The 64 Bar Orchestra is a collection of beats by the producers from the 64 bar project. This show features exclusives soon released on Disfigured Dubz from Echo Park, Brand New Music from DJ Food, and a 20 minute excerpt taken from the fifth 64 bar challenge mix.
We’re happy to report that Boundaries, is now available from the Ninja Tune shop, via this link
Here’s the accompanying press release:
Boundaries represents some of the strongest tracks submitted to the 64 Bar Challenge mix album project. It’s a showcase of beats by producers from the US, Canada, Chile, Russia, Australia, and all over Europe and the UK. The moods shift from brooding, dark electronica all the way through haunting beauty and then scenes of brilliant, bright light.
The 64 Bar Challenge was a production project undertaken by the users of the Ninja Tune forum. Each producer made a beat 64 bars in length at an elected tempo, and a DJ put it all together. There were six mix albums spanning 2009-2011, with the concluding mix put together with precision by DJ Food.
Highlights include “All Told” by Echo Park, a slice of sunshine from the LA born producer who recently signed to Skream‘s Label Disfigured Dubz. The brilliant Proof of Concept lends two tracks to the album. “How to Ruin Everything” is a melodic piece of music that warms the soul. Other stand out tracks include Algo’s beat “Dark Fracture”, which does what it says in the title. it’s a macabre, twisted track with hints of pure evil. And a hip hop inspired slice of synth lead music from DJ Food as he re works Bobby Corridors’ “What?” track.
The project has been put together by DJ Kovas, real name Peter Griffin, a DJ and producer based in Cardiff, Wales. He began putting the project together in 2009 after pitching the idea to the Ninja Tune forum. He produces dark and moody beats under the moniker of DJ Kovas. Search Google for Timeframe 2009, his self released debut mix album.
His current residency is at Buffalo in Cardiff, running a night called Feed the DJ, where clubgoers provide 15 of their favourite tunes, and he has to make an on the fly mix for them. He currently has a radio show on seeksmusic.com called The 64 Bar Orchestra.
The 64bar Orchestra show is now live here>>>http://www.mixcloud.com/seeksmusic/the-guest-list-the-64-bar-orchestra/ <<
It has been compiled by Cardiff based DJ and producer, DJ Kovas and will feature nothing but beats from the 64 bar music family.
Kovas is the instigator and curator of the 64 bar music project, which began in 2009 when the friends on the Ninja Tune forum got together to make mixes of their own music.
Six albums and 13000 downloads later, the show comes to Seeks Music, promising beats exclusively from the 64bar family.
The first in the Seeks Music shows kicks off with a Herma Puma rework of The Electric’s ‘We Rolling’, and ends with 16 minutes from the sixth 64bar challenge mix, mixed by DJ Food.
In between, there is a feature that outlines of the highlights of the 64 bar story, an interview with Devon’s finest, Kelp, and beats from the likes of DJ Moneyshot and Kobra Audio Labs.
The show is a audio soup of electronic styles, with some highlights by Million Way and lo lights from Dram Rider. Both artists appear on the forthcoming release from 64bar music, “Representz”, which is a showcase of beats from producers from Cardiff and Melbourne.
Get your snack on, and take an hour of your day to listen to the 64 bar orchestra, exclusive to Seeks Music.com
The sixth and final mix in the 64 bar challenge series will be released in early September, with the project drawing to a natural conclusion by way of a return to its roots.DJ Food has selected and sliced 29 tracks into a 52 minute mix that draws a neat line under a 28 month project.
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64 bar music have released their obligatory promo track selection, by way of building buzz for the latest 64 bar challenge mix.
The sixth mix in the series comes out in September, with legendary Ninja Tuner DJ Food at the helm. He described the 30+ tracks that will appear in the mix as “the strongest set yet”. Continue reading
Kovas live in Cardiff
Wales‘ electronic music scene is so buoyant right now, that Cardiff Arts Institute were able to run a three day festival over the bank holiday weekend, exclusively filled with people based from Wales on the stage.
64barmusic had their slice of the action on the Sunday evening, and here is the result>> http://www.mixcloud.com/sixtyfourbarmusic/kovas_64barmusic_liveat_electric_sheep/<<
Kovas said: “I’ve not been playing out much these past couple of years, so I was rather up for this. Playing a set of exclusivly 64bar beats made it all the more interesting for me personally.
“The fact that I was able to go exaclty where I wanted with it, I.E. be as experimental as I liked was another reason I wanted to do it. The last couple of residencies I had slowly but surely saw me watering down what I was able to play.
“This is an organic set of some 25 or so 64bar tracks. It’s pretty diverse and sounded boomin on the CAI sound system.
64barmusic will put out their sixth album in the summer. It’s called the 64barchallenge volume six and will be mixed by DJ Food and DJ kovas.
Also on the menu are the Cardiff and Melbourne Representz mixes, due in July.
Cardiff Representz contributor AudioDriod has been busy crafting bukem-esque beats, and at the second Feed the DJ welcomed the peeps from the Cardiff Soundcloud meetup, with Audiodroid and Derek C , aka el loco escosse becoming guest feeders for DJ Flipside.
Now, bear in mind Flipside had never heard these tracsk before, he had zero preparation time and had to just play from instinct.
Audiodroid’s mix is 100% self produced. It’s a nod to the Logical Progression era of Drum and Bass. Melodic and layered, sparse and broken.
Audiodroid gave us the back story: “I started this journey when I was 17 – Served Chilled in Bristol and a very good friend – DJ Escher, we used to hang out all the time and then lost touch, it took us a long time to get back in touch! We don’t write together but the influences I got and the way I went were vital to how I created me as Audiodroid.
“I love the current Electro-House scene, some Dubstep and Drum & Bass but my primary influences are Jungle and Dirty Dutch but to be honest anything goes, hehehe!
To hear my tracks played at the current “FtDJ” was amazing and really eye-opening, I never realised how my tracks would go down in public!”
Mix no2 of the evening came from Derek C. It’s a ride through house rhythms and can be characterised as Detroit in a suit, very deep – very dapper. Many of the beats in the mix are made by Derek, with some of his favourite artists checked in for good measure.
Derek C is at www.soundcloud.com/derekc and he said it’s hard to sum up his sound “ it depends what mood I’m in,” he joked.
“I’m influenced by house and electronica
“I move through IDM through Detroit techno all the way through to traditional jazz. I’ll listen to anything that sounds good, Ill take what I like and work with it.
“I’ve got some latin influences from my Venezuelan wife, so that gives me a better feeling for rhythms.
“You just have to watch them dance to understand.”
Derek C Fed the DJ a variety of down tempo, house and techno and, “a few tracks of my own,” he said.
His production is tight, but how and what does he use to make the magic?
“The what is easy. I use Logic Pro 9 and ever since I bought the Novation SL2 midi controller, it’s freed up my creativity.
So two dope mixes expertly put together, on the fly – with no preparation. Not an easy task, and this week is was DJ Flipside who had the challenge.
He said: “The experience was enlightening. I’m a dj who, on a regular basis plays what the club wants me to play (within reason).
“To have a selection of tunes made by the audience was really refreshing and inspirational both in a djing and production context.
“It makes you lose any comfort zone you ever had and focus purely on the music which makes for really fresh sounds.”
Flipside put it together with Tracktor scratch pro .Kontrol x1, and Shure carts.
Both Derek C and AudioDroid feature on the forthcoming Cardiff Representz mix from 64barmusic, check here for more details
The artist formally known as Waxfactor has thrown his not inconsiderable weight into the 64bar movement by signing up to write a beat for 64:6
Now rocking the moniker Pete Sasqwax, this is a man with a long ole history in hip-hop. And that means a long ole interview.
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