Vinyl Life Music

MANTIS - a web-based DAW

2010-04-27T12:30:00.003-04:00

Wow - definitely check this one out. Mantis (http://www.indabamusic.com/landing/mantis) is a new web-based digital audio workstation that allows you to record to an online server. You can access your recordings any time from any location. You can share your sessions with others. A database of over 10,000 sounds is accessible through the website and through your indabamusic.com account. Lessons and user guides are on the website... you don't wanna miss this.

Steve Lawler Drops Vinyl Life in 2005

2010-03-26T15:49:00.002-04:00

Someone pointed this video out to us today. This was one of our first productions that we started using the mixing board to mix our tracks down. Damn, this was a while back! Maybe you'd like to DOWNLOAD THIS TRACK for your own personal use? Enjoy!

LIVE SET - April 1st at Don Hill's NYC

2010-03-13T13:11:00.002-05:00

We will be doing another live set at DON HILL'S NYC on APRIL 1st!
* 11PM, 5 bucks to get in. Check it out.

Like This Remix by Morty S

2010-03-10T14:31:00.002-05:00

We love it when remixers take it upon themselves to do one of our tunes. Thanks Morty, wherever you are.

How Vinyl Records Are Made

2010-02-27T11:22:00.000-05:00

New video! ENERGY FLASH - Vinyl Life vs. Joey Beltram

2010-02-02T17:01:00.002-05:00

Right click to DOWNLOAD:
Energy Flash - Vinyl Life.mp3
Video for iPod
Video for iPhone

The classic "Energy Flash" by Brooklyn's own Joey Beltram gets a re-work from NYC trio Vinyl Life. The track was built from the ground up with no samples from the original. The video, however, is all samples of stuff jacked from youtube and then edited together by the band. Includes footage from WashMacine, Dan DeGloria, and even the coveted Breakin' and Poppin' VHS by Alphonso Ribiero aka Carlton Banks.

Best $60 I ever spent on scratch lessons

2010-01-18T18:49:00.002-05:00

I've always wanted to learn how to scratch. Now more than ever, I want to incorporate scratching into the Vinyl Life live show. I joined QSU 3 weeks ago and wow, what a difference it made. Check it out.

qbertskratchuniversity.com or
qscratchu.com

PEX Heartburn IV in Philly Feb 13th 2010

2010-01-13T18:57:00.002-05:00

Vinyl Life has been booked to play a live show at the PEX electronic music event in Philadelphia on 2-13-10. Siiiick.

2009 in 20 seconds

2010-01-05T13:52:00.002-05:00

Tape Theory 2009 Review

Thanks for an incredible year. We released 4 singles and 2 albums on vinyl, CD, tape and digital. In 2010, Tape Theory will double those numbers and we'll be adding several new artists to the team.

Our artists Vinyl Life and Nite Club were featured in Urb Magazine, The Village Voice, Wired, Time Out NY, Big Shot Magazine, and many many more. (Full presskits here for Vinyl Life & Nite Club if you are interested.)

Nite Club released the incredible My Tronic, was found performing all over NYC, and even had a song placed on MTV this year. In January we'll see the video for "Left Right" directed by and co-starring the lovely and talented ladies of Tayisha Busay. Nite Club’s Richard Spitzer follows up My Tronic with Friends & Heroes, a remix EP of his favorite indie, electro, prog-wave and hip hop tracks from 2009. A FREE DOWNLOAD for you and your friends is available now.

Vinyl Life had their share of great live shows, releases, and positive press. In 2010 you'll see the new video for the Vinyl Life vs. Joey Beltram remix, a worldwide tour, and many more new tracks. The first single will be "Hi Tops" with remixes by Cru Jones and Germany's Koolfella. If you'd like a sneak preview (aka FREE DOWNLOAD) click HERE and enjoy.

Thanks again for a big year and we wish you all a blessed, fun-filled, and happy 2010. Peace and love.

If I Had The Cash

2009-12-06T23:57:00.005-05:00

Check out this EBAY AUCTION. (Drool.)

Shoutout to Reeno for finding this one

Like This 7" in production

2009-12-01T23:16:00.015-05:00

Today we had the pleasure of visiting two different record plants in NYC (Brooklyn to be exact). First we stopped off at Brooklyn Phono to pick up labels for the new single "Like This" which will be out on December 15th. Check out these pics of their facilities. These guys take serious pride in their work and deliver an incredible product every time.

The Vinyl Life LP was pressed at Brooklyn Phono, but they only do 12" records, so our next stop was over to Hit Bound, which is run by the same folks who own the legendary Channel One recording studio in Jamaica. Hit Bound is very old school and has no website. Google 'em for their phone #.

I had to say it was a good day.

P.S. Mastering was done by Mark Richardson @ Prairie Cat Mastering.

"Like This" - Vinyl Life TT006
A1. Like This
B1. Like This (Reeno Remix)
B2. Take It Off (Feat. J-Zone, Ray West, and Tru Pro)

Released on vinyl and digital 12/15/09

Artwork by Pauly Raffaele

Like owning Raymond Scott's Studio

2009-11-16T06:34:00.003-05:00

I never promote plugins. But this deserves some attention. This is an inexpensive (10.69 Euros) emulation of an old electronic music studio, pre-synthesizer. Like the Raymond Scott days.

Download Berna HERE

Vinyl Life in Big Shot Magazine

2009-10-12T19:29:00.002-04:00

Check out this nice feature on yer boys from NYC:

VL in TONY

2009-10-02T10:50:00.000-04:00

Vinyl Life (Tape Theory Records)

If live-electronic trio Vinyl Life sounds a bit vintage, that’s not by accident; the music of Butcha, Richie Roxx and MC Phaze Future is constructed with the help of venerable analog hardware. (In case you’re not a music-equipment nerd, the wax crackle of opening cut “Hot Sauce” hammers the old-school point home.) But the album’s retro vibe goes much deeper than that. This is club music of the kind that ruled the dance floors in the early ’90s, defined by elements of electro-rap, hip-house, Todd Terry–style club bangers, and lyrics that extol the virtues of B-boy stances, discotheque rocking and getting hype—and that’s just one track, the revved-up “Hi-Tops.” Subtle, it ain’t—but it’ll sure get the party started.—Bruce Tantum

Vinyl Life in VIllage Voice

2009-09-16T09:08:00.000-04:00

Vinyl Life, Furthering the Death of AutoTune
NYC threesome makes electro-jams the old-fashioned way

Check out your boys getting a feature in the Village Voice.

Record Fair in Brookyn next week!

2009-09-15T14:57:00.002-04:00

Vinyl Life and Tape Theory will have a table at this event. Yes! Vinyl lives!

It's 909 day!

2009-09-09T09:09:00.002-04:00

One of the greatest drum machines ever made, the analog beast manufactured by Roland in 1984 is the sound of techno and so much more. Here's a little vid of Detroit legend Jeff Mills killing it in Japan:

"Like This" remix contest

2009-09-02T09:19:00.003-04:00

We've teamed up with the folks at Indaba Music, an international community of musicians who collaborate online, to have a remix contest for the single "Like This"
off of our new album. The winner will receive 50% of the sales of their remix from websites like iTunes, Beatport, Juno UK, and many more.

Click HERE to check it out. Looking forward to hearing your submissions.

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://album.vinyllife.com/track/like-this"&amp;amp;gt;Like This by Vinyl Life&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Album release party!

2009-08-30T12:52:00.002-04:00

This is the big one folks. Hope you can be there.

VINYL LIFE LP OUT TODAY!

2009-08-04T11:21:00.002-04:00

On wax? Yup. That's the best way to hear this album.

CLICK HERE TO GET A COPY FROM THE TAPE THEORY SHOP!

This album will exclusively be available on vinyl for a few weeks. Get yourself one of the first copies!

Listen and enjoy online:

SIDE A:
HOT SAUCE
HI TOPS
BASS GO BOOM
ELECTRIC SYMPHONY
INNOVATION (SEBASTIAN MARCIANO REMIX)

SIDE B:
LIKE THIS
ELEVATOR UP
GOOD LIFE (IT'S MORE FUN TO COMPUTE)
FUTURE BEAT
PRESS REWIND (FEAT. UZIMON)

Check out some reviews HERE.

The first album reviews arrive

2009-07-08T13:33:00.004-04:00

"I love this album! There was never any time during play that I wanted to skip any of it. Its well thought out, executed, and does what it does…paying homage to the past noted genres of yesteryear. This is one band that people should look out for in the near future because I can’t say anything but great things about Vinyl Life!" - Nerdy Frames

"Vinyl Life pull off the combination of analogue keytones and party rap with total precision, nailing a stunning combination of every euro electronic artist from the past twenty or so years, and merging it with a 'need to party lyrisism' not seen since the like of Soulsonic Force." -Attack Attack Attack

“Amid the sonic reference to Kraftwerk and the Zulu Nation and the war against Autotune, an eighties sensibility emerges in more than the music—these guys walk the talk!” - WKNC

“Overall Vinyl Life is well produced and encompasses genre and style-shifts with confidence usually expected of more experienced groups. A testament to what will come from their future releases.” - Blouse

“Vinyl Life offer a trip back to the golden age of dance music and hip hop, give it a listen and you might learn something too as Vinyl Life deftly acknowledge the past while bringing it into the future.” - Ventvox

“The album has a crispness and clarity that is rarely found in digitally composed works and, even better, it features some amazing classic synth sounds!” - Bangers and Thrash

"If you like it old skool, you will have made love the analog flavor of Vinyl Life." - about.com

“Backed up by a soundtrack that spans over two decades of clubbing, all wrapped up in a tasty present day pastiche, New York City’s Vinyl Life at first sound a bit like classic Jungle Brothers, only with haircuts and designer jeans, before delving deeper into the club, ending up in the ladies toilets doing lines off somebody's breast, losing any associations with the Brother's afrocentric meanderings on the dancefloor of the club's sweaty backroom where all the really cool kids hang out.” - Chrome Kids

“Within the first 5 minutes of listening to the album I couldn't help but think that I was listening to a hip-hop version of Kraftwerk.” - Boom Boom Chik

“This is a cracking little release where oldschool rap and analogue rave meet 2009.” The Hats and Friends

Butcha, Phaze Future & Richie Roxx, les 3 old-school vibes makerz de Vinyl Life (NYC) ont construit leur univers musical à travers leur amour inconditionnel pour le hip-hop, les instruments et les machines. - OK in Art

Thanks and we'll keep you posted on the following reviews...

Too bizzare

2009-06-29T21:33:00.001-04:00

We're all for the free promotion, but did you guys ever think about maybe googling "Vinyl Life" b4 you started making commercials for our website? Thanks btw.

Album is done!

2009-06-14T21:41:00.001-04:00

We went hard the last 3 months in the studio working on our debut artist album. release schedule is:

Vinyl LP: August 4th
Cassette: August 18th
Digital & CD: Sept 14th

Hope you enjoy hearing it as much as we had fun making it. Sneak preview downloads coming very soon...

Hey Hey who stole the Hot Sauce?

2009-05-26T23:52:00.001-04:00

we always joke in the studio about other artists releasing songs with the same titles as ours. sometimes, we hear distinct musical passages or general vibes of one of our songs in another song. coincidental? most likely. uncanny? yes. likely to happen again? it's certain.

today, a legendary hip hop group announced their new album will be called "Hot Sauce Committee". all 23 of our fans and family members will testify that "Hot Sauce" has been a crowd favorite at the vinyl life live shows since 2007. can i get an amen? lord have mercy.

HEAR OUR VERSION ON OUR MYSPACE PAGE

Vinyl Life's Phil Moffa featured on Indaba Music

2009-05-01T16:51:00.003-04:00

Our producer/DJ/drum machinist Phil Moffa is Indaba Music's first Artist In Residence. According to their site, "Indaba Music is an international community of musicians, music professionals, and fans exploring the creative possibilities of making music with people in different places." They have featured remix contests involving artists as diverse as The Roots, Mariah Carey, Yo Yo Ma, and many more.

On this specially designed A.I.R. page, Phil will be sharing production ideas via tutorials, videos, discussions, and collaboration. Stop by and check it out!

www.indabamusic.com/studio_access/philmoffa

Jack The Hype Mix

2009-04-14T23:29:00.005-04:00

Mixed on 2 turntables by Butcha and Richie Roxx. Jack the house.

Nite Club - My Tronic

2009-04-06T12:07:00.003-04:00

Rich Spitzer aka Nite Club - You may know him from such bands as Vinyl Life, Hotels, Flight Crew, and many more. After years of hard work and countless hours of production, his solo album, My Tronic, is released. the record is being very well received in the world - according to CMJ college radio, it is at an impressive #20 on the RPM electronic music chart and #101 overall. Many blogs worldwide are also supporting the album and rightfully so. It reflects the genius that we have seen the man flex on his synthesizers and the kid can sing his ass off too.

If you would like to support the project, it can be purchased on CD from the tape theory online store (signed copies) and insound.com

Digital downloads are available from iTunes, beatport, and amazon.

"With Spitzer’s knack for emotive melodies and nasty grooves, Nite Club proves that drum machines can indeed have some soul." - URB Magazine

"He's one of those rare talents who can make dance music do anything. It'll move your feet and make you swoon." - GBH.tv

Nite Club myspace | Nite Club website (hear some tracks!)

Album release party - Thursday April 30th @ Public Assembly w/ Cru Jonez
Nite Club interview & DJ Set on eastvillageradio.com - Wednesday April 8th 2pm - 4pm

Vinyl Life & Oscar G @ Cielo NYC April 2nd 2009

2009-03-31T11:03:00.001-04:00

Jam On It - Newcleus (Vinyl Life Dub)

2009-03-13T21:56:00.002-04:00

A tribute to one of the greatest jams ever made. Enjoy.

Jam On It (Vinyl Life Dub).mp3
Jam On It (Vinyl Life Dub).wav

Kutiman

2009-03-08T15:41:00.002-04:00

Wow. This guy edits random solo performances found on youtube to create new compositions. Conceptually this is interesting but the music is f*cking great too! Check out http://thru-you.com/#/videos/ to see them all. Brilliant!

Artist spotlight on Reeno

2009-03-04T00:20:00.004-05:00

Check out Reeno, the self proclaimed King of Soulful Electrofunk. His latest release REENO 360 is too sick.

SPAZZOID ENTERTAINMENT

Future Retro Orb

2009-02-26T17:22:00.003-05:00

Wow that's a sick piece of gear! Basically a tiny Revolution-esque sequencer that sends MIDI and CV. Check Future Retro's Orb overview page for more details. Bonus points for naming this thing after The Orb.

Fast Eddie invented Hip-House

2009-02-25T01:01:00.004-05:00

This video reminds us that the world is not such a terrible place after all.

Exclusive only for readers of this blog-piece

2009-02-21T00:06:00.003-05:00

To say thanks for all your support, we're giving this download to our loyal readers for free.

INNOVATION - VINYL LIFE.mp3

Right Click INNOVATION above to save or regular click to hear it

INNOVATION

2009-02-09T13:42:00.003-05:00

Out now on iTunes, Beatport, CD & Tape.

Artwork by Jon Legere

1. Album Mix
2. DJ Skribble & DJ Slynkee vs. Vinyl Life Mix
3. Sebastian Marciano Remix
4. Extended Mix
5. Acapella

"This house is broken..." The second single from Vinyl Life on Tape Theory is "Innovation". Always a crowd favorite at the live shows, "Innovation" combines elements of house, rap, acid, and electro. Click HERE to see the music video directed by WashMachine that documents the studio recording of this jam.

DJ Skribble & DJ Slynkee got together with the VL crew in their Queens, NY studio to lay down some serious cuts on this collaboration. Sebastian Marciano, better known as half of rap duo Smash Mechanics, shows his versatility as a house producer with his synth-heavy, hands-in-the-air remix. All 3 versions were produced entirely on hardware.

Live Set Wednesday Feb 11th

2009-02-09T13:41:00.001-05:00

This Wednesday February 11th, come check Vinyl Life live @ Tayisha Busay's weekly Club Europa party in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Shit, you may even win a free pizza.

UZIMON - Ganja Fix Eveything

2009-01-30T13:47:00.002-05:00

UZIMON, Bermuda's most ignorant reggae artist, cures cancer, gives sight to the blind, and slays the grim reaper. All while promoting earth's most healing herb. It really does fix everything.

Vinyl Life LIVE Performances

2009-01-29T13:53:00.002-05:00

Here's a little Butcha Sound edit of our performances over the years. Set to the song "Etch a Sketch". Camera work by MOTiF, WashMachine, and Janine.

Juno 106 Fixed! How to replace a bad Juno 106 chip

2009-01-10T12:36:00.006-05:00

Alright, I did it myself thanks to some online resources. It only took 30 minutes.

First, check out these instructions and pics. This guy broke it down nice and easy. Don't worry about the weird message that pops up. Scroll down for the first step, which is determining which is the bad voice or filter chip

Then check out the desoldering instructions. Same thing, scroll down on that page a bit to see the info.

Oh, and a few more things. There's nothing on there about calibration or clone chips which I think may be very relevant to other potential "repairmen/women".

Calibration is sometimes needed after replacing a chip. This requires a lot more skill and technical knowledge than the desoldering and replacing of a bad chip. You'll need to know how to operate analog and digital voltmeters and an oscilloscope , I believe. Calibration documents HERE

There are 2 options when getting a replacement chip. You can either get one from an old juno that's been scrapped for parts, or you can get a clone. They have their pros and cons.

If you get a clone chip, it will probably last longer. However, it is more likely to need calibration, according to a synth guru from NYC i spoke to the other day.

That being said, the opposite is true about a regular old juno chip. It might die sooner but it probably will go back in with no tuning up needed. That just happened for me 10 minutes ago.

For an old original try eBay or synthparts.com

Here's where you can get a clone:

http://www.analoguerenaissance.com/D80017/

or

http://www.synthrestore.com/products.htm#sr4217b

I can't really say which is better, but I've read the first clone is the one to go with. Use your own judgement.

Good luck. It's worth the time because the Juno 106 is one of the best analog poly-synths in the universe.

"Etch a Sketch" Live @ Downtown Cabaret

2009-01-09T00:45:00.005-05:00

From March 2008 with the legend Jim McElwaine on tenor sax.

Indaba CMJ Event @ Crash Mansion Video

2009-01-03T00:05:00.005-05:00

Peace to MOTiF Pictures for this shooting and editing this one. This is from the Indaba Music CMJ Showcase in October 2008.

Vinyl Life LIVE @ Crash Mansion NYC from Tape Theory on Vimeo.

We remember James Brown

2008-12-24T13:23:00.003-05:00

No sense in going into his bio, listing his achievements, or discussing his impact. Simply put, James Brown was the greatest that ever lived. Period. We remember him today on the 2-year anniversary of his death with tremendous love and respect. Peace to the hardest working man in show business, Mr. Dynamite, Godfather James Brown.

Our first show of 2009!

2008-12-24T13:11:00.002-05:00

The kids are ready to jack the new year with our first performance of 2009. Meet us in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for live beats and liquid treats.

Thanks to all the heads who came out to the Vinyl Life Christmas Spectacular

2008-12-24T08:08:00.002-05:00

I always say, the quality of a party depends on the people who are there, and you guys fucking rocked! Thanks for representing so hard. Much love to all of you.

If anyone has pictures, please send em to music@vinyllife.com

Peace and Happy Holidays

Alive! - Vinyl Life live with Michna 12-23-08 Tuesday

2008-12-12T11:07:00.002-05:00

Dudes of Doom

2008-12-10T20:23:00.003-05:00

Photo by Greg MacAvoy

49 with a bullet

2008-11-21T02:52:00.002-05:00

Future Beat made its debut at #49 on the Beatport electronica chart. Not bad for a first single on a new label. Thanks for your support.

Get it online: iTunes, Beatport, Juno, or on CD & tape!

The Future Beat is out today

2008-11-19T01:52:00.002-05:00

The Future Beat is on! Tuesday, November 18

Remixes by DJ Oscar G!

Get it online: iTunes, Beatport, Juno,
Napster, Rhapsody, Amazon or on CD!

DJ Feedback:

"I love it. Thanx." - Bob Sinclar (France)

"Dope! Feeling the 808 spaceship." - DJ Z-Trip (USA)

“Nice one! Love it… so much fun.” - Uberzone

“The song is Dope... Definitely rockin. That Piano riff in the Oscar G remix is dope. All the mixes are hot. The other mixes take me back to that "Streetwise Label" sound. Great Work man. Much Success to you. Let it Roll !!” - Doug Lazy (Hip-House legend)

“DUUUUUUUUUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I FUCKING LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW THATS REAL ELECTRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO DOPE I CANT WAIT TO PLAY IT!!!!” - DJ Skribble (NYC)

“The vinyl life guys have done it again, another club banging peak hour record to pack the floor, and the oscar g mix just brings it over the top...If your not playing this record, you need to have your head examined” - Glen Friscia (NYC)

“The track sounds great....Love the video too...!” - Bill Youngman (Berlin)

“Will definitely be playing it this weekend.” - Steve Travolta (Brooklyn, NY)

“Love the original and dub...” - Ray Roc (NYC)

Techno Face

2008-11-11T01:18:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Levon of Deconstruct for pasting this one.

Last minute party with Jamie Lidell - Sunday 11-9-08

2008-11-05T10:14:00.004-05:00

Our friends at Volcanic are throwing a party with Cracker Farm at the very familiar Public Assembly. Jamie Lidell throws down a special DJ set with help from Bonehawk. Vinyl Life has been asked to close out the night. Let's get crazy.

Sunday November 9th
Public Assembly
N6th Street bet Kent and Wythe
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

Look at all these Roaches!!!

2008-11-04T09:46:00.000-05:00

Sick video of a song we heard driving around Bermuda

To Bermuda:

2008-11-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

Fright Night 08 was a blast. 1400+ turned out for Volcanic's biggest party yet. Costumes were killer and the haunted house was no joke. Uzimon threw down the sickest set it and, oh man, we had such a great time rockin' with the Bermudians. Thanks to Volcanic, our hosts David and Jenna, Mr. Sean Durkin, and the whole island for 7+ years of hospitality and many memories. Lots of rum and fried fish too. Can't forget that.

If anyone has pics or video, please get them to us. Thanks.

How'd the gigs go?

2008-10-30T08:33:00.002-04:00

The Indaba Music CMJ showcase on October 23rd was a huge success. The party was well attended, people had a great time, and we got to perform for lots of new fans. Thanks to the Meniz brothers for their killer customized Vinyl Life light show and thanks to Mantis and the whole Indaba staff for such an amazing event. Video of that event is on the way.

We also had a blast at our Halloween party at Public Assembly in Brooklyn. Although it was a Wednesday, we still had a funky fresh costume party. Jim McElwaine killed it on the sax once again. DJ Ohzee held it down with critical classics. Peace to all the people who showed up and big big big thank you to Liz Sullivan for documenting the event. Her facebook page has the sick photo album of the show. Here's some of those pics:

Ok, we're off to Bermuda to do Fright Night 08. See ya in the sunshine.

Funky fresh costume party!

2008-10-17T20:12:00.002-04:00

Tape Theory purchases legendary cassette duplicator

2008-10-17T01:20:00.012-04:00

Tape Theory recently acquired the Tapematic 2002, a piece of duplication history to meet the growing demand for music recorded on cassettes:

Future Beat single

2008-10-15T20:08:00.002-04:00

"Future Beat" will be out in November and available on Beatport, iTunes, Rhapsody, and Napster. Tracklisting:

1. Album Mix
2. Butcha Sound Dub
3. Oscar G Red Zone Tribute Mix
4. Oscar G Red Zone Tribute Dub
5. Radio Edit
6. Instrumental
7. Accapella

Vinyl Life to headline Indaba Music showcase

2008-10-13T20:13:00.000-04:00

"Angel" by Oscar G - Vinyl Life Dub

2008-09-30T20:14:00.000-04:00

Out today on Beatport...Big up to OG.

Big gig and video world premiere!

2008-09-03T09:57:00.004-04:00

This will be our fourth monthly event at Public Assembly in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The night will be especially significant because we will be screening various music videos by NYC artists including the world premiere of "Future Beat" directed by the very talented and hard-working Dan DeGloria. Be there @ 9 for the vids and immediately following will be performances by Peephole, House of Rhumba, and Vinyl Life. Also, DJ Doug Gomez of Drrty Haze will be on the decks to throw down some old school treats. If there's a party to catch this is the one. Hope to see you there!

Live electronic groups needed to perform in NYC

2008-08-13T00:27:00.002-04:00

If you are or know a live electronic act in NYC, please contact music@vinyllife.com for a potential booking. Thanks!

Live performances coming up @ Galapagos

2008-07-16T14:31:00.001-04:00

2008-07-16T14:29:00.001-04:00

Sick Robot Band

2008-06-25T22:58:00.001-04:00

Big gig! A night of live performances!

2008-05-29T10:12:00.001-04:00

This one's gonna be special. 3 great acts performing live dance music.

New video for Innovation!

2008-05-19T16:34:00.003-04:00

This video, directed by WashMachine, documents the studio recording of Innovation off our album-in-progress. Enjoy and share with your friends!

Innovation - Vinyl Life (Live in Studio)

Vinyl Life Remix of Oscar G's "Angel"

2008-05-13T13:26:00.004-04:00

Stop by our new remix page to hear a sneak preview of our dub of "Angel" off the new Oscar G album INNOV8. Also posted there is other remixes that we've done this year. Enjoy!

Album release party for INNOV8 will be at Cielo on Thursday, May 29th.

Been a minute but here's a quick update...

2008-05-07T00:46:00.003-04:00

"Future Beat" is on the 'Electron' compilation put out in Japan by Black Budget. Music video for that one in post-production now... Vinyl Life remix of Oscar G's "Angel" on Nervous Records due for release this summer. Big set at Cielo on Thursday May 29th for release party... Music video directed by WashMachine for "Innovation" in the works and will be done very soon... And album in the works too. Stay tuned!!!

Smash Mechanics LIVE @ Sullivan Hall NYC

2008-03-08T18:08:00.003-05:00

On Thursday, March 13th, Smash Mechanics performs live @ Sullivan Hall in NYC. Also on the bill are Boom Clique and The Misnomers. You are sure to catch one of the greatest shows you have seen in a very long time. Come on down and say hello.

Aciiiiiidddd!!!

2008-02-24T23:41:00.008-05:00

303

National Record Store Day!

2008-02-15T13:48:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, April 19, 2008, hundreds of independently owned music stores across the country will celebrate “Record Store Day.”

On this day, all of these stores will simultaneously link and act as one with the purpose of celebrating the culture and unique place that they occupy both in their local communities and nationally.

Plans are underway to set up special events at all of the stores on this day, as well as provide customers with a goodie bag that promotes new formats, new releases, and exciting information on music, theatrical, and gaming releases. Working with our partners, the indies will also link to run extensive marketing campaigns both on a national level and a local level.

Check out www.recordstoreday.com for more info. Go get yourself some new vinyl!!!

2008-02-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

The 6th Annual Club World Awards

2008 Nominees Announced

Ceremony on Wednesday, March 26 at Set, Miami

New York, N.Y. – The Club World Awards, the U.S.’s definitive nightlife awards program, is proud to announce its 2008 nominees, and details of this year’s event.

The invitation-only Club World Awards ceremony is set for Wednesday, March 26, at Set in South Beach, Miami. The show will once again celebrate excellence in North American nightlife, with the club and dance music industries’ brightest stars. Plus, it has a few new tricks up its sleeve.

To expand the breadth of the program, six new categories were added: Best Renovation for revived venues, Best One-Off for spectacular one-time club events, Best Bottle Service for the swank set, and three new People’s Choice categories which allow the public to reward excellence in clubland music.

Clubbers will again be invited to vote for their favorite local venue in the Nightstalker Award category – a staple of the CWA program since its inception – as well as in music categories Club Banger Of The Year (for instrumentals), Club Anthem Of The Year (for vocals), and Best DJ Set. Online dance music portal Beatport.com will host a Club World Awards page (beatportal.com/clubworldawards) with players, so voters can experience all the nominated music, including a top 10 of tracks played by the DJs during their nominated sets (provided by them). The inaugural Best DJ Set nominees are BT, Justice, DJ Micro, Roger Sanchez, and Danny Tenaglia. Voting will be hosted on partyStrands.com, and will be live from February 18 through March 3.

Across the rest of the program, this year’s nominees reflect the gold standard of clubbing in key metropolitan cities, along with the usual surprises. Smart Bar Chicago will defend its Best Club title against newcomer BoMA (in the unlikely locale of Columbus, Ohio), two-time winner Cielo, splashy Jet, and celeb haunt Marquee. Last year’s CWA darling Pacha New York – which walked away with three awards – is nominated in seven categories, and will defend its Best Superclub title against heavy contenders: Avalon, Mansion, Pure and Peter Gatien’s Circa. The return of clubland’s most notorious operator garnered four nominations. Opium Group snagged eight, with five going to CWA host venue Set. Vegas-based Pure Management Group (PMG) also grabbed eight nods, including three for Paradise Island hotspot Aura. In the Best New category, PMG is going up against itself, with noms for both Aura and Vegas mega-club LAX.

The Club World Awards ceremony always draws bold-face names from the nightlife-loving community including Danny Tenaglia, Tila Tequila, Deep Dish, Kelly Osbourne, Ferry Corsten, and James Zabiela,; and coverage in Entertainment Weekly, New York Post, Time Out New York, Boston Herald, Las Vegas Weekly, Miami New Times and Forbes.com.

For the first time in CWA history, potential nominees were invited to submit entries online, and final nominees were selected from that pool, rather than directly by the editors of sponsoring magazine Club World. Winners in non-People’s Choice categories are determined by a panel of 12 industry-veteran, expert judges.

The Club World Awards is presented by Club Word, the only magazine devoted to the look, sound and feel of nightclubs. Launched in July 2000, the monthly publication covers the world’s best venues from technical, business and aesthetic perspectives. It was renamed from Club Systems International in February 2008.

http://www.clubworldawards.com

Farley Jackmaster Funk Review

2008-02-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

Nice when a living legend lays down a set in your hometown. Last night I had the chance to hear Chicago's Farley Jackmaster Funk at APT in NYC. He threw down a ridiculous old-school Chicago house vibe. With touch of Adonis's "No Way Back", Plastikman's "Spastik", and even the Colonel's "Music Is the Answer", the Jackmaster rocked the Funktion One outta the basement. Much respect. God bless.

For more on Keith Farley of the original Hotmix 5:

Farley's Myspace page
Wiki

Where you been at man?

2008-02-04T00:57:00.000-05:00

The blog posts have become more infrequent, we know. The Vinyl Life crew has been hitting the studio very hard to finish our album (currently untitled) and make some new music videos. The in-studio video performance of the song "Innovation" was shot by WashMachine. The song performed that day and captured on camera will be the same version on the album. Sick.

Also In the works is a video for the track "Future Beat" for which we have assembled a large video team. This will be the most extensive of our video efforts and are very excited to get this one ready for the universe to see. Future Beat will be on a compilation released in Japan this year on Black Budget Records.

Okay, back to the studio. Stay tuned for lots of big things this year.

Also, check the new Butchasound Remix of the very classic "Jam On It" by Newcleus.

Thesis on house music

2008-01-08T00:28:00.000-05:00

Check out this guy's PhD thesis on house and techno via the 303, 808 & 909.

http://folk.uio.no/hanst/Manchester/ChicagoHouse.htm

2007 Year In Review

2007-12-31T02:01:00.001-05:00

2007 Year In Review

2007 was a great year for the Vinyl life Crew. We took the studio to the stage and had our first 8 performances as a live electronic group. Congratulations to Ohzee - the kid is getting married. Keyboardist Richie Roxx had his Nite Club album released in Japan. Phaze Future produced and performed on more Smash Mechanics tracks than you can count. Butcha now is Technical Editor for Club Systems International Magazine as well as a columnist for DJ Times. Our first album is nearing completion and we can't wait for the world to hear it. Vinyl Life Studios got a makeover and we're up to our ears in synths, drum machines, and patch cables.

Vinyl Life would like to thank everyone who came to see us perform, all the DJs that supported our tracks, and our families & friends for believing in us. In 2008 we will be giving it all we got to finish our album and play every stage this side of the Little Neck Bay. We wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. Merry Christmas y'all. Ya don't stop. Lorda mercy. Respect.

Our first show at CSV in NYC's LES:

VL live @ Amber in the Hamptons:

Crobar NYC in June:

Ohzee & Butcha with Martinez Bros @ Pacha: (Open your eyes, Butcha. This is a good photo op.)

Ohzee & Butcha with Murk @ Pacha:

Butcha's Pig Roast 07:

By da beach boyeee:

Asseteria @ Plumm:

Fright Night 2007 in Bermuda:

Vinyl Life Crew

Happy new year! See you in 2008!

John Tejada Live PA @ Sullivan Room

2007-12-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

After the Blip Festival, I headed to Sullivan Room to check out DJ set by friends Samsara and live p.a. by LA minimal man John Tejada. His modest setup was an elektron machinedrum and an elektron monomachine run into a 16 channel Mackie board with a Korg KP3 on the Aux for effects. There was something else on the end that looked like one of those MFB synths. After they finally got the levels turned up past the point where people were talking to the guy during his set, he brought out his signature melodic deep techno. The sound in Sullivan Room is less than satisfactory but John's tunes sounded great and he really won over the crowd who at first didn't know what the hell was going on. Maybe not his ideal audience, but for those of us that came to hear him throw down, we got what we came for. I couldn't help but compare it to what I had just seen at Blip Fest. Of course, Tejada's music is much deeper and not for losing your mind like a raving sugar rushed ten-year old playing Atari with a mouth full of Pop Rocks. Deep melodies, satisfying low-end, and tasteful electronic percussion made this another inspiring set that I am grateful to have witnessed.

Check out John Tejada's label, Palette Recordings

Blip Festival 2007 - NYC

2007-12-02T12:36:00.001-05:00

Artist collective 8bitpeoples and Manhattan art space The Tank put on an event known as the Blip Festival this week at eyebeam in Chelsea NYC this week from Thursday November 29 to Sunday December 2. The focus of this event was musicians/composers/performers who make music on 8 bit Nintendos, Game Boys, Ataris, Commodore 64s and the like.

I checked out Saturday night's line-up for a bit. I was surprised to see such a large crowd (probably 500+) but, more impressive, was the quality of the tunes and the enthusiasm of the audience. Not to mention that people knew the words to the tunes and the artists within the scene.

First I caught Tree Wave who was rocking a modified Atari cartridge with his set list projected and mixed with Atari gems like Combat. He was also on the mic and messing with samplers and people were digging it. Nothing like what was to come next, though.

Bit Shifter took the stage and explained through a raspy voice that he was sounding hoarse from shouting all week. I'm thinking, "these guys are this serious about this music?" Using a Game Boy, this guy rocked the place. Fast 140-150 bpm tracks (prob even faster) with those classic 8-bit timbres brought out the mosher in these geeks. Not since the Beastie Boys show have I seen people bug out to this degree, although in a safer nerdier fashion. Crowd surfing was going down and it was inspiring. To pull off this kind of enthusiasm with a fucking Game Boy really put a big hole in the way I see live electronic performance.

This is an event that is not to be missed next year. For more info: blipfestival.org

Stevie Wonder Live @ MSG Review

2007-11-18T11:49:00.001-05:00

What's it like to hear a legend perform? Last night i had the honor of being in the audience to witness Stevie Wonder at Madison Square Garden. I've always wanted to see Stevie live and have heard that his voice isn't what it used to be and that's why he doesn't play so often. Nothing could be further from the truth. His voice is the most powerful and unique instrument and it sounds amazing at that volume. He did every jam you could think of in those two and a half hours. Special guests included legend Tony Bennett for a version of "For Once In My Life" and Prince (!) to play guitar on "Superstition". Not a bad ticket to have. A pure legend-fest.

Harmony Head Bang

2007-11-12T17:58:00.001-05:00

Thanks to WashMachine for this one:

In the early 1930's Schoenberg told John Cage he would tutor him for free on the condition he "devoted his life to music". Cage readily agreed, but stopped lessons after two years. Cage later wrote in his lecture Indeterminacy: "After I had been studying with him for two years, Schoenberg said, 'In order to write music, you must have a feeling for harmony.' I explained to him that I had no feeling for harmony. He then said that I would always encounter an obstacle, that it would be as though I came to a wall through which I could not pass. I said, 'In that case I will devote my life to beating my head against that wall'." Schoenberg later described Cage as being 'not a composer, but an inventor — of genius".

Fright Night

2007-10-30T12:39:00.000-04:00

We had a blast performing in Bermuda for Volcanic's Fright Night 2007. Video is on the way and here's some pics from that night.

ADE review

2007-10-22T13:16:00.000-04:00

Held in one of the greatest cities in the world, Amsterdam Dance Event is regarded as THE dance music conference of the year. I always wanted to check it out and was fortunate to have a free hotel room to crash in (thanks to writing for DJ Times Magazine).
The daily activities of the conference include panels, interviews and all-around networking. In European fashion, the bars serve as the perfect place to meet with record labels, managers, publicists, etc. It was referred to me by one A&R as "WMC circa 91". Where Miami in March is now the place for fans (mostly New Yorkers) to party, ADE is the place for dance music professionals to meet. If you are an aspiring DJ/producer, save some money and go to Amsterdam next fall. You wont regret it. The ADE bracelet also gets you access to almost every party in the city that is an ADE event. Highlights for me were sets by Mark Knight, Rene Amesz, and Sander van Doorn. I regret not going to more parties, but a person can only handle so much action. I also had a chance to witness an interview with legend Kevin Saunderson. Respect.

New DJ Mix

2007-10-16T10:12:00.001-04:00

A 66 minute mix from Dj Ohzee & The Butcha - The Future Beat Is On

Click Here To Listen or Right Click and Save

Vinyl Life quoted in Billboard "Analog" Article

2007-10-01T12:33:00.000-04:00

THE ANALOG KIDS
October 06, 2007

Dance Artists Abandoning Digital In Favor Of Vintage Gear
KERRI MASON

Before preset sound banks overflowed with prefabbed beats, electronic musicians made them from scratch with freestanding synthesizers. Before drag and drop, remixers physically cut and spliced tape to move sonic parts. When the digital production revolution finally did come, dance producers led the charge, emboldened by the standardization of sounds and methods they had pioneered. Since then, nothing has sped the genre's growth (or dilution, according to some) more than the advent of increasingly cheap, easily manipulated software.

But now, less than a decade after the debut of such computer synthesizers as Propellerhead's Reason and Ableton's Live, the same early adopters who embraced digital are turning their gazes back to the future.

"People are realizing what's missing from the sounds they're getting out of software," Phil Moffa of production/DJ outfit Vinyl Life says. "They're conscious of how everything is sounding the same, and digital replication is the same every time. The magic of analog is it's never the same, depending on the weather, where you are in the world, the electricity supply."

Moffa is one of a crew of young dance producers who have dumped their neat little laptops for rooms full of hulking black boxes, scouring eBay and garage sales for vintage, amp-driven, analog synths. Their mission: to shake off the homogeny of boilerplate beats and use synths as the nuanced instruments they once were.

"We get more inspiration out of the old machines," says James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco, whose addictive "Attack Decay Sustain Release" (Interscope) has fired up the dancing shoes of indie and club kids. "You try to do something, and they'll give you something back you didn't expect. Also, because they're physical things, it's less cerebral; there's a humanism to it. We're not big fans of pushing blocks around screens."

Acts from the Chemical Brothers to Nine Inch Nails have garnished their records with different analog tools for years. But the new school of enthusiasts sees its preference as a sort of reactionary revolution. Moffa dumped all his digital sounds for good in 2005, going fully analog for Vinyl Life's "Flashlight" (Ultra) and each release since. Simian's "Attack" contains no samples, and was entirely made with hunks of such audio antiquity as the Korg MS-20 (1978), ARP Instruments ARP 2600 (1971) and Roland Juno-60 (1982). Such acts as Uberzone and U.N.K.L.E. have also expressed their displeasure with the constraints of digital.

"I hate really nostalgic records that are trying to sound like old records," Ford says. "But there's something familiar about [analog], the way it shapes the sound and rounds out the edges and warms it up. It reminds you of the records you grew up with."

Chemical Brothers @ McCarren Pool in Brooklyn

2007-09-27T09:55:00.001-04:00

Photos by Ian Meyer

I checked out one of the biggest names in live electronic performance at Brooklyn's spacious McCarren pool on Saturday. The Chemical Brothers have been at it for a long time playing to thousands of people for over ten years. The new album "We are the Night" is a step in the house direction for the kings of breakbeat electronica and it's also a foray into analog synth land which is something I am definitely feeling. Their first full length "Exit Planet Dust" (Junior Boys Own 1995) is truly a classic and probably the Chems best work. I discovered this one later in life but it still is a major influence on me. I have always dug their ability to keep the listener interested through constantly evolving sounds and their arrangements. The production is always top notch. Although most of Chemical Brothers albums have tracks that are pretty much useless to me, there's always a few gems on each LP. Seeing them perform live was long over due.
The visuals at this show were probably the most impressive part. They're projecting on a huge screen which looked like a net of small led's. Lots of geometric shapes were used, especially circles to highlight parts of the screen. Also lots of portraits of freaks mouthing the words to the tracks with lots of projections or make-up on their faces. The crowd was reacting to the visuals with cheers. Powerful stuff.
The music from the new album sounded great, although the pool is a tough space to fill. I would like to see the Chems in a smaller club environment. The crowd was filled with good people including local celebrities Joey Dollaz and Jack the Legend.
One thing I always find myself asking at these events is "Are they doing anything up there or are they faking the funk?" Crowds are always content when a band member, usually Ed in this case, stops tinkering (or fake-tinkering) with some synth knobs to wave to the crowd. Big cheers for that. It's always been whispered amongst the people who know anything about gear and performing that the Chemical Brothers and many of their parallel performers are just running a DAT or CD and pretending to play their gear. Maybe they'll throw a drum fill in from the MPC or really play a line here or there but who knows what's really going on right in front of an audience? When you get to that level, there's no room for error and electronic gear can be buggy. (That's why I leave my 909 at home. It has a mind of its own.) I would much rather see/hear a missed sequence or any fuck up while knowing that the beats are being created live right there than hear a studio recording while very respected individuals are turning knobs on a synth that isn't even connected. I guess the end result is what matters, and if the crowd is dancing, cheering, and partying to great music, then who cares if it's pre-recorded? Electronic musicians that actually play their gear, that's who.

Exclusive interview with Q of Uberzone

2007-09-14T09:38:00.000-04:00

After reading his "Buck the Biz" column in the September issue of Remix, I contacted Q of Uberzone and struck up a pretty interesting dialog. He wrote about crafting your own sounds and not worrying about chasing the newest trends. This is some very refreshing advice in the time of presets that we now live. Uberzone's newest album Ideology is out now on Nitrus Records. He took the time out to answer some questions and we thank him for that. It went like this:

Your new album is called “Ideology”. What is the concept behind the name?
*The name was intended to be a play on words; Idea-ology, or, “the study of ideas”. I was really cognoscente of the fact that a lot of the newer electronic music seemed to start with the focus on the dance floor and I wanted to start with strong ideas, hooks and melodies and work from there. I think it’s imperative to have strong ideas as the foundation for any creative endeavor. That being said, I still leave room for happy accidents.

How long did it take to complete?
*I had the tracks “Satisfaction”, “FUBAR” and “Vibrate” done a year earlier but the bulk of the rest of the record took about 8 months to complete once I got rolling. I can probably get a record done within 6 months at this point but I tour and do all the other Uberzone duties solo, so that takes up a lot of time and energy.

Your column in Remix talked about originality in sound design and composition. Tell us about your creative process.
*I usually start with an idea of what I’m trying to do in the studio before I turn on the gear. I do like to go in the studio just to experiment sometimes but I tend to meander very easily so I have to create some focus when I’m trying to move forward on a track.
I like to start with either the idea for the hook or the rhythms first; I very rarely start with anything that determines the key of the tracks before I have any melody or lead line in mind. As far as sound design, I usually start with fairly generic sounds when I’m coming up with melodies. It’s easier to hear a compelling melody when you’re not relying on the sound to help it along. There are instances, however, when the sound is essential to the overall hook. For instance, the middle melody in “4 Bit” wouldn’t have the same sentiment if it was played with a generic sound. That “sound” is essential to the overall effect of the line.
As far as rhythm goes, that tends to be the easiest part for me, being a drummer. I love to create polyrhythms and interplay between the drums and any other rhythmic elements in the tracks, whether it’s the bass line, lead line or anything else.
When I’m arranging the tracks I like to produce using a technique I call “combing”. I get a very basic rough arrangement down and then listen to the tracks over and over and refine it with each pass. This helps me focus on the big picture rather than getting caught up in the minutia. It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when you’re a solo artist so I always keep that in mind. Most of the time, I have all the elements and basic parts of a track in place in a day or two. The part that takes the longest comes next. The mix engineering and final tweaks to the sound design, effects and editing. I rely heavily on the UAD plugins for the mix stage and N.I. Reaktor and a host of other plugins for the sound design aspects of my tracks.

What is the ratio of tracks you start to tracks that get finished?
*About 90%. I think this is due to the fact that I try to always have a strong idea of what I’m trying to do before I start.

What gear is the most crucial to your studio?
*Steinberg Nuendo
*Universal Audio UAD-1 card and effects
*Native Instruments Reaktor
*Some of the hardware synths: Roland Jupiter 8 and 6, Roland VP-330 and the S.C.I Pro-One
*Tea

What is your musical background? How did you get into breaks and electronic music?
*I’m a graduate of the Uberheim School Of Hard Knocks; I majored in daydreaming with a minor in procrastination.
*I’ve played drums since I was a tot.
*I listened to a lot of electronic music growing up.
*I went to some of the very first “raves” in the world.
*I’m NOT classically trained
*I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth.
*I read every magazine and book I could get my hands on that had anything to do with electronic music, synthesis, production, engineering and songwriting.

What gear do you use when you perform?
*Ableton Live controlled by an Axiom 25 and a Trigger Finger
*Pioneer CDJ-1000 MK 3
*Pioneer DJM-800
*Roland V-Drums kit with a TD-8 brain
*Roland SPD-S
*More to come, I’m in the process of changing my set around. 

What can a crowd expect at an Uberzone show?
I try to bring a lot of energy and intensity to a performance. Dave and I are doing quite a bit live up there so it gives it a bit of an improvisational feel. I think the audience sees that and can feed off of that. I’m getting ready to try and implement visuals back into my live show.

What have you learned on stage over the years that have made you a better performer?
The audience can see a lot more than most people give them credit for. I think it’s totally necessary to visually communicate with the audience and allow them to be a part of the show. You can’t fake the funk, people can read on your face whether or not you’re comfortable being there. I also think that I’ve learned to relax and really enjoy the moment, which translates to a better experience for everyone.

Are there any cities and venues you prefer?
I LOVE to play at Fabric in London. It just feels like it should on stage there; the sound system is wicked, the club’s always packed and the vibe is insane. I’ve played there many times and it’s always been amazing. I also love playing at all the House Of Blues in the States; they just totally have their shit together. As far as cities: London, Sydney, San Francisco, anywhere in Spain, Seattle, Dallas, New Orleans, Orlando, Salt Lake City, Denver and Toronto.

What old school legends have influenced you?
*Kraftwerk
*Depeche Mode
*The Beatles
*Vince Clarke
*Afrika Bambaataa
*Orbital (not old school but a huge influence)
*Leftfield (again, not old school but a huge influence)
*Public Enemy

Who are the newer producers that you listen to?
*Anything Nigel Godrich touches. He’s hands down my favorite producer at the moment.
*Trentemoller
*Switch (Dave Taylor)
uhhh…
This is a hard question because I think the term producer is misused these days. I consider a producer to be someone that’s more versatile than someone constrained by one style of music. I know this is somewhat controversial but… we do live in the age of mis-information. That’s why Mr. Godrich is so revered; from Radiohead to Air to Beck to McCartney, electronic or acoustic… he never fails.

Most younger (and even some experienced) producers/djs/electronic musicians are always wondering what they can do to get exposure for their music. What advice do you have for the hard-working techno freaks of the future?
Man… its HHHHAAAARD these days. The music business is like a field of white noise right now. Anyone who owns a laptop is now a producer, singer, songwriter, composer… No one wants to pay for music anymore because everyone is writing their own music. That being said, you really have to work the MySpace-type sites, blogs and the Internet in general. Touring live or Dj-ing is a MUST and it’s paramount that you try and release tracks on a regular basis… something I’ve failed miserably at. It’s sensory-overload theater out there right now, here today gone tomorrow. You HAVE to be persistent and consistent.

Right on, Q. If they're in your town, you hould check it out. These guys bring an amazing energy to the stage with their live electronic performance. Respect.

Sep 28 2007 Smart Bar Chicago, Illinois
Sep 29 2007 Nocturnal Wonderland Los Angeles, California
Oct 6 2007 Shampoo Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 7 2007 Guvernment Toronto, Ontario
Oct 12 2007 The Warehouse Calgary, Alberta
Oct 13 2007 Ampersand New Orleans, Louisiana
Oct 26 2007 TBC Las Vegas, Nevada
Oct 27 2007 TBC Vancouver, British Columbia
Nov 9 2007 TBC Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Nov 17 2007 TBC Austin, Texas
Dec 1 2007 TBC San Francisco, California

New Vinyl Life Videos!

2007-09-13T17:07:00.000-04:00

This is us live @ Studio Mezmor aka Crobar NYC in June. Videography by Santi, Leras and Rik Santiago

Coffin painted by The Butcha

Studio Feedback Portrait by The Butcha

I Love New York Remixes

2007-09-13T16:15:00.000-04:00

Our newest release on Complex Collective is out now. Hear it on Beatport or

Danny Tenaglia Boat Cruise Review

2007-09-06T01:15:00.001-04:00

Tonight I had the pleasure of sailing around the Hudson River to the sounds of pure legend Danny Tenaglia. Truly a master of his craft, DT provided four hours of seamlessly edited house missiles. Very loose and very funky. Where does he get this stuff? I heard lots of familiar disco loops (Loose Joints, etc.) and lots of Groovejet classics that I couldn't identify. If anyone knows what synth made the organ sound in everyone of these productions, please let me know. Of course, all of these beats are edited to Danny's liking and served to the hungry dancefloor with the touch of a master. This party was originally scheduled for a few Fridays ago and I'm glad it happened the way it did. The weather tonight couldn't have been more perfect and 2 weeks ago I was at the screening of Daft Punk's Electroma. DT had the chicken pox and had to save it for tonight. Probably should've went to Shelter for the afterparty but we've got studio work of our own to do tomorrow. Fortunately, he begins a residency there in two weeks and we might get a taste of the old Vinyl/Arc days.

Just discovered this website you should spend some time with

2007-09-04T23:39:00.001-04:00

Someone who left us a comment had this site in their profile. A very thorough guide to electronic music complete with a very funny and informative tutorial. Check it out.

Ishkur's Guide To Electronic Music

Art Of Noise - Close To The Edit

2007-08-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

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

Yo Little Brother

2007-08-19T13:24:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-11T17:58:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-09T12:28:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-06T14:37:00.001-04:00

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

2007-08-01T14:17:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-01T14:08:00.000-04:00

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

Nothing Like The Real Thing

2007-07-25T10:20:00.001-04:00

We recently acquired, thanks to The Super, the KING of all drum machines - the Roland TR 808. Now and forever legendary, the 808 was produced in 1980 and wasn't appreciated immediately because of it's "not real" sounds. It is pure analog gold and no digital sample can do what this baby does. Also important to mention that it's internal sequencer inspires patterns that are simply not going to happen when using a computer or MPC. Mix that with individual outputs thru a console and the GREATEST BASS DRUM SOUND ON THIS PLANET, and you have audio heaven, an electronic music producer's dream. Also courtesy of Levon Vincent we are rockin' the infamous Linn Drum. Another classic with the best sounding toms in town. And if that still wasn't enough to put me in drum machine heaven, DJ Majestic R, aka Cool Ray West, has blessed me with the sp1200, the legendary drum machine/sampler that changed it all. Check out the links and go to vintagesynth.com for more info. We will soon be posting the new tracks featuring our newly assembled drum machine museum.

BIG SHOW THIS SUNDAY JULY 29TH

2007-07-25T01:56:00.001-04:00

WE GO ON AT 3 AM. CAN YOU DIG IT?

Roger Troutman on Talkbox

2007-07-21T10:36:00.001-04:00