Laidback Luke responds to YouTuber who “became a professional DJ to prove that it’s easy”Laidback Luke has “critiqued” YouTuber Cody Ko’s video where he attempts to prove that becoming a pro DJ is easy.

READ MORE: New music platform Myvox lets artists licence and monetise their own AI voice models

In Ko’s original video, titled I became a professional DJ to prove that it’s easy, Ko jokes that because Shaquille O’Neal and Paris Hilton became DJs, he should be able to as well. Of course, Ko had the benefit of already having an established following, a good friend in renowned EDM act Dillon Francis, and the budget to splash out on high-end Pioneer DJ gear. It’s not a bad leg-up.
However, as Luke explains, it’s not that clear-cut. “I do know that Shaq started djing in 1998 so it’s always been there for him, and I know that Paris Hilton really, really loves EDM and dance music – but it’s interesting to think how it evolves.”
Ko later responded in another video that he made a mistake calling it “easy”.
“That’s the one thing I got really wrong about the video,” Cody Ko admits. “I didn’t do enough research into Shaq’s history with music and DJing. He’s been doing it for a long time, people really respect him. I used him as an example of someone that did something else and just transitioned to DJing, but I didn’t realise he’d been doing it for a long time and he has a long history in the music scene. That was kind of a fuck up on my part.”
“One of the biggest critiques I got from DJs about this video, is that it’s really not that easy for them to get gigs,” he continues. “Obviously if you’re someone that has a name you can just book a gig, and it was something I was trying to prove.
“I do understand the criticism of a budding DJ who is just trying to get booked and doing sets at random bars and parties and trying to build their name up that they would be pissed that I just call someone up and book a gig.”
You can watch the full video below:

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Reverb Machine DrumVerse R8 The R-8 is a late 80s drum machine that combined high quality 16-bit samples with a plenty of sound-editing options and human-like grooves; it went on to become the studio drum machine... Read More

How every musician can (and should) be part of Band Shirt Day 2023The second annual Band Shirt Day has been announced for Friday, September 15th, and every musician can participate in this global charity fundraising event which celebrates the iconic band t-shirt.. Continue reading
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“I get so inspired listening to his production”: AMAKA on working with Kaytranada on new EP OasisAMAKA has released her debut EP, Oasis, today (18 August). The release marks her first solo offering since she and her sister brought R&B duo, VanJess, to a close.
Oasis was solely produced by two-time Grammy-winning producer Kaytranada, who featured VanJess on his 2019 album, Bubba, for the track Taste. We caught up with AMAKA to find out more about the project, and her time working alongside Kaytra.

READ MORE: Kaytranada: “I want to be remembered as one of the greats in terms of producing”

The EP is touted as a “tropical dance soundtrack” for the summer. AMAKA says of the EP, “An oasis by definition is a place you find and this oasis is one we can all find together; a vibe, an energy and a place people can escape to and let the music takes them into feeling their most confident, free and thriving self.”
She continues, “I wrote these songs on the journey to finding that place within myself and I hope listening to Oasis brings people to it too.”
We ask how this solo EP differs from her previous work with her sister in VanJess, and also what it was like to work alongside Kaytranada.
How did you find your writing process different for your AMAKA project compared to VanJess? 
“My process hasn’t changed, I think I’ve just gotten better as a writer in general. I would say it’s become more expansive, simply due to now writing with just myself in mind and having the space to explore things I never have before.”
How do Kaytranada’s productions complement your sound as AMAKA and a vocalist? 
“Beautifully and in a way that pushes me forward, I get so inspired listening to his production in a way that just makes me write between.”
Is there anything you’ve learned about your own writing and performing process during the making of OASIS?
“I’ve learned that I shouldn’t doubt my own voice anymore. I’ve been able to discover how versatile I am and I just want to now keep getting better at executing the different sides of my voice.”
Stream Oasis below:
Your browser does not support iframes. 
 

AMAKA has been teasing Oasis since March 2023 with the release of the single of the same name. The track arrived two weeks after VanJess announced their split via Instagram, which has since been revamped into AMAKA’s page.
As VanJess, sisters Ivana and Jessica Nwokike (the latter now performing as AMAKA), achieved critical acclaim with 2018 album Silk Canvas and 2021 EP, Homegrown. Throughout their discography, they worked with iconic producers such as TOKiMONSTA, GoldLink, Channel Tres, MNEK and more.
Stream AMAKA’s Oasis on your favourite streaming platform.
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SXSW panels worth voting for from Bandsintown, Rock Paper Scissors, The Orchard & moreVoting for SXSW 2024 PanelPicker is coming to a close this Sunday, August 20, and we’ve put together an extensive list of panels worthy of your consideration. Anyone can register. Continue reading
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“At the end of the day, audio processing is much more important to me than the source”: Techno artist Levon Vincent weighs in on gearElectronic artist, producer and DJ Levon Vincent has argued that audio processing is “much more important” than the source when it comes to music-making.

READ MORE: J Lloyd says the horns on Jungle’s first album were him doing “mouth trumpet”

Discussing his creative process in a new interview with Music Radar, Vincent says he doesn’t have a preference for vintage or modern gear as he “never saw an advantage to one or the other”.
“A nice vintage synth with some tuning stuff going on can sound pretty good, but if you layer that with the punch of software it sounds ten times better,” he explains. “Then again, software alone sounds boring and clinical half the time.”
“The only thing I must have is at least one vintage synth from the Roland Juno series. I probably paid $200 for it back then and I also got a Roland 909 for $300 and a Yamaha DX7. I don’t even need a drum machine anymore and only have my converters because I couldn’t find a buyer.
“What I must replace though is my Chandler line mixer. Right now I’m going with a Neve 5067 and a JCF Audio converter. At the end of the day, audio processing is much more important to me than the source,” he says.
Also in the interview, Vincent reveals how he typically gets started on those Techno tracks of his, saying “If I’m at a DAW I love to work with drums first, but I’ll often just sit at a piano and write the tune before any computer is involved.”
“It depends on whether I want something melody-driven or drums-driven, and it’s best to have several different approaches because I’ll generally build a whole tune out of the first motive.”
He adds, “Everything goes through Reaper. That’s the big mama. I also opened LUNA recently and think I’ll experiment with that because I’m attracted by how luxurious it feels.”

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Endlesss announce Clubs online community Clubs is a new online chat-based space within Endlesss' music creation apps that has been designed specifically for musicians to co-create and publish their music

Jungkook now has 35.5m+ monthly listeners on Spotify – over half a million more than BTS.HYBE-signed K-Pop star had 35,578,104 monthly listeners on the music streaming platform as of August 18
Source

How to LEGITIMATELY get a song more streams [Chris Robley of CD Baby]Don’t waste your money and risk your reputation on bot farms and other scams, and learn how to boost your music streams legitimately. by CHRIS ROBLEY from CD Baby’s DIY. Continue reading
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Armin Van Buuren DJs atop Burj Khalifa, breaks two world recordsArmin van Buuren has broken two world records by performing a DJ set on the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai, the world’s tallest building.

READ MORE: “What do they do up there? Twiddle filter knobs and clap”: Deadmau5 says most DJs play pre-recorded sets at major festivals

The 40-minute DJ set took place on a balcony near the top of the 328-metre-tall building and consisted of the DJ, producer and label owner’s usual stadium-filling blend of electro-house and trance. A recording of the record-breaking set has been uploaded to YouTube, which you can watch below:

Armin Van Buuren’s elevating DJ set broke two world records: the highest performance atop the tallest building on the planet and the largest LED screen employed for a show. Oh yeah, we forgot to mention – the set was accompanied by mammoth audio-reactive visuals that spanned the length of the whole building.
The DJ set took place to promote the upcoming Middle East debut of UNTOLD — Dubai’s first mega festival, which will take place in February 2024. On the lineup is Alok, Alesso and Martin Garrix.
Talking of Martin Garrix, the Animals producer also has some experience in DJing on top of tall buildings. In October 2022, Garrix celebrated winning DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list by playing on top of the Empire State Building, becoming the first ever DJ to do so.
Neither DJ are the winner of the highest DJ set ever recorded on land, however. That feat went to Indian students Nosher Ali Khan, DJ Ghasuray, and Saad Ata Barcha, who played on the summit of the Pakistani mountain, Manglik Sar (6,050 meters) in 2021.
More cool DJ sets to have happened recently include a DJ set at Stone Henge and a set at the site of the Pyramids of Giza, both performed by Carl Cox. Nina Kraviz has delivered techno to fans on the Great Wall Of China and Paul Oakenfold once DJed at Mount Everest Base Camp.
Read more about UNTOLD festival via untold.com.
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Bertom Audio Releases FREE EQ Curve Analyzer v2.0.0
Bertom Audio releases the updated EQ Curve Analyzer v2.0.0, a freeware plugin analysis tool. Bertom Audio, if you don’t know them, are the developers of plugins like the Denoiser Classic and the Air Shelf dynamic EQ. Both of those plugins are available for free with a pay-what-you-want option, as is the topic of this post, [...]
View post: Bertom Audio Releases FREE EQ Curve Analyzer v2.0.0

Noisebud Square2 Square2 is an exceptional Equalizer/saturator that doesn't sound like anything else. With Square2 you will be able to dial in exactly the right amount of saturation and distortion to thicken,... Read More

House Of Marley launches sustainable Bamboo-made turntable, Stir It Up LuxHouse Of Marley, an eco-friendly music tech brand created in collaboration with the Marley family, has launched a sustainable wireless Bluetooth turntable called Stir It Up Lux.

READ MORE: Spin in style with this sweet Supreme x Technics turntable

The turntable is made out of sustainable materials, so you don’t have to feel like you’re damaging the planet while dancing to your favourite records. Don’t worry about a thing.
There’s a solid bamboo plinth, a solid glass platter, a replaceable Audio-Technica 95E elliptical stylus and recyclable aluminium headshell, and a double-sided cork slipmat.
House Of Marley’s own Regrind Silicone material also features in the turntable. This is built from silicone scraps, and often can be found in House Of Marley’s slipmats, speaker backings, and wireless charger bumpers.

It’s not all about materials, however, with the Stir It Up Lux. Regarding connectivity, you can traditionally play music via headphones or through speakers thanks to a switchable pre-amp with 3.5mm aux out and RCA (phono/line) out options. The turntable also supports Bluetooth v5.3, allowing you to pair wirelessly to nearby speakers.
When it comes to sound quality, the elliptical stylus has a narrow shape with a larger contact area than conical styluses, making for improved tracking and better sound.
House Of Marley doesn’t just make sustainable turntables. In July, it released new over-ear headphones called Positive Vibration. These are made using FSC-certified wood, recyclable aluminium, and the brand’s own REWIND fabric made from organic cotton, reclaimed hemp, and recycled PET.
Looking to make your turntable setup even better for the environment? In 2022, British tech startup elasticStage introduced “the world’s first on-demand vinyl manufacturer”, a process which involves a “patent-pending” method which requires less energy, and doesn’t require PVC or harmful chemicals.
Stir It Up Lux wireless Bluetooth turntable is available for $399. For more info, visit House Of Marley.
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Meet Snapbeat, a lo-fi sampler so simple it has just 11 buttonsLooking to enter the world of lo-fi sampling? Here’s a tiny piece of instrument that could get you started.

READ MORE: Aphex Twin’s new augmented reality app lets you enjoy the “festival experience” in your living room

Dubbed Snapbeat, this cute-looking retro-styled device allows you to sample in real-time via a 3.5mm audio input by pressing any of the keys. The unit features a simple numerical display, a control knob and eight independent sound channels that can play sound at the same time, though multiple keys input is not vaild. Only one pad can trigger its sound at once.
Users can also extract a specific part of their sampled sound such as a single drum shot just by specifying start and end address. Headphones and active speakers can be connected via headphone out and analog LINE OUT, and the unit uses a USB type C connector on the board for power supply (not included).
As creator Hiro Akihabara explains, the sounds on Snapbeat “are true Lo-fi”. The device uses a Nuvoton ISD1700 voice recorder chip commonly found in sound and voice toys. The chip records analog sound directly, without analog to digital conversion, which means that “although the sampling frequency bandwidth is narrow, the sound is smooth and live.”
Fans of customisation can even DIY their own SnapBeat case using a 3D printer as the hardware is completely open source. The keys on the unit are also compatible with popular Cherry MX keyboard switches so you can easily swap them out.
As of now, Snapbeat is available as a pre-soldered board kit at $140 or in its fully assembled form at $180 for early adopters. Prices for the device will rise to $160 after 25 August for the former and $200 after 31 August for the latter.
Check out the Snapbeat in action below.

Learn more at Snapbeat.
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Spin in style with this sweet Supreme x Technics turntableTechnics has teamed up with streetwear brand Supreme on a snazzy-looking limited edition SL-1200MK7 turntable arriving later this year.

READ MORE: “I don’t think people can tell” the difference between original and re-issued Prophet-10, says Jungle’s J Lloyd

The turntable was revealed as part of a preview of Supreme’s highly anticipated Fall/Winter 2023 collection. It features a coreless direct drive motor, vibration damping platter, 78RPM speed with wider pitch adjustment, and reverse play function, though users will have to get their own cartridge.
Available from 17 August, the limited edition SL-1200MK7 is decked out in Supreme’s iconic red-white colours, with a metallic Supreme badge on the unit’s body, as well as logos on both the slipmat and the included hingeless dust cover.
Other music-related products in the collection include Supreme/Maxwell cassette tapes, Bluetooth speakers in collaboration with Harman Kardon and Supreme/Koss PortaPro headphones.
In related news, Audio Technica has recently launched its battery-powered vinyl player, the Sound Burger, in three new colourways: black, white and yellow.
Priced at £199, the Sound Burger has a belt-drive system that can play 33-1/3 and 45 RPM records with a tonearm that “employs a dynamic balance system in which stylus pressure is applied through a spring”.
The new iteration of the Sound Burger (the original was released in the 80s) also features Bluetooth compatibility, with wireless play lasting up to 12 hours. It is charged via a USB-C in and a minijack instead of an RCA output.
Learn more at Supreme.
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