I’m continuously frustrated by the lack of music quality I see on blogs. I’m not just talking about the actual fidelity (a lower bitrate is presumed with mp3s you download from blogs), but the truckloads of mediocre crap produced by people who lack experience, and then usually, the ear to judge if something is good or not. Out of the hundreds of songs I download every Monday (my music day), I usually keep 5-7 songs. The list of how most of these songs suck is miles long. The vocals are too low, the kicks are over compressed, the levels are off, there’s no hook, the synths are out of tune with the bassline, etc. etc. *sigh* Enough bitching, I could go on for quite some time about this. Anyway, I thought I would post some examples of great tunes floating around out there - these are the few I kept today from all my downloads. Kudos to Palms Out Sounds, Panda Toes and Electrorash. Oh yeah, and as if all my house/electro postings aren’t a big enough hint, this should also give everyone a clear idea of what mizz Dani Deahl enjoys. Please stop sending me hip hop (see below post). Cheers!
Justice - DVNO (Surkin Remix)
Download
Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor (L.A. Riots & Villains Remix)
Download
New Europeans - Dr. Rhythm (Facteur Remix)
Download
March 11th, 2008 at 2:19 am
I really like your opinion regarding the lack of sufficiently good music posted on blogs. I was starting to feel as though everyone just enjoyed listening to mundane and extremely mediocre music which is supposed to shake your soul. Keep voicing your opinion, now there are two of us
Email me if you want to start sharing some tracks
March 11th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Thanks Dani! We love your blog! XX
March 12th, 2008 at 1:54 am
Thanks u Kidz for remix.
March 12th, 2008 at 10:09 am
am i the only one who listened to the remix of hot chip and realised how it sounds IDENTICAL to the ‘tonite only’ remix of ‘evermore’? check it out. it’s just generic club sound.
March 13th, 2008 at 5:55 am
i say fuck remixes with 4\4 beats thrown under a track a bit of distortion on the bass chop up the vocals a little throw in a bitta synth bit of a pitch bend just fuck that make an effort please,……….len,south africa
March 13th, 2008 at 8:57 am
I have a problem with some of the people who hate on these tunes. Most people don’t realize what work goes into making these songs, and there’s a reason why they work - they are structured well, the mastering is right, the sounds are chosen well, etc etc. There is a reason why there is so much crap floating around. I’d rather have a solid, well produced remix over something that is super experimental but sounds like s**t (which is usually the case). Frankly, the latter doesn’t do me much good.
Get off your high horse and spend a couple years in the studio learning about music theory, limiters, compression, song structure and the like and get back to me with your song.
The label I am starting with Strictly Rhythm is a perfect example of everything that has been said here. I have turned down countless artists for my label that had a missing link, either in their programming, structure or otherwise. The people we have signed, across the board all have formal music training and a background of at least five years in production. We didn’t search for those credentials, but they came along with the quality of the music we chose and are looking for.
Trust me my man, with my years in the studio, my three + years as house editor for URB reviewing countless records, doing A&R for my new label and of course, my seven years as a professional DJ, I know that what you call “no effort” in fact requires the utmost effort to pull off, and well.
March 13th, 2008 at 9:32 am
As a DJ since ‘96, I have heard my fair share of tunes. I’ve had googobs (my favorite Big Numbers word nowadays) of producers throw me their new song and, well, I think De La Soul said it best:
“But the songs created in they shacks / Are so wick-wick-wack, situations like this / And now I hate they give me smiles Kool-Aid wide and ask, / ‘Was it def?’
/ And with the straighest face I be like, ‘Hell yes . . .’”
I think a lot of the time producers also forget about the dance floor - so many remixes that I hear out there are like “ok, that’s nice . . . but uhhh, will they DANCE to it?” Too often the answer is “nahhhh . . .”
In this brave new world of bedroom producers from Australia / Brooklyn / Maldives, there is inevitably going to be a lot of chaff with your musical wheat. It’s the DJs like Dani (and hopefully me!) who are responsible for saving us from the sinking feeling of “oh . . . what’s this shite coming from the speakers, then . . . hmmm, time to head to the bar / other room / bathroom / dentist . . .”
I’m all about experimentation, but if you’re gonna do it, do it right!