Cool Free Stuff: Walter Ego-Messeh (Bass)

Some forward thinking vibes by the likes of one of my current favorite bass/house producers at the moment, Walter Ego. “Messeh” is a loose interpretation of an ambiguous R&B tune, its vocals pitched and mangled so heavily even a copyright expert wouldn’t have much of a leg to stand on if a lawsuit was brought to the table. Aided by little else other than deep bass and fluttering percussion, the crux of Messeh is its infectious groove and its spaordic key changes. A free download on his Soundcloud page.

On The Boogiedownload: Mix 045 by Tom Tom (Tech House)

I’ve been a bit slack on the podcast mix tip over the past month because of Together festival madness, but have two that I’ve been sitting on for a little while now. The first of which is a really slick tech house mix by South Boston native Tom Phan, aka Tom Tom. 

Click here to read more and download the mix!

Ticket Giveaway! Bass Nation presents Flux Pavilion in Worcester, 5.31

UK dubstep and bass producer Flux Pavilion is back up to his usual antics, getting ready to test the limits of speaker stacks at outdoor festivals throughout the globe this summer. New England gets a taste next Friday in Worcester, albeit at an indoor location at the Palladium in Worcester. If they’re calling it the “Blow The Roof Tour”, who knows, maybe the dude will do just that and then it will turn into a festival after all. I’d advise you not to leave your ear plugs at home either way.

Flux is still heavily promoting the same-titled EP, which has done a nice job showcasing his craftiness in other dancefloor-friendly styles of music outside dubstep. Strains of trap, electro, moombahton, and house are mixed with buttoned-up songwriting and his signature anthem “I Can’t Stop”. If you haven’t checked it yet, you can sample a condensed version in the Soundcloud link below.

Local favorites Mike Skillz, Wubson, and Big I.C. get the party started right, and because this is a Bass Nation event, they’ve been gracious enough to let me do another ticket giveaway. If you’ve entered one before you know the score, if not, it’s simple: just “like” the BBD and Bass Nation pages on Facebook, and leave your name and email in the comments section below. Share this post and I’ll enter you three times. Winner gets a pair of tix on the house, drawing at 9am on 5/29. Go get ‘em!

Facebook event invite | Purchase tickets here

Together 2013 Photos Are Uploaded!

As a lot of you readers may know, each year I’m quite heavily involved with Boston’s Together Festival as the photography coordinator. This year was no exception, and what a killer week it turned out to be. As I knew I’d be pretty busy shooting, editing, and keeping up on emails and phone calls, I opted to put blogging on the backburner for the week. It turned out to be a pretty good decision, as that gave me extra time to relax during those scant pockets of free time!

Basically what I ended with is almost exactly a thousand photos that tell the story of Together 2013. Instead of trying to describe it here, I’ll let the pics do the talking. It was one of the funnest weeks I’ve had in years, and it honestly didn’t even feel like work at all.

Here’s a link to each of the galleries from the festival. Enjoy, and our regularly scheduled blogging resumes tomorrow!

Together 2013 VIP Party featuring Tiga :: The Sinclair :: 5.12.13
Gallery Presents Detroit Swindle :: Middlesex Lounge :: 5.13.13
Together Presents Four Tet & Anthony Naples :: Middle East Downstairs :: 5.14.13
Hearthrob Reunion :: Middlesex Lounge :: 5.14.13 
Re:Set Presents Chez Damier :: Phoenix Landing :: 5.15.13
Pico Picante Presents Toy Selektah :: Goodlife :: 5.16.13 
Make it New Presents Andres :: Middlesex Lounge :: 5.16.13 
Art Department :: Bijou :: 5.17.13 
Together Worlds Fair :: Cambridge :: 5.18.13 
Together Daytime Panels and Workshops :: Together Center & MMMMAVEN Project :: 5.13.13-5.17.13
Voices of Black & Gold Panda :: Brighton Music Hall :: 5.18.13
Some Like it HOTT :: Lilypad :: 5.18.13
Soul Clap’s Crew Love Boat Cruise featuring Wolf & Lamb :: Boston :: 5.19.13
Crew Love Afterparty featuring No Regular Play :: Middlesex Lounge :: 5.19.13

Cool Free Stuff: LeBreton-Hive Mind VIP (Techno)

LeBreton is a rising British techno producer with a handful of quirky techno jams under his belt. The original version of “Hive Mind”, complete with its bottomless array of kicks and unrelenting bass, was released earlier in the year. The VIP version, released yesterday as a free download, captures the same spirit with some tidy re-arranging. The VIP’s bassline is punchier, and the snares dance just a little closer to the kicks than in the original. There’s a lot of space in both versions, making it a fun track to mix or segue into a heavier part of a set. Just “like” his Facebook page to get it.

Also, here are some other freebies by LeBreton, released back in 2012.

Cool Free Stuff: Starkey-Fade EP (Trap)

Philly bass producer Starkey has been a bit quiet on the release front for the past year since his Orbits LP, but the silent streak has officially ended with yesterday’s announcement of his Fade EP. A three tracker, Starkey has clearly made the decision to ride the trap wave here, but without losing touch with his signature style. Known for his whimsical song arrangements and unorthodox synth programming, a seasoned listener can easily tell these are Starkey tunes even with those 808 hats firing on all cylinders. “Fade” and “Uglee” wield dancefloor destruction with cinematic segues, while “Guglemapz” focuses more on the melody rather than the low-frequency impact. Free download with a “like” to Starkey’s Facebook page.

Cool Free Stuff: Gents and Jawns-Coco (Trap)

There’s a lot of cookie-cutter trap out there, but this new “Coco” jam by Gents and Jawns is an exception worth signing up to their mailing list for just to get the download. Just the sole fact these guys used little more than a three-word vocal sample to generate the entire lead melody (which is strangely addictive) is testament to the fact that trap isn’t just about the same played-out 808 fills. But Coco also sports a couple nice build-ups and some deadly bass; it will do instant damage in the club. Dillon Francis and Diplo have been all over these guys for months now, and probably you as well once you get this joint right here.

Cool Free Stuff: Bearstronaut-Paradice Remixed EP (Indie Dance)

Cambridge synth-pop group Bearstronaut released their Paradice EP to the sound of much-anticipated fanfare on both sides of the Charles River late last year. They’ve now returned with a follow-up, bringing six up-and-coming dance producers in tow for Paradice Remixed. 

On this six-tracker, Dude Skywalker strips “Passenger Side” down to its fundamental rhythm and groove, while GMGN also eliminates most of the vocals on “A Better Hand” and replaces it with an electro-bass workout. Tide Eye re-arranges the percussion on “Birds of Prey” to feel more like a deep dubstep affair (the London kind circa 2007, mind you). Dusty Digital gives “Painted in the Dark” his signature disco house treatment, and Vostok-1 has a hand in re-working “Passenger Side”. We close with a Tone Ra remix of “Paradice”, which gains a minimalistic downtempo rhythm and retains select snippets of Amy Douglas’s vocals.

Overall I like how some of these remixes are relatively transparent while others are complete rebuilds. A free download on Bearstronaut’s Soundcloud page.

Cool Free Stuff: Emalkay & Glen Boden-The Line (Dubstep)

Emalkay, one of the dwindling pile of dubstep producers who has stuck to his guns by not abandoning the sound for other styles like trap or techno, has just released some free pressure. “The Line” is a vocal collaboration with Glen Boden and it approaches power ballad status, but with lots of bass and little sappy cry-in-your-pillow type fluff. Boden’s vocals build in tension as the song unfolds, instantly cutting their way through Emalkay’s unrelenting wobble bass and piercing lead synths. This one should do damage both in the club and on the radio. Free download if you sign up for Emalkay’s mailing list (which I’m sure is a subtle hint he has more material in the pipeline?)

TOGETHER 2013 Festival: Official Lineup, Events Schedule, UZ Ticket Giveaway & Artist Mixes!

So we’re less than one week away from Boston’s annual TOGETHER Festival. It’s tough to believe it’s coming up so quick, but in case you’re not up to speed with the happenings, look no further. TOGETHER has grown in scale significantly this year, boasting almost double the number of events compared to last year! Between the core members and an endless supply of volunteers, the Together team has worked tirelessly to make the takeover of Central Square one that should make waves within the community.

The lineup of events this year is pretty significant, and will appease everyone from serious niche genre listeners to the most casual of hip hop fans. Crystal Castles, Juicy J, UZ, Biz Markee, Four Tet, and Flying Lotus top the list this year. Following that, Together is also bringing out the likes of Duke Dumont, Tiga, Zomby, LOUDPVCK, Distal, Andres, Wilkinson, Detroit Swindle, Toy Selektah, a live set from Mathew Jonson, and dozens of others. Voices of Black and Teebs, both Together 2012 alumni, make return appearances this year. And the flagship event is most certainly the Dancing on the Charles reunion, hosted by Soul Clap, featuring No Regular Play, Slow Hands, Tanner Ross, Kon, and Wolf and Lamb. Basically there’s a LOT going on next week…and this is just the the night time events.

 
During the day, as in previous years, there will be discussion panels, audio production and DJ workshops, and art gallery exhibitions. The audio workshops will include production tutorials on Ableton, Cubase, Logic, and mastering in Izotope, which will be hosted by Soul Clap, London Sterns, and others. DJ’s looking to sharpen their swords in Serato and Traktor will be in luck as well. The panels will range discussion-worthy topics that include online promotion, the continuing “EDM” wave, artist represenation in the digital age, the state of the music scene in Boston, copyrights, and more. 

Together headquarters, where the panels will be held and people will be hanging out during the day, is where the old Salvation Army thrift store used to be, adjacent to All Asia, on 321 Mass Ave in Cambridge. The audio workshops will be held at the MMMMAVEN headquarters (with their newly expanded second floor digs) on 620 Mass Ave. Check the BBD calendar for more details on the night events, and the Together site for the daytime events.

The UZ show, which is co-hosted by Embrace, has a ticket giveaway. To enter, all you have to do is “like” the BBD, Together, and Embrace pages on Facebook, and leave your name and email in the comments section below. If you share this post on Facebook, I’ll enter you three times, just be sure to let me know you shared it when you leave your comment! The drawing for this will be Monday May 13th at 9am. Good luck.

And if you’re in the mood for an audio sampling of all the people playing the festival, check out the showcase mixes Swelta and I put together. Swelta’s is a bit more on the energetic side of the spectrum, where mine is very relaxed and melodic. Two completely different worlds, which illustrate the true breadth and depth of this festival.

Swelta Tracklist:
The Presets – “Promises” (Lifelike Remix)
Agoria – “Stereolove”
Robert Dietz – “Oleander”
Zombie Nation – “Level”
Nautiluss – “Mixed Numbers”
Art Department feat. Seth Troxler – “Vampire Nightclub”
Chez Damier & Stacey Pullen – Untitled
Gold Panda – “Back Home”
!!! – “Must Be the Moon”
Martyn – “Natural Selection” (Flying Lotus Cleanse Mix)
Matt Shadetek – “Snapdragons”
Toy Selectah – “El Sabanero Raver”
︻╦╤─ ƱZ ─╤╦︻ x Clicks & Whistles – “Bull Dozer”
Objekt – “The Goose That Got Away”
Crystal Castles – “Wrath of God”
Duke Dumont – “The Giver”
Slam – “System V System”
Soul Clap – “Action Satisfaction” (Lee Jones Remix)
Mathew Jonson – “Marionette”
Voices of Black – “Tried to Love”
Sinkane – “Runnin’”
Pictureplane – “Real Is A Feeling”
Wiley – “Reload” (Wilkinson Remix) 

Nickdawg tracklist:
Flying Lotus: Dream to Me
Voices of Black: Take Back Soho (Tanner Ross Remix)
Soul Clap & Art Department: We Call Love
Detroit Swindle: Standards of Dialogue
Detroit Swindle: Guess What
Sinkane: Warm Spell (Barker & Baumecker Remix)
Mathew Jonson: Lost Forever in a Happy Crowd
Duke Dumont: Need U 100%
Chez Damier: I Never Knew Love (MK Club Mix)
Andres: New For U
Chez Damier: Untitled (You Ain’t Dancin’)
Tiga: Pleasure From the Bass
Wilkinson: Take You Higher (Foamo Remix)
Agoria: Les Beaux Jours
Mathew Jonson: Typerope
Four Tet: For These Times
Chief Boima: Decolator
Soul Clap & Art Department: Glen & Boo
Objekt: The Goose That Got Away
Author & Ed Thomas: Turn
Zomby: Float
Alex Metric: Rave Weapon (UZ Remix)
Yung Satan: Poured Up
Matt Shadetek: The Machines
LOUDPVCK: NV$TY
UZ: Trap Shit 12
UZ: Trap Shit 13
Lil Texas: Strippers
LE1F: Soda
Doctor Jeep: Together
Gold Panda: Trust (Outro)

I’m very grateful to be involved as the lead photographer again this year, and am looking forward to documenting and sharing the best moments I can capture!