We’re on Ning, and no one is sure why yet.. but please join us
Monthly Archives: November 2010
Why user testing is key
The Ninja Tune Forum is without doubt important to alot of people. They are the 100 or so people that use it every day.
And it seems like none of those people were given the chance to test out Ninja’s “upgraded” Forum, judging by some of the comments posted in the first hour.
Universally slated, the new board looks very web 3.0, but feels very web -1. Fail.
Lets go through a checklist.
X-brower testing. No. I’ve tried chrome, FF, IE8, Opera. And NO post button. Oopsy Ninjatune :(
Users identified numerous problems in the first few minutes. Not a good move Ninja. I expect that the good will the NTF has built over the past ten or so years will mean people stick at it, while the bugs are ironed out.
But it’s the classic web blunder.. fixing something that aint broke, and breaking it in the first place.
Click here to try it yourself
Dave Graham gives us a peek
Here and Now – excerpt from New Album by DaveGraham
The Talented Dave Graham has dropped a little sample of his latest work. Let’s allow him to tell the story: “This is an excerpt from a new track – a very long track!,” he said. “I’ve put up seven or so minutes here, but the whole song is waaaay longer. This part is neither the beginning nor the end!
“The album it is from is dealing with a persons place in history. We are all descended from chains of living creatures stretching back millions of years. What does it mean to be part of that chain? Does it make us a vital link or a spare part? Who were the people and animals in our chain? What lurks in our deep memory? What did our ancient predecessors make of life? How did our chain survive? How come we are so closely linked yet feel so disconnected?
In some strange way we must, deep down, know where we can from…and what we are.
“There will be more previews coming up soon, and to get the low down you can sign up to my newsletter at http://www.musiclikeplanets.co.uk/
more nonsense from twit
“Twit made my hair grow back”
Gail Porter
“This mix got me freed from prison”
Nelson Mandela
“this stuff is really fresh”
Bobby Corridor
Tracklist!
Lost Idol – lightwerk
Soulwax – krack
Gwen Stafani – hollaback girl
Modeselektor – suckerpin
Yppah – gumball machine weekend
DJ Shadow – right thing/gdmfsob
Ultramagnetic MCs – travellin’ at the speed of thought
Altern8 – activ8
AFX – pwsteal.ldpinch.
Dizzee Rascal – stand up tall
Awesome 3 – don’t go (kicks like a mule mix)
Incredible Bongo Band – bongo rock
SL2 – djs take control
Mains Ignition – numbskull
Lee Dorsey – working in a coalmine
Natural Self – raise the game
Boxcutter – sunshine vip
Caribou – melody day
Joe – claptrap
Missy Elliot – lose control
AGT Rave Cru – needles
Toddla T – rice and peas
Is there any point to Ning?
So, I’ve set up a Ning Network. I wonder if there is any point what so ever, or do the other tools online, ie. wordpress, Facebook, Mixcloud.. do all I need anyway.. Time will tell.
Check it out?
Close but no cigar for Killer Tomato
We gotta spread good love for our 64:5 DJ Mr Killer Tomato. He made it to the final of the Red Bull sponsored 3 style DJ championship… Here’s the wordage from his blog: “Competitions are always a battle of nerves. Having competed in DMC many times I was used to the pre stage nerves, but had to remind my self not to get too excited. I find keeping a cool head and strong focus helps going into competitive situations. I always try not to pay too much attention to the competition just focus on the set.
“I was drawn 6th out of the 8 DJs competing, after Astrosnooze, which was nice as we where on stage together, plus the Cardiff crowd where hyped and ready. I was really pleased with my set, I pulled off all the technical aspects, the mixes was tight and the crowd responded to the introduction and ending well. I really thought the title was in the bag, but got beaten by Santero.
So, he wraps it all by saying: “Overall it was a fun night I was pleased with my performance and more than happy with the crowd response. It was great to meet Kissy Sell Out and A Trak, as well as Sinden and TY.
grinding ambient from the 13th tribe
In a step away from his usual aftrobeat dancehall kinda style, 13th tribe maestro 13t has laid down eight minutes of metallic ambience.
He says: “I was goin for that kinda dirty industrial 8 bit machine driven sound. What i had in mind was a sound that i heard on one of those tin foil youtubes on radio signals from Saturn, u know the vibe.”
13t will be making his first 64 bar track of 64:5, here’s a taste of his usual flavour
So the ambient track was recorded on the fly, ‘with very few edits hence the rawness’ 13t revealed. Not that he should be sweating about the quality, it is what it is and that’s the good point. Mind you, I’ve only just been able to check this on a crappy Dell desktop with a mono speaker from the 1990’s.
But from some big name poeple who’ve heard his bizzle over big rigs, he’s getting alot of mad love. Check out some of the comments he’s got on his soundcloud page
“YEAH! Well funky!”-Gilles Peterson.
‘One of the best Club nites of the year – Brian Murnin Clash Magazine
‘Negro sums up our club night in just 205 perfect seconds! AND I love the track (Zaza B) BIG TIME… how do you keep pumping these out? you’re a machine!!.. thats pure Prefuse at times. Massive respect.Vocals are dope as too man!…Insanely prolific…” Huskiii FFTang @93 Feet East
‘Superb! Like a vocal booth full of Hospitalised Kool Kieths! Fans of Dr Octagon,The Pharcyde & Jurrassic 5 Will Love this’ – Steve (Sony Records,Peoplesound)
Have some more of him in the player down there…
The 13th Tribe feat Pili Monzon – La Routina by The 13th Tribe
So the reason we’re flagging this up today is that we’re glad to have 13t on board for 64:5. He says “Im really lookin forward to this 64 bc (and quite nervous!) as the standard has been very high and it seems to get higher every time.The quality in recent excursions has been superb and very inspiring,which is really what its all about.I love listening to stuff like this cos it makes me wanna go make a joyful noise too :) ‘
He’s asked me to link up the track below. It’s African Dancehall from mc Safa (Guinee/Madrid) Flows in French,Spanish+Fulani.
The 13th Tribe+AJK feat Safa-African Connection (Plastic Rat mix) by The 13th Tribe
Imogen heap remixed by Proof of Concept
James Foster aka Proof of Concept has put his stamp on  Imogen Heap piece ‘Frou Frou – Breathe in‘
It’s from eight years ago, he’s only just got around to posting it up.. but hell… it still sounds fresh:
He gives us the background: “Back in around 2002 Imogen heap was working with the awesome Guy Sigsworth on a project titled Frou Frou, I have always enjoyed Imogen’s voice since I first heard her on my blanket by Urban Species.
“When I saw that the stems had been put up by Sony for remix I just had to take a crack at it, and I did. My setup was very simple back then and I wrote this track completely in Reason v1 other than the drums which I just cut up a few breaks and sequenced up by hand (no midi back then in the editor I was using) in magix music maker version 2.0, which I used to like as it was 4 mono tracks and I could just cut up a break and sequence it visually.
“It is funny thinking about my production technique back then as times have changed so much in both hard and software, I did not use any of the stock soundbanks in reason, or any commercially available soundbanks, I preferred to spend my time tracking down obsolete soundbanks or akai sample disks and then spent hours converting them into reason refill soundbanks in the hope of creating a more original sound with reason.
“Though my setup is completely different now and I only use a few of my old akais, what I like about this track is how simple it is but you can see the roots of what later became my sound.”
Proof of Concept is a mainstay of the 64barchallenge mixes, appearing on every one of the first  five, with standout tracks on the first and fourth mix series. You can check them on our Soundcloud page
64barmusic 