Art Of Noise - Close To The Edit

Major shout out to Noah Post for finding this one. Here it is, Wash. We've found it.

Yo Little Brother

What a gem this one is. Thanks to Basement Bombers for burning me that Latin Rascals mix from 98.7 Kiss FM 1984. Sickest tape edits. I will post the whole mix soon.

NYC Concert Review - Daft Punk & Beastie Boys

Summer is always the season for the best concerts in NYC and Daft Punk's long awaited return was no disappointment. Imagine a collage of their three albums all mashed into an hour and a half of dance music perfection. DP's praise to their roots is still apparent. Tastes of Chicago and Detroit are present alongside the poppier stuff. Obviously, the source of the album title "Homework" comes from DP's love for their "Teachers". Many skeptics think that their faking the funk up there and fronting with robot helmets on. I know what it sounds like when a DJ works the EQ or filters and i can confidently say that they are, at the very least, DJing up there. I'd like to believe that there are even more factors that they are in control of, but that's for them (and the sound guy) to know. Regardless of how it is done, they rocked the shit out of Coney Island. The light show, visuals, and music all built up beautifully together. It was legendary. Strong in concept and craft, Daft Punk are at the top of electronic music.






The following night, 8/10/07, I was fortunate enough to have tickets to the Beastie Boys gala event at Hammerstein Ballroom. This was their third show in three days following Central Park and Brooklyn's McCarren pool. The Beasties are also legends within their genre and they are still killing it. What other rap groups have been around for twenty years and are rapping in 2007 while playing guitar and drums? That is unprecedented on so many levels. Not to mention that they are still a punk band that can get the moshers riled up just to play a funk jam two minutes later. All of their gear is decked out in clear plastic from MCA's double bass & bass rig to Money Mark's synth collection. The video show is this ridiculous Calder mobile with various screens hanging off of it. The music was amazing and the Boys have still got it on stage. What a weekend.



Photo by Hot Sauce Please check out Mic To Mic Blog

Dopamine Interview

We recently caught up with Dopamine - a breaks DJ/Producer from Australia. Dopamine's remix of "Rhythm Rock You" appears on the new Swiss compilation "Street Parade Underground" mixed by Smash FX. Matt's first single "Hold You" launched him onto the scene winning Breakspoll "Single of the Year" in 2006. Since then he has rocked many dancefloors and consistently put out remixes and original productions.

Tell us about the breaks scene in Australia.

It's not really that healthy to be honest. Sydney and Perth probably have the strongest scenes but in other states it's not so big.

How is it different in other places you play?

It's my home so I feel comfortable playing here. I usually know what to expect in each city and have a good circle of mates and fans around the country.

Where would you like to play in the world that you haven’t yet?

I'm really keen to play in Canada. Meat Katie was telling me about a brilliant party there and Myagi has been bigging it up for some time as well. I'm also hoping to get to South America and some more Eastern European countries.

How do your DJ sets influence your producing and vice-versa?

It helps to know what works on the dancefloor and being able to test out new tunes in the clubs. Also, being surrounded by the club scene and other producers I get to hear the latest music and see which directions people are going in.

I read once that you use hardware in the studio. Are you still sequencing without a computer? Any new gear in your setup?

I turned my back on sequencing with my computer for a couple of years. I was using a Yamaha RS7000 for almost everything. I would sample my synths and take that out on the road when I used to play live. It's a great machine and I released quite a few tracks with that but eventually I out grew it and needed the convenience of a computer based setup. I now use Sonar on a PC but will eventually make the switch to Logic purely for the reason that the people I collaborate with all use it and it'll make life a lot easier.

What is your philosophy when you approach a remix project?

It depends on the track I'm working on. If a track has an identifiable vocal then you can usually rewrite the track completely and make sure the vocal features heavily. That gives you a lot of freedom to be creative. If it's an instrumental I like to work with the parts in a way so they are identifiable as coming from the original but with my own twist. I don't like to just do something so completely that you can't recognize it as a remix. It defeats the purpose in my opinion.

What are some new projects you are working on now?

I have just finished two tech house singles with Madox for Mantra Vibes, one of which is being remixed by Maskio. I've also done another house track with Chris Carter for his REC label which I'm excited about. Unfortunately just prior to doing this interview my hard drive crashed so all of those are on hold until I can recover the data! I'm a bit worried to say the least.... this is why I went all hardware for a while although that turned out to be just as unreliable. It's a good thing I do regular backups otherwise I could stand to lose a lot more.

Who are some of your influences new and old?

Some influential people over the years have been Dave Clarke, Cevin Fisher, The Orb, Orbital, Chemical Brothers, Ben Simms, Glen Wilson, Elite Force and Meat Katie.

What are your website/myspace/other relevant links?

www.myspace.com/mattdopamine is the best link

my website is in dire need of an update - www.djdopamine.com

Any upcoming gigs you want to mention?

8.10.07 Pang @ Lot 33 - Canberra
8.11.07 Laundry @ Chinese Laundry - Sydney
8.17.07 UTS Party - Sydney
8.17.07 Break Inn @ Chinese Laundry - Sydney
8.31.07 Break Inn @ Chinese Laundry - Sydney
9.01.07 Empire Hotel - Brisbane
9.29.07 Halo - Hobart, Tasmania

October - touring China

Thanks Matt. We'll be checking out all the new tracks. God bless.

Your Favorite Electronic Band Live @ Coachella

This is a great recording of (you know who) live @ Coachella. The set is an incredible collage of their three albums. They're probably just running a cd up there with their helmets on but no one seems to care. Enjoy.

Click HERE to listen or Right Click to Save

Future Retro Artist Spotlight

We're happy to announce that one of our favorite synthesizer manufacturers, Future Retro, is now featuring Vinyl Life on their website complete with pics and interview. The Revolution is a key part of Butcha's studio and stage setup. Thanks to Jered of FR for the opportunity.

Vinyl Life To Appear On Street Parade Compilation

The Dopamine Remix of "Rhythm Rock You"(Rexhouse Music) will appear on Switzerland's Street Party 2007 Underground Compilation mixed by Smash FX.