Category archives: DJ

  • Producing Your Own Music on a Shoestring

  • 8 years ago
  • "A professional studio starts at around $50,000 and up" according to Rick Camp, who has produced the music of Dr. Dre, Beyonce and the likes. However, he also asserts that "a home studio, or a project studio, can cost anywhere from $300-400 dollars." With such a wide range of music production equipment out there, creating your own home studio has never been easier, cheaper and more accessible. Expensive equipment isn't always necessary to produce top quality work, as many low to mid range products on the market are actually competing with some of the top brands. Here are the top 3 tips on how to start producing your music without spending too much or sacrificing the quality of your sound. Research the best equipment in your price range When you begin any new practice, research is always key. And with an art form as technical as music production, it's almost essential to look into what audio interfaces you need and how to use them. If you go in blind, then you risk overspending on unnecessary, fancy equipment. In order to feel at ease with what you're doing, don't let yourself feel out of your depths: Break down what you need: the interface, a mic/instruments and sound outputs Research what both the amateurs and pros use Compare the equipment based on quality and price   Take advantage of free recording software Whilst 'freemium' software may not always have the advanced functions that paid software does, it's still useful when you're starti[...]

  • Artist Interview: Music Producer Pedro Vian presenting MOM

  • 8 years ago
  • Pedro, welcome to AFP, we are pleased to have you here. Please tell us when you started playing and producing electronic music? Tell us about your first project. I started experimenting with audio edition software when I was 16. At first, my intention was only pure distraction and fun. Before, I used to listen to lot of music, not only electronic music but also good rare versions of everything that you can imagine. I have a brother who is a music lover. I was also an amateur guitar player in a band. It's my understanding that you've produced music under different artistic names and musical projects in the past? This was before your personal projects, correct? When I was 22, I started to mix music using the name Pettre and was using it for many years. I published a track on Hivern Discs with John Talabot and Pional. Afterwards, with my project duo called Aster, I have worked for years at Hivern Discs and also at the famous label Mathematic Recordings, based in Chicago. With my recent project Pedro Vian and also with the Aster duo, I've had a presence in important festivals such as Sonar and Primavera Sound. How do you define your style? It is impossible to me to categorize it in a single style, because it is a mixture of many. Basically, I don't know how to define it. The experimentation is predominant; many times I feel myself with a foot on the dance floor while the other foot is in the spiritual and ambient side. https://soundcloud.com/pedro-vian [...]

  • AFP Picks! The Best Electronic Music Albums of 2017

  • 8 years ago
  • Art for Progress wants to say goodbye to 2017 with the best electronic music albums of the year. Below you find our year-end top ten AFP picks that we have selected especially for you. The list includes a video and the label info where the records have been published. 2017!  It was a great year for music in the world with many awesome, high quality albums created by the most talented artists from across the world. Enjoy the new year and may your 2018 be full of good music! Happy 2018! 1. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream. DFA and Columbia Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKeJFxwuBBE   2.  Björk - Utopia. One Little Indian Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqbv7cCM5AI   3.  Laurel Halo - Dust. Hyperdub.   4. Four Tet - New energy. Text Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWInZ4N6C2g&t=2357s   5.  Bonobo - Migration. Ninja Tune.   6.  James Holden - The animal spirits. Border Community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj35YNtP3IE   7. Powerdance - The Lost Art of getting Down. Powerdance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHrBXKtc0Sc   8.  Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest. Because Music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRwgL_PrQYQ   9. Errorsmith - Superlative Fatigue. Pan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fsCgZh6E8k   10.   Arca - Arca. XL Recordings. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZqsyBiYZFQ3bQ6wAHoeYkkt[...]

  • "Swedish Lo-life EP," A journey towards the Modern Life

  • 8 years ago
  • MLiR stands for Modern Life is Rubbish, an utterly accurate and ironic name. Founded by the two absolutely crazy Swedes from outer Space, Marco Gegenheimer and Einar Christofferson. In 2016 the two lads broke through with the musical and mega hyped debut EP ”Swedish Lo-Life” on Studio Barnhus, the re-known and eclectic record label run by Axel Boman, Kornél Kovács and Petter Nordkvist. An EP of 5 songs, featuring the big hit people with almost 300 000 plays on Spotify so far. Up next in 2017 for Marco and Einar is their 2nd installment for Studio Barnhus, an EP under the name ”Trans-World Junktion”. They also have EP:s coming early 2018 for UK label Banoffee Pies, Berlin based Lossless, a 3rd EP for Studio Barnhus and non 4/4 stuff for Magic Teapot Records. Apart from all this, the boys are also preparing a live show for next year where everyone will be able to see them shaking their asses and showing the world they’re here to stay to make you go bananas. Modern Life is Rubbish, and you know it! Marco, nice to meet you and welcome to Art for Progress. MLiR it is the new project you have created, but your career started a long time ago. Please, could you tell us when did you start to produce music? My interest to produce music started after having a 5.5 years break from DJ'ing in 2009. I then started working on an album for Ratio?music / Rush Hour (which got lost) and released several EP's on Ratio?music / Rush Hour, Moodmusic and Perplex Recordings. I had a band ca[...]

  • We Learn Dances: Tales from Better Days

  • 11 years ago
  • I recently had the distinct pleasure of compiling an oral history of the seminal underground New York club Better Days, a ’70s and ’80s contemporary of spots like the Paradise Garage—though Better Days was much smaller and, possibly because of that, less lauded. (You can read that piece in full here, on the Red Bull Music Academy website.) One of the main interviewees for the article was Bruce Forest, an iconic DJ (and later, prolific producer) who was on the Better Days decks throughout most of the ’80s. (In the ’70s, the late, great Tee Scott ran the show.) Forest has a great memory and is a fantastic teller of tales—but, for reasons of space and clarity, some of his best stories had to be omitted from the history. So we figured, why not share a couple of his best ones here? Loleatta Holloway This story concerns how the inimitable disco diva Loleatta Holloway’s between-song patter became one of the most ubiquitous samples in dance music history. It was all Forest’s (accidental) fault. Bruce Forest: “It was not easy to have live performances there. It was a very, very hard room to do live sound in; it was a round room with tons of bass. But we would do it sometimes anyway. Jocelyn Brown probably performed there seven or eight times. And there was Lolleata Holloway. She was one nasty woman when she wanted to be. And she was big; she could have easily kicked the shit out of me. Anyway, when she performs, she does five or six songs, but in between the songs, s[...]

  • We Learn Dances: Four Fave NYC Tracks of 2014

  • 11 years ago
  • Yes, we’re almost two weeks into 2015, so please forgive the lateness of this list—we’re just now recovering from a great New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day spent with the Bunker and 718 Sessions crews. But it’s never too late to support the home team, right? In the underground-clubbing realm, the fact that there’s been so much great music created by Gotham artists and/or released on local labels over the past twelve months is another sign of the scene’s strength—and really, we would could have made this a Forty Fave NYC Tracks list without breaking a sweat. But, for now, let’s go with the five below—click on the images to hear the tracks. Enjoy! Siren “Gauntlet” Compost There’s a windswept feel to “Gauntlet, ”the long-awaited first fruits of a studio partnership between Metro Area’s Darshan Jesrani and the Disques Sinthomme label’s Dennis Kane. It might be the majestic guitar chords, or the wailing vocals (from Apollo Heights’ Daniel Chavis), or the cut’s spacious arrangement and willingness to take its time to get wherever it’s going. Whatever it is, the song is something of an overlooked modern classic. And holy crap, does that pumping bassline hit the spot! There’s a fine remix from London groove machine Ray Mang that tightens up the song’s feel a bit—he basically houses it up, toughening up the rhythm and accentuating the acid bleep, giving it an added sense of urgency. But for our money, the sprawling original does the trick just fine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?[...]

  • Brooklyn Beat Music & Arts Festival

  • Art For Progress presents "Brooklyn Beat Music & Arts Festival" The Paper Box, 17 Meadow Street (Waterbury & Bogart), Brooklyn, NY 11206 June 1st - 3rd       Art for Progress (AFP) will host "Brooklyn Beat Music and Arts Festival" June 1st thru 3rd at The Paper Box in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The festival will coincide with Bushwick Open Studios, and will bring people together for a fabulous weekend of music, performance art, installations, fashion, and film. With a striking artist collective, AFP is bringing the best and brightest to the table for their first weekend-long interdisciplinary festival. With a diverse line-up of live music performances, DJs, performance art, film screenings, video and fashion installations, you won't want to miss this spectacular event! Live music acts include Apollo Heights, Comandante Zero, Lachi, Ze Luis Quartet, Push Method, Argotec, School of Thought, El Pueblo, Minnie and Aya, Redheadphone, Inky Glass and more. DJs include Brooklyn's own PUNCHES, Jeannie Hopper (Liquid Sound Lounge), Bruce Tantum (Time Out NY), Kervyn Mark (Melting Pot), Jimmy Sky, Bass Control (Ultra Music Festival), Gatto (AFP), Brett from Boundless, DJ Jago, and Sal Leone. Caridad Sola will curate provocative performance art throughout the space. Special guest John Henry Edington will be the MC and host for the weekend. Attendees will be reveling under the stars in the outdoor art garden while they soak up compelling video and art installations, a[...]

  • Artists 4 Equality

  • New York City 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, Art for Progress (AFP) will bring its support and celebration of equality during NYC's Gay Pride Weekend, with "Artists 4 Equality" June 28th through 30th, 4-11pm. The organization's second annual music and arts festival will take place at Solar One Park, located in Manhattan on the East River at 23rd Street. Featuring live bands, DJ's, performance and installation art, along with great food, beer and wine, it will be a top destination during NYC's Pride Weekend. Solar One Park is the perfect outdoor summer venue for the festival which will kick off on Friday evening June 28th. The opening night will feature live music performances from some of the most exciting emerging artists in NYC including the super talented Ellis Ashbrook, while Saturday's focus will shift to DJ and electronic music culture with DJ/Producer Hector Romero headlining the evening. On Sunday, NYC Cielo resident DJ/Producer Tedd Patterson will headline the night as both live music and DJ's share the stage. Cutting edge performance and installation art will be featured all three days as we turn the park into a virtual adult playground of art & music. Confirmed Artists: Hector Romero, Tedd Patterson, Ellis Ashbrook, Michael Alan, Kim Holleman, Idgy Dean, Andy Slate, Roxy Cottontail, Kevin Graves, Daniel Maldonado, Gatto, Lachi, Cat Del Buono, Tunacola, Berette Macaulay, Bass Control, Comandante Zero, Sindy Butz, Bonesugar, Caridad Sola, Atilla the Hun,[...]