ARTIST: Deadmau5

TRACK/ALBUM: For Lack of A Better Name (Mixed Album)

RATING: (3/5)

This album is a compilation of Deadmau5’s original productions spanning the past two years and serves more as a showcase for his diversity as a producer than his skills as a dj.  Short cross fades and minimal overlays that can easily be done in a number of software programs these days, is less than impressive.  Especially given the potential for layering and EQ work with the more minimal percussive tracks, like “BOT”, later in the sequence.  Based on the technical mixing skills usually highlighted in a “mixed” cd, this seems like a bit of a misnomer.

The album does includes some of his popular electro house tracks like “Ghosts N’ Stuff” (featuring the vocals of Pendulum’s Rob Swire) and “Hi Friend” to get things moving towards the beginning.  But seems to flounder in the middle with the more minimal techy tracks that fail to resolve the conflict between the rhythmic shuffle and the sudden halt created by the breakdown of sweeping synth chords and arpeggiated crescendos to nowhere.  While his new releases contain some interesting ideas, the execution is somewhat lacking in terms of integrating them into a cohesive whole.  “Soma”’s deep bass and techy groove is hijacked by a piano interlude that feels out of place. “The 16th Hour” starts as a dark driving progressive trance track that is starkly contrasted by the uplifting melodic breakdown. Concluding the cd is “Strobe” that begins with an orchestral, cinematic introduction and builds to a more dance floor friendly, melodic track in his signature style.  Leaning more towards trance than the electro house, fans of his earlier work will still be pleased with this one!

For Lack of A Better Name (the mixed album) traverses several areas of the electronic music realm from the booty shakin’ club hits to the more introspective soundscapes, demonstrating his range as a producer.  And perhaps a glimpse into where he may be heading… film score by Deadmau5?

Erick Morillo interviewed Steve Angello, sent it our way to pass on to our readers, and is giving us 3 copies of Steve’s new double mix CD to give away to our US readers (sorry rest of the world we’ll try to make it up to you.) So drop us a comment and tell us where you’re writing from and we’ll do a drawing 24 hours from now for the 3 double packs. We’ve also got a audio player below the interview so you can preview the mixes.

Erick, take it away…

When you first started out did you wish you could be Erick Morillo?

Erick’s a big inspiration for a lot of DJ’s, you can see a little bit of him in everyone from David Guetta to us and to anybody. I think he’s a really big inspiration to house DJ’s.

At what point in your career did think ‘This is it, I’ve made it!’?

I still don’t think I’ve made it yet. There’s still so much more you can do and you can always achieve and accomplish more than what you’ve done. So I’m still waiting for that moment.

Tell me about your passions outside of music.

I’m definitely into cars and watches and food! I have 5 cars, 11 or 12 watches.

What’s the difference in your sound when you’re playing a stadium to when you’re playing an underground club?

When you play a stadium you can play the bigger music, you can drop the classics such as The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers and you can do boot-legs and mash ups. I think when you play clubs you can go a lot more intimate and sexy and more bass-line based, more so than you can do at festivals.

Describe the style of your set.

The style I like is to go up and down and left to right with the music and I just try and make the people enjoy themselves and I think the way to do that various from different clubs and different cities and different parts of the world. In South America you have a certain sound, the same goes for America. I think in Europe you have to be more picky because the dance music culture has been there for a much longer time so I think the crowds in Europe are more educated than other places.

What’s this thing with Pharrell? Why are the big Hip Hop stars looking to top European DJ’s all of a sudden?

I think America has recently seen just how good dance music is. There’s a lot of energy in it with a lot of people having a good time. Me and Sebastian worked with Pharrell, and I worked with him again after that and I think they are trying to explore new genres to get involved in because everybody gets bored of doing whatever they do. So as much as they come to us, we’d like to work with them because they give us something that we don’t have and vice-versa.

Who would be your ultimate pop/rock hook-up?

I don’t set goals on artists. Madonna would be an achievement but there’s so many big acts around that you just have to find the one that fits you rather than just going for the biggest ones.

What is it about the Subliminal sound that you’re so attracted to? What have they got right?

(more…)

Sorry we’ve been missing in action for a few weeks while we moved to a new webhost, but we’re back and we have some great things planned to the rest of 2009!

This great little Trance/Progressive Podcast has been growing and growing since its start a little over 2 years ago and now finds itself delivering some serious downloads for any DJ featured. Check em out, subscribe, and send em a mix.

TranceDesign.net

Here’s a recent mix from French DJ and producer Marc Leclair, a.k.a. Akufen. The set was recorded live at Soundstream @ Club Rogue in Dublin, Ireland a little over a week ago.

Download: DivShare [192kbps MP3, ~190 MB]

Philadelphia-based DJ & producer Diplo, known for his reworking of Peter Bjorn & John’s Young Folks provides an Essential Mix on UK’s BBC Radio 1. This mix features everything from hip-hop, electro, dancehall, rock, pop, and more packed into two hours.

Download: DivShare [192kbps MP3, 164 MB]

Tracklist:

Rich Boy – Throw Some D’s // Interscope
Nirvana – Drain You // Geffen
Baby Huey – Pop, Lock & Drop It // White label
Marc Houle – Bay of Figs (Ward 21 Mix) // M_Nus
DJ Tamiel – Bump Like This
Queen Feat. David Bowie – Under Pressure // WEA
Hollertronix – Betty // Money Studies Records
Eddie Money – Take Me Home Tonight (Be My Baby) // CBS
Soulja Boy – Crank Dat Superman // Interscope
Bat for Lashes – What’s a Girl to Do // Break
DJ Shadow – Organ Donor (Sandrinho Remix)
Diplo & Switch Feat. Beenie Man – Solta Frango
Mr. Vegas – Hot Fuk (Diplo Mix)
Enur Feat. Natasja – Calabria (2007 Mix) // Scorpio/Data
Spoon – Paper Tiger // Merge Records
Circle Children – Zulu // Strictly Rhythm
M.I.A. Feat. Akon – Boyz Remix (Hi Powered Boyz Get Down)
Boy 8 Bit – Suspense Is Killing Me // Trouble & Bass
KW Griff – Tony’s Back // Money Studies
A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario (White Label Mix) // White label
Nucleus – Jam On It (Gold Rocc Mix)
Nigga Say Wut – Hey Hey Hey
BooMan – Pick em Up
King Tut – Y’all Niggaz Aint Shit // Heavy Rock Music
KW Griff – Aint None Of Y all Safe // White label
Technics – Uh
KW Griff – Respect // Quiet Records
DJ Eli – In The Jungle
2 Bad Mice – Bombscare // Moving Shadow
Armand Van Heldan – You Dont Know Me (White Label Mix) // White label
Big City – Spanish Lesson // Spectra Records
Diplo – Work Is Never Over // Mad Decent
M.I.A – Bamboo Banger // XL Recordings
Sizzla – Bamboo Banger // Dubplate
DJ Blaqstarr – Supastarr // Mad Decent
Shai – If I Ever Fall in Love Again // Dubplate
Orbital – Halcyon // Rhino/WEA
LA Priest – Engine (Erol Alkan Remix) // Phantasy
Joakim – Drum Trax // Versatile
Chemical Brothers – Saturate // Virgin
M.A.N.D.Y. – Unknown (Tiefschwarz Mix)
TOK – Solid As A Rock // VP Records
Petter – Some Polyphony // Border Community
Rihanna – Umbrella (Vandalism Mix)
Justice – Phantom Part II (Soulwax Mix) // Ed Banger
The White Stripes – Little Cream Soda // XL Recordings
ZZT – Lower State Of Consciousness // Turbo
Kia Shine – Crispy // Chest Nut Records
Bart Simpson – Bartman (So Kripsy Mix)
Jay Dilla Feat. Guilty Simpson – Detroit To LA
Deuce Papi – Do It Again
Kanye West Feat. Young Jeezy – Cant Tell Me Nothin // Def Jam
Mr. Vegas – Lean Wit It (In The Streetz)
M.I.A. Feat. Bun B & Rich Boy – Paper Planes // XL Recordings
Schoolly-D – Gucci Time // Schoolly-D Records
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Rockers to Swallow // Interscope
Jellybean – Sidewalk Talk // EMI
Belle Stars – Iko Iko // Capitol Records
Scala & Kolacny Brothers – Heartbeats // PIAS
Simian Mobile Disco – I Still Believe // Wichita Recordings
The Pack – At The Club // Zomba
South Rakkas – Hotter Then Them (Mad Decent Mix)
Hurricane Chris – A Bay Bay // J US
Mad Cobra – AA (Kenny Meez Edit) // Black Shadow
Buju Banton – Crazy Talk // Black Shadow
Beenie Man – The Crime // System Records
Lil’ Wayne Feat. Mack Maine – I Know The Future // Universal
Bugle – What The Gonna Do // Daseca
Photo credit: Diplo at The Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow on June 29, 2007. Photo by James H. Cadden, via Flickr.

via: Filter27