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CD Spotlight
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Our man Satoshi Tomiie kicks off
Renaissance's new 3D compilation series with a bang. The release consists of three CDs, each one with a different flava: Club, Studio and Home. Satoshi, known for his
influential label, Saw Recordings and his blistering live shows (The Saw Recordings party
at the WMC is a must!), leads off with the Club mix showcasing his live mixing skills with the latest tracks in his arsenal. Studio is Mr. Tomiie at his finest, remxing
and chopping up his own tracks mixed with some of his favorite ear candy. And Home is a more downtempo mix of some of his favorite tracks including Miles Davis and
Aphrodisiac. Kudos to Renaissance for leading off their new series with a true pioneer.
LISTEN!
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Digital Spotlight
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Bombay offers up their second digital download release, Fred Everything's Forever on Beatport. Chunky, groovy vibes make this a must in your crate to kick the party into high gear.
LISTEN!
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Vinyl Spotlight
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Demarkus Lewis throws down the perfect track for a late afternoon WMC pool party. Sao Salvador has all the right
elements for a sleeper WMC hit, tasty drums, a sweet hooky vocal and a funky bassline. A great addition to Agave's string of stellar funky
house releases with killer production and crystal clear mastering by Chris Alexander. Check out Lewis at the Viva Agave party, 3/24 at Hotel Shelly, 844 Collins, Miami Beach.
LISTEN!
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../ Numark Unleashes Another Round Of New Products
Numark is on a tear. The manufacturer has debuted close to a dozen new products since the NAMM show in January and shows no signs of stopping.
We sat down with Director of Marketing Gregg Stein to discuss their new products and how Numark has been able to address emerging market niches
more effectively than most of their competitors.
>>> FULL STORY
../ MP3tunes Secret Oboe Project Revealed
Michael Robertson, feisty CEO of MP3tunes, announced the launch of Sideload.com, the result of his secret "Oboe" project that enlisted the help
of programming prodigy DVD-Jon. Sideload.com is a music locker service that stores MP3s of free music online. Although, the service has a strong
anti-copyright infringement user agreement, copyrighted works by U2 and others have already appeared on the service which will certainly raise
the ire of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and other infringement concerns making Sideload.com a target for legal battles
in the future.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Pioneer Introduces CDJ-1000MK3 and CDJ-800M2
Pioneer Electronics Inc. introduced the next generation of their popular CDJ-1000 and CDJ-800 digital turntables. To add better feel, precision and
performance Pioneer incorporated several new features including: jog feel adjustments, hot looping / re-looping, improved track and wave data display.
However, the biggest enhancement is the new version's ability to play MP3 compressed audio files, something that have been severely missing.
>>> FULL STORY
../ New Jammer Controller Announced
After spending over two years and $1.5 million on its development, Thumtronics, an Australian concern, has developed a new electronic musical
instrument called the Jammer. About the size of a paperback book, the Jammer combines an arrangement of note-controlling buttons with thumb-operated
expressive controls.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Arturia Prophet V Now Available
After causing a sensation at NAMM this past January, Arturia announced their new Prophet V is now shipping world wide. The Prophet V
is a virtual replica of both a Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 and a Prophet VS. In a new twist, Arturia as enabled the user to combine
both synths via their unique HYBRID mode...
>>> FULL STORY
../ Music Choice Announces Warner, Cingular Deal
Music Choice, known primarily through it's uninspired cable music channels, stated that it has reached a deal with Warner Music to provide
Cingular Wireless customers with 99 cent music videos.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Top 100 Female DJs Announced
SheJay, a global network of female DJs, producers and promoters, posted their top 100 Female DJs on the planet based on a recent poll.
The top slot went to DJ Rap who started playing Drum 'n' Bass, but now mostly plays house music.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Satellite Radio Reports Wider Loss
XM Satellite Radio Holdings and Sirius Satellite Radio both posted big losses during the fourth quarter. Both stocks plummeted close to 10%
revealing that the new format still has a long way to go despite support from Detroit's automakers. Sirius reported a loss of $311 million on
revenue of $80 million up from $252 million a year earlier. XM had a loss of $268 million compared to $188 last year.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Warner Doubles Digital Download Sales
Warner Music Group announced their fiscal first-quarter earnings rose 92% due to exploding digital music sales and aggressive cost
cutting. Digital downloads accounted for $69 million, up from $25 million a year earlier. Revenue from CDs dropped another 2% to $920
million, however net income rose to $69 million, up from $36 million.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Pioneer Announces DJM-800 Digital Mixer
Pioneer has taken their industry standard DJM-600 to the next level with the announcement of the DJM-800. The new DJM-800 mixer incorporates four
channels of digital input, 24 bit/96kHz analog to digital conversion, 61 assignable MIDI controls and a new "Harmonic Mixing" technology that
automatically stays in key when pitch adjustments are made.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Ministry Of Sound Buys Hed Kandi
Ministry Of Sound announced that it has acquired Hed Kandi and Enterprise Records from the Guardian Media Group Radio Holdings for an
undisclosed sum. The move is reminiscent of Astralwerk's purchase of Naked Music a few years ago. Both Naked and Hed Kandi established
themselves in the marketplace with distinctive illustrated branding and smooth house grooves.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Fripp Records New Windows Sounds
New Vista Sounds!
Robert Fripp, formally of King Crimson, has been tapped to record new sounds for Microsoft's next generation operating system
dubbed "Vista." This is the first major update of the Windows operating system (OS) in five years.
>>> FULL STORY with Video Links!
../ TestDrive: Best iPod Accessories
The year 2005 saw hundreds of new iPod accessories come to market, many were innovative and significantly improved the
iPod listening experience, while others were severely lacking in quality and functionality. In this special Futuremusic
report, we are going to celebrate the best products of the year...
>>> FULL STORY
../ Sony CD Protection Fiasco Reveals Social Flaws
Sony BMG announced that it has agreed to settle several suits regarding its controversial attempt to protect their CD releases from
piracy. The settlement proposes a combination of replacement CDs, free downloads and monetary compensation. The public backlash against
Sony was understandable, however the instant pile-on from the legal community was fascinating.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Spitzer Continues To Air Out Radio Stink
Fumigation Hits Warner Music Group
After settling with Sony BMG four months ago for $10 million, Elliot Spitzer, Attorney General for New York, aimed his legal
guns at Warner Music Group. Warner has agreed to a $5 million dollar settlement for providing radio stations and their employees
with financial incentives in exchange for airplay, a practice commonly known as "pay-for-play" or payola.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Record Labels Face New Threat
Relentless Challenges From New Technology
Since the original Napster burst forth, record labels have faced one threat after another from new digital technology that has
significantly eroded their profits over the last six years. The latest thorn is coming from satellite radio stations, XM and
Sirius, who have recently debuted new player/recorders. The new devices have the ability to record broadcasts and then let the
listener tune it at their convenience, similar in functionality to the popular TiVo Digital Video Recorder (DVR).
>>> FULL STORY
../ Radio Stations Unite For Digital
In order to successfully promote new digital radio technology, lobby automakers and compete against satellite radio, eight large
celestial radio companies have formed a group to tackle these important issues as a unified force.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Head2Head: Shure VS. Etymotic
The Shure E5C and the Etymotic ER-4P are some of the very best earphones money can buy. Both contain high-quality components and have
expansive signal to noise ratios that reveal details in music that most never knew existed. These earphones, sometimes called "earbuds"
by the industry, are reserved strictly for audiophiles who demand the very best in listening, and at $499 for the Shure E5C, and $330
for the Etymotic ER-4P, you can see why...
>>> FULL STORY
../ Sprint Launches Cellular Music Service
Sprint Nextel, has very quietly launched the first legal music download service for cell phones in the United States. The new Sprint
Music Store allows customers to download a complete song directly to their cell phone for $2.50 without having to connect their phone
to a computer. Usually a service of this nature is hyped with a tremendous marketing campaign. However, Sprint hasn't promoted the service
at all, and it isn't even touted on their website's homepage.
>>> FULL STORY
../ i2hub P2P Network Shuts Down
i2hub, a small, but very potent Peer-To-Peer (P2P) file sharing network specially for college students, has suddenly shut down citing
legal ramifications from the entertainment industry. The service, which ran on an advanced, super high-speed network that linked 240
universities and colleges, was created by Wayne Chang when he was a sophomore at the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Sony BMG Suspends CD Antipiracy Spyware
Sony BMG Music Entertainment, will temporarily cease production of their controversial copy-protected CDs in an abrupt about face.
The "rootkit" CDs were designed to limit the number of copies that could be burned, prevent the consumer from creating MP3s and
inhibit the songs to be imported into Apple's iTunes music software.
>>> FULL STORY
../ MySpace Launches Record Label
MySpace.com, developed by Tom Anderson as a social networking site to compete with Friendster, is launching its own record label with
Interscope Records. The site has 35 million registered users and has become vastly populated with musicians, bands and other music aficionados...
>>> FULL STORY
../ Grokster Ceases P2P Service
Grokster Ltd. has discontinued its infamous Peer-To-Peer (P2P) service and stopped distributing their file-sharing software in a sudden settlement
with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This announcement comes after losing its case before the U.S. Supreme Court in June. The
embattled company also states that it "hopes to have a safe and legal service available soon."
>>> FULL STORY
../ DVD-Jon Imported For Secret Oboe Project
Jon Lech Johansen , AKA "DVD-Jon", the brilliant 21 year old programmer is now working for San Diego based MP3Tunes, a private company
captained by Michael Robertson who founded MP3.com. The hiring of Johansen has raised the eyebrows of many content companies who have come
to fear his reverse engineering genius. Both Johansen and Robertson have the propensity to thumb their nose at the establishment, which
could make the pairing a double threat.
>>> FULL STORY
../ TestDrive: Alienware Premium Backpack
The Alienware Premium Backpack is a high-quality, stylish transport for your laptop and mobile music accessories. This great-looking,
black bag comes with a cushioned interior pocket for shielding your computer from knocks and bumps, and has plenty of storage for your
peripherals.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Allen & Heath's Revolutionary Xone:3D
Allen & Heath showcased its innovative Xone:3D DJ Mixer/Controller workstation at the AES convention in New York City. The 3D, one of
six working prototypes, brings the two very different worlds of the vinyl and digital DJ seamlessly together in a well-thought out and
brilliantly executed design.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Native Instruments Announces Traktor 3
Native Instruments announced the third incarnation of Traktor, their DJ mixing software, would be available in November for $279. Traktor, which
owes its popularity more to Native's marketing muscle than it its features, aims to meet its critics head-on by addressing many of the problems
that have plagued the software from the start.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Download Price Hike Imminent
Rumors of a rise in individual download prices on the leading online music services surfaced again when Steve Jobs, Apple Computer's CEO, did some major whining to the press that he was being pressured by several major labels to increase prices.
>>> FULL STORY
../ TestDrive: Native Instruments Absynth 3
When Native Instruments announced a new version of Absynth, their popular software synthesizer, many of us at Futuremusic began
to noticeably drool. When Native Instruments (NI) nails a product from the get-go, like they did with Absynth, each version just
gets significantly better by taking the solid foundation to the next level. Absynth 3 is a must have for any musician with an
interest in creating provocative ambient soundscapes, film scoring and the exploration of dynamic synthesis...
>>> FULL STORY
../ Amazon To Launch Digital Music Service
Amazon.com will launch a digital music service in the near future featuring individual songs for download, as well as a subscription service.
Amazon has had licensing discussions with all the major labels and is currently evaluating several digital distributors including MusicNet.
>>> FULL STORY
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As the name correctly implies, Experiments In Sound, is Futuremusic's latest endeavor for pushing electronic music technology to the very edge of what's possible.
Experiments In Sound grew out of Futuremusic's avant-garde events in
New York City that featured DJ's taking mixing and live sound reinforcement to a whole new level with the very latest gear and software.
Now Experiments In Sound has become The Ultimate Mix Contest...
After the tremendous success of our groundbreaking The Next Big Thing DJ Contest, Futuremusic has decided to once again create a new paradigm...
Learn more about Experiments In Sound!
TestDrive will feature the lab results of our DJ Experiments so that everyone can get in on the action. Take the latest electronic music releases, mix vigorously
with bleeding-edge DJ production technology in a large beeker, and then cook the hell out of it!
Check out our latest TestDrive of the Alesis XGuitar
Futuremusic wants to thank everyone who participated in The Next Big Thing 2004. John Digweed, Beatport, Alienware, M-Audio, Native Instruments, IK Multimedia,
PVDJ, PK Graphics, Ableton, The DubHouse, Propellerheads, Technics, FreeFloat, The Church, PCDJ and every DJ who entered this year's event thank you. From the sheer number of
quality mixes, we can tell you that dance music is thriving in the United States. The amount of outstanding talent and creativity really blew us away, and every DJ who's putting
their heart, mind and soul behind the music is a winner. John Digweed has
made his decision and the winner is...
Think you got skills?? Then start practicing!
News Archives
Digihear? Stories: February 2006
Digihear? Stories: January 2006
Digihear? Stories: December 2005
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Digihear? Stories: July 2005
Digihear? Stories: June 2005
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Digihear? Stories: March 2005
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