman gave me the Roland SB-X 1 to clock it with all the other Roland gear via DIN sync and it has an amazing, swingy, tight feel to it.
7) What piece of studio equipment or production process defines your sound?
Probably the Empirical Labs Distressor. I’ve had it for years and unlike most people I use it in mono. Usually I’ll treat drum hits on the way in, crunching up the transients on kick drums and snares. It also works great on vocals, guitars and live bass on the rare occasion I get to do live tracking. It can be a very smooth, warm compression or an all-out assault. It’s got distortion and tape-warmth emulation which always work a treat.
8) What piece of hardware/software elevated your production to a higher level & how?
A few years ago we made the Magic AB plugin and it’s an essential part of my mix buss chain. It sits on your channel master and allows instant mix AB’ing with up to 8 tracks. My mixing and in-house mastering have gone up several notches and I can’t imagine working without it now.
9) What fresh equipment have you recently added to the lab?
Korg recently sent me the MS20M with the SQ-1 sequencer. It’s the kit version. It’s lush. It sounds just like the original to my ears and the sequencer has some awesome little features. I’ve taken it out live and done a few sets with it.
10) What are your essential studio supplies?
I’m so boring, ha! It’s crucial to get things right in there so anything that increases focus and concentration with all those long hours. Team green juices. Ginkgo Biloba (I’ve heard it increases blood flow to the ears), biscuits, fish oil (seriously haha!), fresh fruit, etc.
11) What list of artists have influenced your sound?
It’s always changing. My all time favourite is Juan Atkins – such a huge innovator and still timeless in my opinion. Right now I’m really loving Danny Daze, Clark, Oliver, Daniel Avery, Django Django, Waze and Odyssey, Jimmy Edgar, Maelstrom, Canblaster. Classic influences would be Jeff Mills, Todd Edwards, Dave Clarke, Ian Pooley, Masters at Work, King Unique, Derrick Carter, DMX Krew, Orbital etc
12) Give us 3 of your favourite personal productions.
• Sharooz – Ryse I built this using solely analogue machines clocked with the SBX-1 and I’m giving it away free
• Sharooz – Krone I imagined this as a dystopian vintage horror soundtrack or something and used a lot of the old Korg boards like the DW8000 and Poly 800 to give the lo-fi feel.
• Sharooz – If This is the first time I ever did anything that wasn’t straight four-to-the-floor. I was aiming for something a little more atmospheric with a nod to the classic sound of Drexciya or Juan Atkins.
13) Any handy studio tips you would like to pass onto producers out there?
Always check your mixes on as many different systems as possible and reference as much as possible against your favorite tracks. It’s the only way you’ll get things right. And play your own stuff out – so important for correcting arrangement tweaks.
14) Whats next for you and Sample Magic?
I’m actually taking a break from doing ‘Sharooz’ for a while. I’m working under a new alias which I’ll reveal soon and am hugely excited about the direction it’s taking. I want to get out live too and bring some of these old boxes up on stage with me. Sample Magic have some great new plug-ins coming out by the end of the year and I can’t wait for the world to see them.
All 5 tracks offer up a wide range of eclectic styles and influences, with some seriously old school hip-hop flavours rubbing shoulders with some jackin’, deeper house joints. We sat down with the boys to talk about the interesting direction the label is heading, as we got deep into the Splendor & Squalor of Brame & Hamo.
1. Great name for a record label! How did it come about?
After deciding to make the label, the name was the thing. We both loved the contrast, clean & dirty, rich & poor, good & bad. We think that these come across in the music.
2. What kind of sound will the label be purveying?
Definitely the hip-hop and jazz sound but of course that can also change. We’re pretty open.
3. The Cotton Club EP features a range of different styles. Will this be a norm for Splendor & Squalor releases?
Maybe. This label is just our own project at the moment, so there really is no structure to it, but we will definitely be experimenting with stuff on it with future releases.
4. Are there any particular artists that you think would be the right fit for Splendor & Squalor?
5. Track three ‘In Control’ is a proper old school style hip-hop joint. Is that sound something that’s influenced you over the years?
Yes of course. Although we were both born in and around the golden age of hip-hop and weren’t listening to it as newborns, we most definitely got into it. Haha, that sound has definitely influenced both of us and our direction on the label.
6. What kind of hip-hop artists do you like?
Too many to name but we’ll name a few. Old stuff like “A Tribe Called Quest”, “The Roots”, “Eric B. & Rakim” to more of the newer UK artists like “Fliptrix”, “Verb T”, “Ocean Wisdom” and of course Irish hip-hop act “This Side Up” who are one of our (Hamo) brothers and friends.
7. How does it feel to be rated number 2 in our Top 20 Deep House Artists of 2015 so far?
Feels great. Thanks a lot. We really didn’t expect to be named at all.
8. Where’s the most splendid place you’ve ever visited?
Roberto’s! It’s a takeaway in Sligo. Unreal burgers, man.
9. If you found yourself living in squalor, what would be the thing you would least like to sell?
Probably ass.
10. How do you see the future of the label?
Well for the near future, we are working on 003 at the minute and planning 004. Maybe we will incorporate some of our friends in there. Who knows, but hopefully people keep digging the stuff we put out.
Brame & Hamo artist/label pages and releases on Traxsource.
Well done to Black Coffee taking home the “Breakthrough In Association Mixcloud” Award at the 2015 Ibiza DJ Awards last night. We are also proud to announce that South Africa wins “Dance Nation of the Year” Award! We’re EXTREMELY proud this morning!
Former fierce competitors in the house music game Soul Candi and House Afrika met recently to discuss Soul Candi’s revised strategy as a new kind of house: a media house. Some of the most esteemed spinners in SA were there to represent: Soul Candi’s Harael Salkow and Kid Fonque, and House Afrika’s Tim White and Vinny Da Vinci.
Now no longer a record label, Soul Candi were able to candidly discuss house music’s wins with House Afrika during their combined tenures at the top of the compilation game – and going forward: DJs Funk DeepStar, Malankane and Miggs FoReal, who fronted Soul Candi’s successful ‘Selektor Series (Pretoria Edition)’ have just moved across to the former rival label for the ‘House Afrika DJ All-Stars Vol. 1’ release.
This meeting of mighty minds allowed Soul Candi to share plans about their future direction, which provides an opportunity for an excited House Afrika to share their music, events and more to the new and existing Soul Candi bases.
These certainly are electrifying times for the house scene in SA and Soul Candi will certainly be playing their part – stay tuned to soulcandi.co.za for more details!
Pictured: Harael Salkow, Kid Fonque (Soul Candi), Vinny Da Vinci and Tim White (House Afrika)
Afefe Iku Osunlade Vows not to Return to Racist South Africa
To walk with respect as a black man, I was looked upon as in a “how dare you” from the blacks themselves.,”
Afefe Iku Osunlade played at Spring Fiesta this past weekend and it was his first visit back to our country for 10 years.
While the Yoruba Recs head honcho, and may I add awesome producer, DJ and musician seems to have thoroughly enjoyed his set and the event itself, he is less than impressed with the state of things in South Africa saying it is the most white privileged placed he has ever been to.
We interviewed Afefe Iku Osunlade before the event and he was genuinely excited about returning and of course there was no suggestion he expected anything other than a satisfying visit on his return for the event.
Sadly his experience in South Africa has left a rather distasteful impression on him. Not only does Afefe Iku Osunlade accuse the country of being by far the most racist he has experienced – even worse than America – he also points out the racial stereotyping that makes blacks also treat fellow blacks with less dignity than whites which he says is due to their conditioning.
He also urges international artists to boycott playing in South Africa suggesting they consider the bigger picture rather than their wallet and music.
I neither agree nor disagree with the statements made by Afefe Iku Osunlade herein and reserve our right as a publication to formulate and harness our own personal and private opinion on the matter. This information is brought to you with the sole intention of offering an opinion from a DJ, music producer and human being that I have always held in the highest regard. – Dave Mac [IDM MAG Editor-In-Chief]
Official statement from Osunlade: Please read carefully
“Now im certain I’ll get lots of shit for this post however it must be said. It’s been about ten years since my last visit to South Africa and I must say this trip has more than opened my eyes that apartheid is alive and kickin! It’s absolutely the most white privileged place I’ve ever experienced in my life and from this date I vow never to revisit it as long as it’s in its current state! With all the love we artists receive from our brothers and sisters there, it’s not enough for me to justify the treatment and moreso the conditioning that has become the norm for those black Africans. I suppose I, like most was caught up in the smoke and mirrors of the scene and how our music in general is received there, yet never had I realized the sad state of things. I experienced racism far beyond that of America which I thought was impossible. Not only have blacks been trained to walk with their tails between their legs like well trained monkeys but white supremacy is almost a given and not much a taken privilege. To walk with respect as a black man, I waslooked upon as in a “how dare you” from the blacks themselves., even to the point of being served after any white person by black attendant in say business class on flights to simply feeling like it’s not my place or right to be in such a position. I am a man like anyone else and I live my life in a treat me as U wish to be treated, but I couldn’t help but feel outraged at how sad things are in this country. Of ourse there like anything are the exceptions, I’ve met some amazing people of both sides of the coin but again, performing for so many beautiful black people, sharing moments and music and feeling the love of home, knowing these people probably gave their last to experience hearing me and my peers only to return to some township lesser state of living and treatment didn’t sit well with me. Again I know many will have their opinions about what I’m saying but I could give two fucks., it must be said! I admit like slavery in the states, which is alive as well today., things takes time to heal and move forward but fuck me, this is a new day where people are celebrated for coming out gay or even changing sex to being applauded for doing what should be common human courtesy toward one another. I wont sit nor accept the state of this nonsense. Black peoples of South Africa you are not slaves or servants to the whites in YOUR country, I know not what is needed to make change internally but I urge you to wake up and act! Again I know nothing of your personal struggles but from the outside looking in there is more acceptance than any kind of respect or fight for what’s rightfully yours! Having Nelson Mandela’s name on things or singing songs is not enough. WAKE THE FUCK UP AND ACT LIKE TOU HAVE SOME DIGNITY!! We come from kings and were never meant to only share our culture, land, bodies and spirits as anything less. Light and Power To Us All! I say us as I am you and I hurt experiencing this painful journey. Osunlade ps: I urge and call anyone brave enough to refrain from performing in this country., think about your spirit and not your pocket., I know for most this territory is a big part of your career and a huge cash cow however, know u condone and contribute to something far larger than your wallet and music.”
Now im certain I’ll get lots of shit for this post however it must be said. It’s been about ten years since my last…
SEP 27, 01:00 PM
