Grandmaster Flash used to switch labels on records so other DJs wouldn’t copy his drum breaksDJ and producer Grandmaster Flash has shared the secret hack that he used to prevent other DJs from copying his drum breaks.
Flash became known for his Quick Mix Theory technique, where he elongated drum breaks through the use of duplicate copies of vinyl.

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In a new interview with Music News, the prestigious DJ (who also invented the slipmat) explains how he used a secret hack to prevent people from copying his work: “The way I would look for a break on a record is I would buy one copy and I would put it up with a light. And the area where it was the most shiniest was where the least band members was playing,” he explains.
“Now, if there wasn’t a turntable in a record shop, I would look at that, I’d go and I’d say, this is probably a drum break because this area of this composition is shiny. And I would buy two of these and I would take it home. And the shit might be someone on a violin. Them shits was called my stiffs.
“So I had crates and crates of stiffs. So what I would do is, for example, Take Me to the Mardi Gras, I would take two stiffs that I couldn’t return back because once you break the shrink wrap, you bought it. And I would soak the two copies of the stiffs in a bathtub and then sink and then put Take Me to the Mardi Gras in the bathtub until the labels came off. And what I would do is switch the labels on it, so if there was a person from another DJ crew that was trying to see what I was playing, the label was wrong,” he shares.

The DJ went on to explain how his secret gave him “big laughs” over the years, “They like, ‘Flash, we let the record play, we cleaned our house, and we just let the whole shit play from side A to side B, we never found it.’ It’s because I switched the label.
“So I mean, it was somewhat of a secrecy. Now, I don’t mind letting the secrets out now. But that was part of the fun. If I didn’t want to scratch it out, I knew there were spies from other DJ crews that wanted to know what I was playing,” he concludes.
Keep up to date with the latest news from Grandmaster Flash via his official website.
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Sample Logic Animation Station 2.0 The latest version of Sample Logic's MIDI sequencer and arpeggiator introduces more versatile pattern switching, a reworked modulation system, improved transposition and more.

“You know it’s gonna make better songs than you. It’s Super Mario Bros. right now – we ain’t even got to Call of Duty yet”: will.i.am on the future of AI in musicThe subject of AI is virtually inescapable these days, and it’s becoming an increasingly prevalent topic of debate in the music world.
Producers and artists far and wide have offered their opinions on the emerging tech, with David Guetta casting an optimistic view on whether it will lead to the surpassing of human musicians: “If you have terrible taste, your music is still gonna be terrible, even with AI”.
Elsewhere, gear reviewer Cucko recently said artificial intelligence is a “reminder of how important it is to take your artistry seriously”.

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Now, Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am has offered his opinion, reminding people that as incredible as the tech might seem now, it’s still only in its infancy.
“If you’re a marketer, if you’re an artist that works for a brand, if you’re an agency that works for brands – this technology is gonna give super creatives agency,” he says in a new conversation on the Diary of a CEO podcast. “So why do they need agencies?”
“Just the vast transformation – and for hyper creatives, now they just need a new tool to help them birth stuff. It’s a new renaissance.
“It’s the ultimate dream if you’re preparing. A section of the world whose problems have always been ignored [can] now go out and solve those problems with this tool.”
He continues: “Are you using this tool to make songs? You know it’s gonna make better songs than you. It’s Pac-Man right now, we ain’t even got to Halo. We’re in freakin’ Super Mario Bros., we ain’t even got to Call of Duty yet. This thing’s gonna make better songs than you soon, bro.”

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“Fix it. Everybody else is doing it”: Mac DeMarco calls on Spotify to add hi-def streaming optionMac DeMarco has praised Spotify for being “so easy” to use, but has called on the streaming giant to hurry up and add a high-definition playback option.
Those who keep up to date with Spotify will know that its Hi-Fi “supremium” plan was announced in 2021, but is still yet to arrive.

READ MORE: Mac DeMarco questions industry-standard 44.1kHz mastering: “I haven’t bought a CD since I was a teenager”

In a new interview with NME, DeMarco shares that he is a new user of Spotify: “I never did Spotify, no streaming service. I used YouTube until like two years ago. I got a new truck, and I wanted to be able to use Siri to play the music; [the] only way to do that was to get Spotify. And I was like ‘Okay, I’ll get Spotify’, after all these years.”
He adds, “I mean here’s the thing, all the artists say they don’t like it ‘cause of the pay scale and I understand that, I’m probably in the same boat, whatever. But my god, it’s amazing.
“It teaches you, you know? It’s so easy. I’ve never really used something like that but when you start using something like that and you come from a world of not having that before it’s kind of like, ‘Why don’t we just chuck it all on there?’.”
DeMarco goes on to call on the platform to add a hi-def option for playback: “And the other thing that I find really interesting is, well, Spotify is really funny ‘cause it’s still like standard-definition. They don’t really have a high-def option, which is stupid, and if anybody from the team sees this, what are you doing? What’s wrong with you? Fix it. Everybody else is doing it, just do it. What’s wrong with you?”

It was reported back in June that Spotify’s Supremium could be arriving anytime within the coming months, as it is speculated that the new tier should arrive this year. This new option will bring CD-quality audio listening and further audiobook access to users for a higher monthly fee.
Elsewhere, the streaming giant has now rolled out its DJ beta across 50 global markets.
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First-generation iPod sells for $29,000A first-generation iPod bought in 2001 as a Christmas gift has been sold for $29,000 (approximately £22,750).
The iPod, sold on August 4 via Rally Alternative Asset Investment platform, was originally purchased by the parents of a teenager at an Apple store in Plano, Texas for $399. Its sky-high price now is commanded, in part, by the fact it remains in its original packaging.

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“He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with it, so he put it on a shelf, and then, inevitably, time passed,” explains Rally co-founder Rob Petrozzo.
He adds that the owner found the iPod in the original blue Apple bag while cleaning out his childhood home after the passing of his father. “It truly is a time capsule,” says.
Rally, the platform which hosted the sale, allows investors to own shares in collectible assets in an NFT-style framework.
Per NME, ownership of the iPod was originally split into 5,000 shares each valued at $5 through an LLC, but a private collector unexpectedly acquired all 5,000 shares and secured exclusive possession of the iPod.
Last year, Apple officially discontinued the iPod after more than 20 years. At the time, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak said: “Today, the spirit of iPod lives on. We’ve integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV.
“And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio — there’s no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music.”
Legacy Apple products regularly command high resale prices. Just last month, an original factory-sealed 2007 4GB iPhone was sold for a record-breaking $200,000.
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Ticket scalpers fund major groups claiming to serve fansThe Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights Coalition is a collective of “consumer advocacy groups” that claims to “fight for your rights as a fan.” But in truth, it’s made up. Continue reading
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Bandcamp adds free Listening PartiesBandcamp has added free Listening Parties as a new way to market releases and celebrate milestones. A simple scheduling tool sets up the party, then at showtime, the album plays. Continue reading
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Stelios Vassiloudis on the “crazy Reaktor patches” and free plugins he used on ‘Human Damage Human’Hailing from Athens, Greece, Stelios Vassiloudis is a mainstay on John Digweed’s legendary Bedrock label and an audio aficionado. With a degree in acoustical engineering and a master’s in composition, the electronic music producer isn’t afraid to explore new sonic territories – his latest album, Human Damage Human, is a strong testament to that.

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Pivoting away from the dancefloor, Stelios’ album transports you to the 90s in trip-hop tracks such as Kaizen and Failure Of Imagination, and places you into deep introspective spaces in Heat and Stay Calm. The 12-track opus is rife with clever sound design and sees three features from Alex Avdis, former vocalist for London metalcore band, The Defiled, who brings a distinct, industrial edge to the album.

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Stelios’ vast palette on the album might have you imagining him in a studio packed with samplers, instruments and synthesizers. Guess again. Much of his work is created on a laptop and a guitar, with software like Native Instruments Guitar Rig and Reaktor proving essential in his workflow – plus a few handy free plugins that give him a damaged, lo-fi sound – perfect for an album like Human Damage Human.

Stelios Vassiloudis. Image: Stelios VassiloudisHey Stelios. We’re loving your new album, Human Damage Human – serious trip-hop vibes. How did you get into music production?
I come from a rock background so I spent most of my early musical years dabbling with pedals, preamps, racks etc. By the time I got into electronic music, a lot of the recording and programming was being done in the box and was the antithesis to the cumbersome patchwork and imprecision (both of which, it turns out can be great things) of hardware. From that point on, and as computing power became increasingly powerful (I’ve been making music on my laptop recently), I just continued along the same path.
What’s your latest plugin purchase?
Native Instruments’ Playbox was probably the last thing I purchased. To be honest, it was an impulse buy because I was really, really impressed with the promotional video they did for it. It seemed like (and is) such a fun and creative little jam tool. The presets are really cool and the randomiser function yields crazy results.
Stelios’ plugins. Image: Stelios Vassiloudis
What’s the best free plugin you own?
There’s this amazing company/record label called Puremagnetik and one of its free plugins is Driftmaker, which is a disintegration-type delay. I run a lot of one-shots or chopped elements through it and record multiple takes (the results can be crazy and unpredictable). A lot of the lo-fi sounding, glitchy elements on the album come from hours of experimenting and recording with it.
What’s the best value plugin you own?
Waves OneKnob Filter! I’ve owned – and used – it forever. I love its interface and simplicity, not to mention its sound. I probably use it too much but I just find it to be so smooth and easy to program.
Stelios Vassiloudis. Image: Stelios Vassiloudis
What’s a DAW stock plugin you use all the time?
Apple Logic Pro’s compressor still does the business for me; great interface, easy to understand and dial in. I haven’t compared it to a great deal of third-party versions to be perfectly honest but I’ll say it works wonders for me when dealing with low-end in my dancefloor-oriented tracks but also when trying to shape and craft some of my more floaty, ambient sounds.
What plugins go on your master bus without fail?
The last stage of production for me is the mixdown – I don’t touch mastering with a ten-foot pole! As for the engineering and mixdown phase, I’ve always got a Logic multimeter open, iZotope’s Tonal Balance Control and a Lindell Audio PEX-500 by Plugin Alliance.
Stelios Vassiloudis. Image: Stelios Vassiloudis
What plugin would the album would be incomplete without?
Probably NI’s Guitar Rig. You might not be able to tell, but there’s a lot of guitar on there and, as I recorded the tracks over a long period of time and in different locations, It wasn’t always convenient to mic up a 2×12 cabinet (as I used to).
Where do you source your drums from? How do you create beats?
It depends on the track. Sometimes, I’ll get jamming on something like NI’s Battery or Maschine (more than I’d like to admit, actually). Other times I sample and chop loops the old-fashioned way. On occasion, I’ve even mic’d and played my own drums. It really does depend on the circumstance as the music I make varies from ambient downtempo to drum n bass!
Stelios Vassiloudis. Image: Stelios Vassiloudis
Do you have any secret sauce plugins?
This is probably going to sound lame but I think I probably use Soundtoys’ Decapitator way too much. I love the transients and harmonics you get from overdriving stuff – particularly when you make stuff do things they’re not really supposed to. A lot of my one shots or transitions SFX come from these happy accidents.
What about a guilty pleasure plugin?
Definitely this crazy Reaktor patch I discovered on one of the obscure NI message boards. I’m not going to name it, for fear of someone stealing it (sorry!) but it combines a crazy LFO, delay, filtering, pitching etc. It’s quite unpredictable and a bit unstable but the presets are great and, if you’re patient, can yield some amazing results.
What do you use without fully understanding?
More than I care to admit!
Find more about Stelios’ work on his website.
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Everything you need to know about the YouTube algorithmJust about every social media platform has some sort of user centric content algorithm that has the potential to bring your music to the screens of new fans. by Philip. Continue reading
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Spotify DJ beta has been rolled out globallySpotify’s AI-powered DJ feature has now been rolled out globally across 50 markets.
The beta DJ curates an ever flowing playlist of tunes using Spotify’s personalisation tech, along with OpenAI, the company known for creating ChatGPT.

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The beta DJ was first launched in English back in February for Spotify Premium users across the US and Canada, before making its way to the UK and Ireland in May. Though it is now available on a much larger scale, the DJ tool will still only operate in the English language for the time being.
Spotify DJ is now available for premium subscribers in countries such as Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, and South Africa in its beta phase.
If you haven’t already caught how it works, here’s a summary: Spotify DJ will curate your music lineup for you, and will also offer commentary on whatever’s playing in a “stunningly realistic voice” for that real, on demand DJ feel.
The feature also refreshes the lineup based on its user feedback, and doesn’t take offence if you ask for a skip. You can move on to the next artist, genre, or mood with the tap of a button, and the DJ will learn about your preferences from this. The more you listen and tell the DJ what you like or don’t like, the better its recommendations should get.

“We put this in the hands of our music editors to provide you with insightful facts about the music, artists, or genres you’re listening to,” Spotify said in a statement back at its launch. “With this generative AI tooling, our editors are able to scale their innate knowledge in ways never before possible.”
According to Spotify, the DJ’s voice was modelled after the company’s head of cultural partnerships, Xavier “X” Jernigan, who hosted the service’s first morning show The Get Up.
You can locate Spotify DJ in your app now if you are a premium subscriber via the Music Feed, or simply use the search tool.
Find out more at Spotify’s Newsroom.
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Zayne Vaporwave Synth Aesthetic plugin by Zayne and Team Entropy. YouTube/rUk8Fok9KO4 Read More

Dance Music Record Labels Do It DifferentlyAri is joined by Deron Delgado, Label Manager at DIRTYBIRD, and Sam Sciarra, the Head of A&R and Brand Director for Higher Ground.

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