It's all about me

Wednesday 20 October 2010

OhMaGaaaaaaD !


So I'm missing what for me, would be a BRILLIANT line up of electro / house / pop / dance music this Saturday....

Starsmith's single launch party for the first single 'Give Me A Break / Knuckleduster' off his up-coming debut album, in Hoxton, London will feature the hottest pop song writer, producer & remixer of the moment himself (Kylie, Ellie Goulding, Katie Perry, Lady Gaga, Timbaland, N.E.R.D to name but a few of the people he's worked with) together with some of my favourite electro pop producers / remixers Russ Chimes, Alan Braxe & In Flagranti.

Here are some little known facts :

Starsmith - has a degree in Classical Music majoring in playing the Saxophone.

Alan Braxe - is one half of Stardust who came out with the chart topping track 'Music Sounds Better With You'

Russ Chimes - Despite the numerous remixes he has done for high profile artists, Russ still does not have his own profile listed on Wikipedia!

In Flagranti - is actually an adjective used to describe being caught in the act of a misdeed Eg. If one is caught in the act of having an affair, you could say : She was in flagranti with her doctor.

For those of you lucky enough to be in London this weekend, you can find details to the gig here

(In case he's reading this :

Dear Mr Starsmith,

Please would you consider producing my next album or just one of your signature remixes of one of my tracks will do.

TQ.

M x )

Tuesday 19 October 2010

Willow's OFFICIAL MTV for 'Whip My Hair' is out!



Waddya reckon?

I reckon it's soon time we enrolled Mikayla to singing and dance skool.....

As Nicole Ritchie tweeted today - Willow Smith has just made anyone over the age of 9 IRRELEVANT

Thursday 14 October 2010

Magnetic Man

What do you get when you put three boys from Croydon together and throw in a smidgen of dubstep? Why of course, you get...
Yes, Benga, Skream & Artwork, three experienced dubstep boys from down South have formed what is tipped to be the 'Super-group' of dubstep. After hearing the album (which is rated pretty high on the UK iTunes chart) I must admit it is a far cry from the niche underground dubstep sound that was barely heard outside of London for the longest time (nearly ten years ago)

Dubstep itself is a select 'vibe' born out of the sounds of UK Garage, 2-Step and a passion for Jamaican dub plates and over the last few years has created a distinctive presence in the global dance electronic music scene. We even have a dubstep scene here in Malaysia (albeit small). Check out a Malaysian Dubstep collective made up of three lads MH, Reza & Tubby, better known as Bud Culture here or you can join their facebook group here - these lads work hard to keep the Dubstep vibe alive in KL City and beyond by throwing exclusive dubstep parties.

Back to Magnetic Man, what I'd say they've done specifically is take these key elements of dubstep and add a touch of 'commercialism' (dare I say it) making it more palatable and accessible to those who have not been comfortable with the beats, grinds and dark sounds of dubstep in the past. Collaborations with the likes of John Legend, Miss Dynamite on paper, help open the minds of previous 'non-believers'

What I am most excited about with Magnetic Man is their LIVE set-up, something that is not common as most Dubstep LIVE performances are DJ sets (to my limited knowledge). Apparently they sync three Macbooks via Midi with each of them taking responsibility for the beats, the bass grooves and toplines. Maybe I'll get to catch them when I hit next the summer festivals in London for 2011 *fingerscrossed*



So for now I will continue to familiarise myself with the sounds of Magnetic Man without forgetting to say a big Thank to Matt for introducing me to them. Matt is (and I quote a mutual friend Adam here) "a treasure trove of useless but amusing facts and figures... " Check out a little of what Matt has to offer on his blog about pop & pop culture here

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Wind in Willow's hair...

So first we had Will Smith - hip-hop artist, TV actor & Hollywood Blockbuster Actor. He then married Jada Pinkett Smith who lists actress, producer, director, authot and singer-songwriter as her many talents.

Their union resulted in the production of a mini-me for Will. Jaden had his debut movie role playing Will's character's son in 'In Pursuit of Happyness' and more recently played the lead role in 'The Karate Kid' remake.

And now the lucky baby of the Smith family has been signed-up by and has the backing of the huge music industry machinery known as Roc Nation (fathered by non other than Jay-Z himself).

And the world welcomes Willow Smith
Talk about having great connections and being part of a mammoth network - that aside, Willow's first tune is both edgey and oozing with attitude. With her Rihanna-esque voice tone and killer pop production my favourite element of 'Whip My Hair' is how tongue-in-cheek this all is...

Unofficial Video Teaser



Find out more about Willow here

You go gurrrrl!

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand VIdeo goes viral and burns up the iTunes charts worldwide!

Aromatic Duck pancakes are just not the same without the plum sauce aka Duck Sauce.


In the same for me, the dance / house scene has not been the same since the arrival of the collaborative work of DJs Atrak & Armand Van Helden. Their latest, 'Barbra Streisand' is a force to be reckoned with and will most certainly guarantee a bouncing crowd on the dancefloor in any club.

I loved this tune when I first heard it back in May... a great addition to a smooth succession of stomping tracks from Atrak & Armand's Duck Sauce Collaboration (aNYway, You're Nasty, Grand Steppin')

Love it or loathe it, the video, with NYC as its backdrop, was released a few weeks ago and instantly went viral. It is a real CRACKER featuring many Cameos - spot the Stars yourself...

Duck Sauce "Barbra Streisand" from Mr Goldbar on Vimeo.


That aside I'm pleased I put my money on this track all those months ago - means I can still trust my ears to select good music :)

Check out my Summer Mixtape which features O-God Remix of Barbra Streisand here. This same mixtape also exclusively features a remix done by 2 Malaysian DJs super hot on the dance and party circuit. DJ Blink & DJ Goldfish have collaborated and are creating their very own 'LOUD' sound. Together we came up with a fresh new track called 'TAKE YOU THERE' and you can hear the first version of it on this mixtape - Stompin' Summer Soundz.

Good to see the track hitting the Top spots around the world - #2 in the UK & #1 in Belgian. I bet Atrak & AVH are waiting with a baited breath to see how Barbra fairs on the US iTunes chart when its officially released there tomorrow..

Now sing with me :

"Ooh Oooo-oooo-oooo-ooooh Oooo-ooooh Ooh Oooo-oooh Ooh"