The seeds of the label were first sown when Tommy, [...]]]> Melbourne’s CUE Recordings is about to unleash it’s fourth release upon the world… and a heavy release it is, featuring an all star line-up with tracks to suit every taste. I thought that it was about time that the Bassfreqs crew was brought up to speed on this rapidly emerging label and decided to catch up with owner Tom ‘Tommy Dub’ Whitlock for a little bit of an insight into CUE.

The seeds of the label were first sown when Tommy, together with friends Christopher Emerson and Max Jones, started a podcast in the UK with the intention of finding and promoting unsigned artists. They soon found that they could take things further, as Tom says, “Funnily enough it was Fred V, Grafix, Joe Syntax and Netsky that we found [through the podcast] so it’s fair to say we had pretty good radars”.

After receiving a VIP copy of Fred V’s ‘In My Head’ they set out to release it in mid 2010 and CUE Recordings was born. This was then followed up by releases from Grafix, Squash and now, moving into 2012, the Reflections EP. Although only featuring remixes of previous releases, don’t be fooled; this isn’t any normal substandard remix package. For CUE004 they have pulled out the big guns in the shape of Mutated Forms, Phetsta, Agent Alvin and Eastcolours.

When asked how the Reflections EP came about, Tom answers, “Luckily for us the inspiration came from the remixers! Mutated Forms expressed their enjoyment in Fred’s track so I asked them if they wanted to have a go. They were a huge inspiration to Fred and this was my way of thanking him for risking a release with us on our first attempt!”

Once Mutated Forms were on board CUE started on the the task of getting other producers involved. “The originals were good solid tracks and we wanted to get them remixed by guys I believed could handle that and stamp their own sound and direction,” Tom says. “Luckily they were all really keen and ended up taking the tracks further than I expected so it worked out brilliantly – apart from being in Australia and having some horrible time differences with Mutated Forms and Eastcolors haha”

However, when questioned about starting the label Tom admits that it’s not all been roses. “I am not afraid to admit we owe a lot of our exposure to the amazing rise and success of Fred V and Grafix, but am always quick to remind people that it brought a very inexperienced label owner a lot of hard work and lessons to learn whilst trying to keep the momentum going at the same time!

“We made some mistakes, learnt a lot about the industry and are working really hard on trying to make this small amount of success turn into a foundation for something to be proud of in years to come – I’ll let you judge from here on!”

Even though the Reflections EP has only just dropped, the CUE boys already have another new release lined up for later in the year, this time by London’s Koncept. Alongside this, Tom also says he’s signed tracks by a number of relatively unknown artists with the hope of exposing them and launching some more promising dnb careers.

“At some stage this year it would be great to build a base and a family” he says. “Fred V and Grafix rightfully moved onto bigger and better things with Hospital and Squash plays drums in a band that just hit the big time so this year. I would really like to get together some of the up and coming generation and really try to build a little CUE army to help not only build the label but also the future success for them as individuals.”

There are big things happening in Melbourne!

The Reflections EP was released on January 30th 2012 and is now available to buy on vinyl and digital download from all good retailers.

Break presents Symmetry Podcast 001 by Symmetry-Recordings

More good news for the industry is that for the first time in 10 years, sales have come out of decline.. The industry still sells only half the number of units they were moving at the turn of the millenium, but you can probably blame the [...]]]> The new year has marked another nail in the coffin for CD & Vinyl music sales, as figures released this week in the US showed digital finally pushed ahead of physical sales, making up just over 50% of all music sold in 2011.

More good news for the industry is that for the first time in 10 years, sales have come out of decline.. The industry still sells only half the number of units they were moving at the turn of the millenium, but you can probably blame the major players resisting the move to mp3 distribution until quite recently.

Even though vinyl sales have continued to increase in popularity, they’re still a niche product limited to DJ’s and hipsters & make up fuck all of the overall market… 

As subscription services such as spotify & zune continue to push the industry into new territory, album sales are becoming a less relevant measure of commercial success.

David Bowie might be a crackpot, but he wasn’t far off when back in 2000 he said:

Music itself is going to become like running water or electricity. So it’s like, just take advantage of these last few years because none of this is ever going to happen again. You’d better be prepared for doing a lot of touring because that’s really the only unique situation that’s going to be left. It’s terribly exciting. But on the other hand it doesn’t matter if you think it’s exciting or not; it’s what’s going to happen.

Peats Ridge 2011 has officially kicked off, so unless you’re reading this on your mobile – it’s fair to say that you didn’t make the trip  up… but this is 2011, and thanks to that magical series of tubes we can all share in the experience via the YouTube live stream!

That’s right.. you can watch the festival between now and the 1st of January from the comfort your couch (or toilet), without some dirty hippy getting his dreads getting all up [...]]]>

Peats Ridge 2011 has officially kicked off, so unless you’re reading this on your mobile – it’s fair to say that you didn’t make the trip  up… but this is 2011, and thanks to that magical series of tubes we can all share in the experience via the YouTube live stream!

That’s right.. you can watch the festival between now and the 1st of January from the comfort your couch (or toilet), without some dirty hippy getting his dreads getting all up in your shit….

By all reports, this is a first for an Australian music festival – hopefully we’ll see more local festivals follow suit soon…

Click here to check it out!

In recent years, the popularity of burlesque has skyrocketed in Sydney & Australia – largely from the likes of Dita Von Tesse and Cher / Christina Agulera with their movie of a similar title.

Burlectricity has put it’s own unique twist on the phenomena by bringing in live reggae, hip hop, dub & electronica acts along with techno, minimal, deep house, drum & bass and dubstep DJ’s instead of the usual rockabilly bands you’d normally find [...]]]>

In recent years, the popularity of burlesque has skyrocketed in Sydney & Australia – largely from the likes of Dita Von Tesse and Cher / Christina Agulera with their movie of a similar title.

Burlectricity has put it’s own unique twist on the phenomena by bringing in live reggae, hip hop, dub & electronica acts along with techno, minimal, deep house, drum & bass and dubstep DJ’s instead of the usual rockabilly bands you’d normally find at these kind of nights.

Burlectricity’s debut back in September was covered in the Sydney Morning Herald (photos here). This instalment is taking place at Valve Bar (900 Princess Hwy, Tempe) & has grown to include a BBQ, market stalls in the afternoon along with multiple stages / sound systems running into the evening. You’ll also find some familiar names & faces from Bassfreqs on support!

Warm up for your Christmast weekend & check out what’s on offer.

Burlesque performances from:
BUNNI LAMBADA

Bunni Lambada is a dancer, showgirl, Pin Up Model (Vargas style) and a (self confessed) very ditzy blonde. She was recently crowned Miss Perfect Pin Up NSW in the State Finals of Miss Pin Up NSW.
In January 2011, she was crowned both Miss Perfect Pin Up Australia AND MISS PIN UP AUSTRALIA 2011 at the National Finals of Miss Pin Up Australia Competition.

She performs many different routines on pole, en pointe and can also play a range of musical instruments.

EVIE VA VOOM

Evie Va Voom burst onto the Australian burlesque scene in early 2010 with her pocket rocket persona exploding all over stages and into audience’s hearts.

A love for the stage and a sucker for a storyline means she has taken the best from traditional bump and grind and raw Aussie neo burlesque and created her own brand of cheeky tease. With a soft spot for pop culture and tongue in cheek parody, you’ll no doubt recognise more than a few of the cheeky characters she has in her repertoire!


MEMPHIS MAE

Think retro rock goddess meets 1950’s Stepford wife and you’ll only just begin to scrape the surface of what Memphis Mae has to offer.

Inspired by all things glamour Memphis’s performances are anything but traditional, so those looking for that same old Burlesque experience shouldn’t even bother turning up because this is one girl who doesn’t like to disappoint.

Sensual, sexy and satisfyingly good, her performances are like an orgasm, only better.

Live music from:
THE STRIDES (AFROBEAT/REGGAE/HIP HOP)
FAIT ACCOMPLI (PUNK/SOUL)
XANTHOPAN (LIVE ELECTRO)

Plus DJs – SAKURA+MAD COW+HIGHLYDUBIOUS

FREE SHUTTLE BUS FROM NEWTOWN STATION

Presale tickets are available here, or pay more on the door.

Check the event page here for more info.

But he’s not done yet. He’s planning on raising the bar & smashing the existing record by two days, taking his total set time to 1 week!

If you’re [...]]]> Smokin’ Joe Mekheal, the man who’s relentless positivity & enthusiasm has won over so many Sydney punters, can now also call himself a Guinness World Record holder… surpassing the old record of 121 hours last night (December 21st) around 9:30 pm in front of a huge crowd at The Empire hotel in King’s Cross.

But he’s not done yet. He’s planning on raising the bar & smashing the existing record by two days, taking his total set time to 1 week!

If you’re in town and haven’t stopped by to show some support, then now is the time – but for those who can’t make it, you can always watch the live stream at the URL below & talk to him on his Twitter & Facebook pages.

 http://www.mydjspace.com/Music-News/World-Record-DJ-Set.html

Of course, we’ll have to wait for Guinness to confirm before we can call it an official “World Record” but it’s definitely looking promising.

UPDATE

The longest DJ set in the world has come to an end – Smokin Joe has this morning decided to stop playing in an effort to avoid permanent hearing damage, after the ringing in his ears became painful.

You can read all about it over on his Facebook page.

Congratulations Smokin’ Joe! #WOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Grab a copy of this amazing release here: http://shop.hospitalrecords.com/product/medic26

Going back-to-back, Helmore and Beans went completely and utterly mental with their track selection (Joker into The Bug into Emalkay, anyone?). Not to rely merely on scene favourites [...]]]> Stepping up to the decks alongside London Elektricity for his third round at Bass Drop were festival favourite Blokhe4d and neurosurgeon Icicle. In what seems to have been an attempt to please all sectors of the Sydney bass music scene, Pete Mac and Low Society hosted a thoroughly enjoyable night at the Arthouse.

Going back-to-back, Helmore and Beans went completely and utterly mental with their track selection (Joker into The Bug into Emalkay, anyone?). Not to rely merely on scene favourites though, the duo added some 808s and breakbeats to the mix, evidently making things a little more frenetic than the next DJ, Shredexx, had anticipated so early in the night.

Pulling the atmosphere back a bit, Shredexx laid down the groundwork for his set in the first 15 minutes with some lurching rhythms and grinding bass. This eyesdown interlude wasn’t to last long though, as he threw in some stomping tribal business and a Skream classic.

The main room bore a markedly different atmosphere, with eye-melting strobe lights and a menagerie of costumed Hospital fans. Royalston’s IDM-inflected drum & bass clicked and buzzed away, with a cheeky oldschool tune thrown in for good measure.

In his signature style of grim halfstep, Boot  showcased plenty of local talent, inspired by the likes of Youngsta and Black Box.

Much like his production, Icicle’s DJing is nuanced and dynamic. One of the most memorable blends of the night was a sneaky one, bringing LX One’s “You” steadily up through the mix, the drop catching the crowd completely off-guard. Indeed, it’s sets like this one that show an impressive depth of knowledge and cohesion.

Meanwhile, London Elektricity was playing the mother of all party sets in the main room. Featuring plenty of new Hospital releases and crowd-pleasing pop remixes, it’s unlikely that the Arthouse will have its walls shaken so hard again until Bass Drop next year. Personally, I found myself completely underwhelmed by London Elek’s track selection, however there’s little argument to be had with a guy that clearly excites the imagination of so many people. It’s almost as if he’s become the Pied Piper of drum & bass, drawing people together from all over to a genre of music that they may never have otherwise engaged with.

Hearty congratulations are in order to Pete Mac and Low Society for successfully hosting an event of this magnitude. I eagerly await round four!

2011-10-29

The night saw a number of very talented DJs take part and although “fix!” was called by certain members of the audience the judges had no choice but to award the prize to Bassdrop resident Linken. Throughout his set he displayed a level of skill and confidence on the [...]]]> For anyone that hasn’t heard the final of the NSW leg of the Homegrown Freqs drum & bass DJ competition was held a couple of weeks ago at the Oxford Art Factory.

The night saw a number of very talented DJs take part and although “fix!” was called by certain members of the audience the judges had no choice but to award the prize to Bassdrop resident Linken. Throughout his set he displayed a level of skill and confidence on the decks, repeatedly layering three tunes seamlessly in the mix with ease, that meant that as much as the judges tried he could not be marked down. Linken took $320 away with him to fund his trip to the final in Melbourne on November 19th.

Second place went to DJ Axe, a little known DJ who played two incredibly well crafted sets throughout the night. Axe will play a support set at Bassdrop’s next event at the Arthouse Hotel on 29th October which features London Elektricity, Icicle & Blokhe4d.

The top 4 places on the night went to:

1. Linken

2. DJ Axe

3. LSDJ

4. Vibrasoul

Bassfreqs wishes Linken the best of luck at the national final in Melbourne!

“He was a young Jamaican American and he just wanted to throw a party. His uncle had given him the best sound system in the neighborhood, yet he had no venue to play at and he was broke. What Kool Herc chose to do could have [...]]]>

A tribute to one of hip hop’s pioneers, by one of today’s most influential artists – A Guy Called Gerald. The mix comes accompanied with this quote about the great Kool Herc.

“He was a young Jamaican American and he just wanted to throw a party. His uncle had given him the best sound system in the neighborhood, yet he had no venue to play at and he was broke. What Kool Herc chose to do could have been done anywhere, but because it happened in New York, he forever changed the world.

Kool Herc brought the party to the people and set up his sound in the streets.”

This mix isn’t available to download, so you’ll have to make do with the stream… lets’ hope it stays online for some time to come!

http://www.guycalledgerald.com/