vveerrgg's Last.fm Journal

Sound Off (dj Mix)

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:48:38 +0000

I can't even pretend anymore. I've got something to say and I'm saying with the music... Rolling through tracks and shaping the mood this mix is me letting off, sounding off, and getting it out there. Techno music is stark, it's raw, its' everything that is inside and inbetween the sounds.

Layer by layer, track by track... this mix is thick with the waves of music as I've always thought it should be. Fast moving, ghostlike beats that wash over and over and over....

Vergel Evans - Sound off (dj mix)
Download it at: http://soundcloud.com/vveerrgg/vergel-evans-sound-off-dj-mix

##. Artist - Track
01. James Ruskin - The Outsider
02. Gareth Duprey and Dimitri Pike - Untitled Audio#02 'Dimitri Pike Remix'
03. SHAMUS COGHLAN - GEMINI - XXX
04. Trentemoller - Killer Kat
05. Dan Curtin - Beat Fiend (Original)
06. Swayzak - serie2
07. Kiki - Good Voodoo (Kiki´s Live Edit)
08. Model 500 - No Ufo's (Remix)
09. Marcel Dettmann - Plain
10. Mark Broom - People (Nick Curly Remix)
11. Tevo Howard - Energia (BoogieDisco Mix)
12. Cybotron - Clear
13. Ian Pooley - Around Here (Original Mix)
14. Freq - Xirtam3
15. SHAMUS COGHLAN - Penetration
16. Frozen Border - b1 - untitled
17. Atlon Inc. - Silence
18. Dimitri Pike - Carnaval
19. Kyle Geiger - Identity Crisis (Original Mix)
20. Nathan Fake - Undoing the laces
21. Ricardo Villalobos - Logohitz
22. Jeff Mills - Gata
23. CS.DE - Reset
24. Reinhard Voigt - Tranceformation
25. M. Rahn - Confused Mass
26. Sei A - Chinese Whispers
27. Lindstrom - I Feel Space
28. Steve Stoll - Remember I Was Vapour
29. Vergel Evans - Omission
30. James Ruskin - Solution
31. Arthur Oskan - Flashback (Original Mix)
32. Robert Hood - Sleep Cycle
33. Edit Select - Bantu
34. Rick Wade - Intelligence
35. Jeff Mills - Gamma Player

New dj mix online - Persist

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 07:35:41 +0000

It's been one of those nites where I wanted to let lose on the decks... so I sparked up TraktorPro and had at it... at some point I was starting to feel that the decks were speaking through me.. so I hit record and landed this set.

Because in the end, that is part of how we keep at it. We just keep holding on.

Vergel Evans - Persist (dj set)
(http://soundcloud.com/vveerrgg/vergel-evans-persist-dj-mix)

##. Artist - Title
01. Model 500 - Huesca
02. FUNK D'VIOD - Diabla (Funk D'Void's Heavenly Mix)
03. Extrawelt - Soopertrack (Fino Attack Mix)
04. Orlando Voorn - Still (Exclusive Download Only)
05. Joris Voorn - A Thousand Lost Souls
06. Cari Lekebusch - Rulermeasure
07. Octave One - I Need Release
08. Claude Young - External Remix - Claude Young
09. Steve Rachmad - Caterpillar
10. Dimitri Pike - Nightlife R
11. Joris Voorn - Chase the Mouse
12. Detroit People Mover - Reconstruction
13. disx3 - Slaanesh
14. Blake Baxter - H-Factor
15. Takashi Watanabe - You
16. Marco Bailey - Muzika - Track 2
17. Joel Mull - ChonChon
18. Vergel Evans - Spyders
19. Marco Bailey & Tom Hades - Glides
20. Aril Brikha - Vision Remix - Aril Brikha
21. Robert Hood - Resurrection
22. X-Press 2 - Kill 100 (Carl Craig Remix)
23. Dimitri Pike - Asteroid
24. James Ruskin - Solution
25. Orlando Voorn - The Beholder (Mark O'Sullivan's DK7 Dub)
26. Umek - Longer Trail
27. Robert Hood - Obey
28. Patrick DSP - That Sound
29. Dimitri Pike - Increase
30. Marcel Dettmann - Sepia
31. SHAMUS COGHLAN - 5000 MILES
32. Paperclip People - Clear & Present
33. Gareth Duprey - The Ultimate
34. Mathew Jonson - Marionette
35. The Advent - C On (Stereo Jack Remix)
36. Nigil Caenaan - Wicked Things

New dj mix online - We Must Rise

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 05:25:18 +0000

New dj mix online - Under Overdrive

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:00:33 +0000

Vergel Evans presents: Under Overdrive (dj mix)
(http://soundcloud.com/vveerrgg/vergel-evans-under-overdrive-dj-mix)
Download or listen to it for free from SoundCloud.

It's been ages since I've actively got in-front of a mixer with the intent to do a dj mix, but over the last couple of weeks I've wanted to do nothing else... When I first started dj'ing in 1996 I was purely a vinyl fan. By the time I was able to manage 3 decks effectively I was burning through my records so fast, I hardly had enough time to pick the next track.

Now fast forwarding to today... with software like TraktorPro and dj interfaces like the VCI-100 or Xone:4d, it's possible to load, perform, and exit a song as quick as desired.... even better the maintenance of mixing 3 or more "decks" is easy when the hardware is a simple set of faders.

My goals with this mix was to build a set that had elements of all the styles of techno I really enjoy in a tight mix where every beat has a value. Taking some of my favorite songs and elements and twisting them into a layered and ever moving flow of rhythm and sound. A mix that felt like I was speaking through the music rather then just playing tracks.

The results are here online, and if you get this mix and like it... please share it.

The tracklisting is:
##. Artist - Title
01. Trig Calc Math - Antithesis
02. Robert Hood - Resurrection
03. X-Press 2 - Kill 100 (Carl Craig Remix)
04. Olivine - Close, Up, Over
05. Marco Bailey & Tom Hades - Glides
06. Orlando Voorn - the beholder (mark o’sullivan’s dk7 dub)
07. Omar-S - A-Victim
08. Claude Young - External Remix
09. Vergel Evans - Spyders
10. Joel Mull - ChonChon
11. Octave One - A World Divided (Jupiter II mix)
12. Marco Bailey - Muzika - Track 2
13. Umek - Complex Puzzle (Davis & May Freakside Flash Remix)
14. Takashi Watanabe - You
15. The Advent vs. Industrialyzer - Code Noir
16. Underground Resistance - Beauty of Decay
17. Landed Image - Apex riser
18. Detroit People Mover - Boucle Abstraite
19. The Strand - Intact
20. Arthur Oskan - Look Up
21. M. Rahn - Confused Mass
22. SHAMUS COGHLAN - TRUTH SERUM
23. Repair - Lines Drawn (Matt Thibideau Remix)
24. Luciano Esse & Toni D - Salsa
25. Henrik Schwarz - JIMIS
26. Aril Brikha - Vision Remix
27. Dimitri Pike - Bloggy Blues
28. Vergel Evans - One By Morning
29. Valentino Kanzyani & Tomy DeClerque - Mama Cocha (Valentino Kanzyani & Tomy DeClerque remix)
30. Mathew Jonson - Marionette
31. Steve Rachmad - Caterpillar
32. Hardcell & Grindvick - Plankton
33. Nigil Caenaan - Lost Souls

"If you like it, keep it bumpin; if not, just let it fade...."

Recording Environment: Macbook, TraktorPro 1.2, Xone:4d, headphones

Six ID3 tag hacks every artist should use

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:26:05 +0000

Every MP3 released to the internet should have these ID3 fields completed. If you are an artist actively releasing and promoting your music online, make sure you’ve included the following data:

1. Artist Name - This name should be the REAL artist name or alias. One that can be found online should an interested listener want to search for more content by this artist.
2. Song Name - The song NEEDS to have a name. How can a listener email their friend and tell them about the song if it doesn’t have a name? How can fans talk about their favorite songs. Today’s music is a song culture and this is an MP3, it’s a SONG; give it a name and let it live.
3. Genre - Don’t make up some unique and strange genre for your music. As much as it pains artists to be lumped in with the mainstream genre names use a recognized ID3 genre tag. This tag gives listeners a reference of what to expect when they hear the song. If nothing else, it’s a good way of keeping your unique sound part of a collection that the listener may throw on when the mood suits.
4. Comments - Add a link to your website, or other online presence. Bonus if you add in a Creative Commons status. Beyond those 2 key items, this field is where the promotions REALLY happen. Add a unique factoid or something if you’re feeling creative.
5. Year - As much as some people don’t like having their music appear dated. Music is an evolution and has a history. Add the year the song was released. It helps give listeners a context, on when it was made.
6. Artwork - As much as music is about the song, the artwork is what we all see when we look at our MP3 player. Add something… Make it interesting and it might even become memorable to the listener.

Why ID3 tag the MP3 file? Because music and MP3 files are becoming the main currency of attention all artists have in common. Its the ideal gateway to listeners and the easiest way to convert those listeners to fans. Even if you ignore the bulk of this post; every (artist released) MP3 file should have at minimum: Artist Name, Song Name, A comment with the URL of their website or other online presence.

Paying attention to this type of content monetization has a REAL value in raising the access and awareness an artist to fans and casual listeners. As listeners and fans collect more and more music, it is easy for a miss-tagged song to disappear into an MP3 collection. Filling out these ID3 fields allows listeners to easily search and organize the file within their own musical library.

originally posted on http://Lx7.ca

Album Review: I Love Summers on Jupiter

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:45:48 +0000

Not only is this album Summers On Jupiter worth the listen, it’s a great example of the evolution of techno music.

It contains some classic techno elements but also has a sound that is an evolution from some of their earlier releases. The release is well composed and has a great sense of continuity. Well designed, Summers on Jupiter has all the dynamics of a journey, and stands as a modern classic to some of the best albums that have come from detroit.

At times I feel it’s very European with tracks like ‘Here Comes The Push‘ and ‘One People, One Planet‘. Other times deeply emoting with tracks like ‘Xistence‘ and ‘Rachel’s Prayer‘. But as the album runs it’s course, it return to the machine music that Detroit techno was found in with ‘A World Divided‘, and of course, ‘I Need Release‘. Ann Saunderson has a beautiful voice and definitely gives the album a timeless and epic feeling.

Simply amazing; this what a well made release should be: other artists take note! Summers on Jupiter has all the lush and beautiful songs that make you smile and bop along… It also has a harder aggressive edge that techno needs. Over all the release has the natural feel of what one of their Live PAs would feel like, but polished and well composed and more personal.

As new release for 2009, I hope the rest of the year is full of more pleasant surprises from the 430 West label.

originally posted on http://Lx7.ca

Aaron-Carl releases his first FREE album

Wed, 7 Jan 2009 15:34:48 +0000

Two weeks ago Aaron-Carl wrote a facebook note saying he was ready to leave the music industry due to some distribution issues. Call it serendipity, but the tone of it inspired me to act and share some of the ideas I’ve written about on this blog. The results of a week of IM conversations and a couple of design ideas came together a solid 5 track release.

Electrevival is online and free to download (zip | torrent) from Aaron-Carl.com

What I like about this release is that it has everything a good release should have. A couple of older and newer tracks. A sound and style that is 100% true to the Aaron-Carl experience. And is a great introduction into the 15+ releases that his label, Wallshaker Music, has been dedicated to releasing.

I of course told him about Tunecore, and helped him setup a Wallshaker Music label page on Last.fm. Gave him a rundown on how to compare different online retail sites via their rank and traffic, and kept myself accessible to answer his questions.

The experience was great opportunity to share how we as artists need to participate in fostering a relationship with the people who enjoy our music. Instead of incriminating fans by making them steal music, we should give them music for free… music they can share with their friends without worry that they’re going to be punished.

This release is an introduction to his whole catalog for those who didn’t know it before this release. If they’re inspired, maybe they’ll source out the rest of the releases these tracks have been pulled from, and if not, atleast they got some new music to check out.

Providing a free release gives anyone an opportunity to discover and build a relationship with his music… the people who become fans are always welcome to purchase some of his other songs… or see him at a show… or become a fan of him here on Last.fm (Aaron-Carl) on facebook. The results of the release is that his music potentially gets to his fans and beyond.

Congrads to Aaron for taking the steps to get take control of his distribution and also providing his fans a free product to share forward. The future of the music industry is not so much how many songs are sold, but how easily those who crave the music are able to find it and engage with it.

originally posted on Lx7.ca

Bought, Borrowed or Stolen - my Top 10 albums of 2008

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:43:52 +0000

The List:
1. Black Devil Disco Club - 28 After
2. Jeff Mills - Blue Potential (Live with Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra)
3. Various Artists - The Kings of Techno (Compiled By Laurent Garnier & Carl Craig)
4. Various Artists - Ghostly Swim
5. Various Artists - Slash Bang Slash Bang
6. Italians Do It Better - after dark
7. Salsheevers - Eargasm Simulation
8. Luke Vibert - Chicago, Detroit, Redruth
9. Superpitcher - Here Comes Love
10. Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye The Rational:
Feeling inspired, I thought I’d drop a top 10 list of albums I’ve found myself gravitating to over and over this year. Now that blogs are the new record labels, it would only make sense to share some of the music I’ve listened to and found value in. Some of these might seem obvious, others not so…

A must get for 2008 is Black Devil Disco Club - 28 After, considering this was released in 1978, it’s a MUST HAVE on some of the best proto electronic dance music. Another that I rank as one of my favorites this year is a free download on Last.fm, Salsheevers - Eargasm Simulation EP. Both just as quirky, but awesome.

Having always been a fan of classical music, symphonic versions of techno songs would / should / and are just as incredible a listen as ever. Released in 2007, Jeff Mills - Blue Potential hits the mark. I missed out on picking it up till just recently and have been loving it ever since.

I’ve always been a fan of well put together various artists compilations, this year the list has no fewer the 4 on the list. Whenever I come across one that really ranks, I can’t help but buy into it. Well made, they set a journey and blend the familiar with the strange.

The Kings of Techno Compilation has a great mix of styles and genres… I like to think of it as my everyday compilation, any time any situation I can pick up a couple of those tunes to match my mood. The other Various Artist compilations are more focused to the mood. For working on the computer the free release by Ghostly Swim is hard to ignore. Not only is it a free download from the Ghostly site, it’s packed with great tunes.

The Slash Bang Slash Bang release is another varied collection of songs that I’ve enjoyed while shifting the pixels. I have to admit that I have a couple of tunes on there as well… so it’s no surprise it landed on my list. The Italians Do It Better - after dark Compilation is more of a fun nite in or navigating the transit system type of mix. I’ve always been a fan of the italo disco sound, and found this release a sweet find with so many sweet tracks on it.

Rounding out the list are 3 albums that I really enjoyed this year. Earlier in the year I’d downloaded the Superpitcher - Here Comes Love on a lark, but found myself really liking it. Added to that with all the press Junior Boys had this year, I found myself regularly hearing their songs and eventually was compelled to pick up the Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye album; surprisingly enough I really liked it.

With all the talk of Acid making a comeback, I found myself previewing and buying the latest offering by Luke Vibert - Chicago, Detroit, Redruth and really enjoying it. Lukes release definitely has all the qualities of that sound I love, but with a maturity that I haven’t heard before… I’ve since been lusting for an xOxbOx and wanting to get deeper into the sound.

Other then that, there is an atomic ton of music that has made it onto my iPod and into my ears; I’m always listening and lurking around for something interesting. Most of what I’ve enjoyed can be browsed via my Last.fm profile: vveerrgg. And since I’ve been slow to get back to my occasional album review, until next year, this is my list and I’m sticking to it.
originally posted on Lx7.ca

Tresor - Thoughts of the Performance

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:49:44 +0000

Making music is a pleasure for me… Sharing the music is a whole new experience. When Marcel Heese emailed me to confirm my requirements for this performance I had to keep thinking, “is this really going to happen.”

It all started when SHAMUS COGHLAN released his first vinyl on (807) Recordings. The sound on the Further EP was intense, oppressive, and inspiring. Inspiring enough to get Shamus to move to Berlin, and onward to Dresden. His inspiration is how I came to perform at Bonito House Club / New Faces - The Maple Leaf Edition.

Tresors’ history has always had a deep value to my relationship with techno. It’s a home away from the world. More then a brand, Tresor is a fixture in our music. Performing at Tresor… on anynite would be an honor in experiencing some of the same feelings that others before me have felt. Be it on the dancefloor, or behind the bars… Tresor has always marked itself as both a destination to experience, and a doorway to pass through.

The nite started humbly enough; drinks with Don (dee3), Dimitri Pike, Nilz, Chris (the Watcher), SHAMUS COGHLAN and myself. The plan had always been to catchup, us as techno soldiers and talk about life and the humanity of us as online and real life friends. Beyond that…. we would bounce over to Tresor…. I would setup early for a soundcheck…. and then we wait. Wait to see what the nite would become.

This destination had always been the 1st stop on the trip. It would be the mark of many firsts… First performance in Europe, first performance with a laptop…. first time to the new Tresor. This performance held a deeper meaning to me: To walk along this path…. the same path that so many artists I appreciate have walked before; to perform at Tresor.

This wasn’t about becoming a big breakout hit. Instead, I’d always felt this trip would be about crossing a line. The line between staying home, and getting out into the world; in believing in something so passionately that I’d felt compelled to follow through and share it out.

The pictures from the nite describe the nite better then I could in words. We came, we shared some time, and we performed… in the process I met a group of people and artists who are just like me. Living and loving this music called techno.

Being a Wednesday nite, the crowds weren’t too huge. Their energy wasn’t as intense as I would imagine some nites could be. But even on a wed.nite…. I felt like I was home with a community who get it like I get it.

My performance was fast,…. solid,…. some of it not quite as hard as the crowd would’ve wanted…. but I felt great with what I performed. It was an engaging event with ppl hooting and screaming to my crazy patterns and filtering. The gear did just as it should, perfectly… and in thinking about it. The whole event worked out just as it should’ve… it was about as perfect as it could’ve ever been.

Marcel was kind enough to bring his WMA recorder in to capture the nites performance: Live at Tresor (11/12/2008) (You can download it here.)

While the recording doesn’t capture the sound of the room, or the ppl shouting and wooping it up to the performance… listening to it, it’s pretty clear where everything lines up and REALLY hits.

Part of the challenges of this performance is that these are all songs that I’ve attempted to chain together. In the studio I would focus on each song rather then on the flow of songs and transitions. Because of that, at times it moves too quickly from track to track. I did edit out one bad sequence mixup at around the 11 min. mark, but didn’t try to mask the transition issues… it is what it is.

In the end, there’s alot to be said for those who can perform flawlessly. In the second half of the performance you can feel me getting more comfortable and doing what I do naturally. The Tournai performance came to me much more naturally. Glitches aside… I love the set… and the performance. It took all my skills to get it together and perform it as flawlessly as it came across.

Thank you to Dimitri for taking so many great pics, Shamus for planning the event, Marcel for vouching for us, and the Tresor staff for giving a techno fan like me a chance of a lifetime.
Originally posted on Lx7.ca

Dresden’s secret party scene!

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:50:23 +0000

Having landed on Saturday morning I had hoped to quickly adjust to the time zone shift and settle in quickly to get back to the music. I also I promised myself to video blog as much cool stuff as possible…

One of my day 0 adventures with Shamus was to visit and see what Patrick was up to. I had needed to catch some sleep and recover from the flight, but I also wanted to get a feel for what Dresden nightlife was all about. Little did I know for the treat I was in for….

Patrick suggested we check out the lineup for a special event he was performing at called Konsum-Boxx. The lineup had DJ Spunky, Gunjah and (performing Live) Henrik Schwarz as a headliner. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to see another artist perform we happily accepted a pair of free entry tickets.

Patrick (DJ Spunky) laid down a solid and impressive set. It was definitely something to behold….. his track selection and dj style really excited me. He played quite a few classic tracks, but also included quite a few new artists and songs. They collection of them together was just perfect. Great set indeed…. even better that he has posted it online to share.

For me, the surprise of the nite is Henrik Schwarz. With Patrick’s set having been so good I thought; ‘poor Henrik, having to go on after Patrick has set such a high benchmark with such a solid set.‘ I had no idea what was next… it was magical.

Great parties are surprises and usually not the events we expect them to be. Having visited enough events to know when it’s right… I knew this was something. Dresden has a scene that has very little attitude, and everybody dances. They did this nite, and just as Patrick set the room up…. Henrik locked everyone in!

His set was a fantastic continuation of techno and house…. it was incredible. Manic on his controller he broke his set down and built it up time and time again. The room whooped and shouted for more… Leaving the dance floor was not an option.

I captured some video of his show just to get some perspective on what was going on (clip 1, clip 2)… even after the fact it, it’s still fantastic. It wasn’t just the beer, or the energy of the nite… Henrik performed a set that was more then memorable, and brought the whole nite to a Legendary status IMHO.

Rounding out the nite was Gunjah who played a blend of techno minimal that settled the room and kept those who were interested dancing for more… If the rest of the Dresden scene has the same energy of event, it’s worth spending time learning and discovering it more. The Show-boxx might not have had their full venue opened up, but the room we were in was just the right size. Big enough to get 400 or so people in, but small enough to keep it intimate. Experiencing a full nite of great music has been an awesome kickoff to this weeks adventure….

Special thanks to Patrick for free entry, and to Shamus for suggesting we get out and see the city and local scene. originally posted on Lx7.ca