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Thursday, July 6, 2017

Jimmy Iovine Recalls Hearing Dr. Dre for the First Time

Jimmy Iovine

Jimmy Iovine
Jimmy Iovine with Pharrell and Scott Vener. (Photo source: Instagram)

Music mogul Jimmy Iovine has been making the rounds to promote his upcoming documentary on HBO, The Defiant Ones. The four-part series, which premieres July 9, tells his and Dr. Dre‘s stories and 20-year-plus partnership.

During a recent interview on Pharrell and Scott Vener’s show on Beats 1 Radio, Jimmy recalled hearing Dre’s music for the first time.

“When I met Dre, and I heard his music on my speakers, it was like when I first heard Phil Spector. … It just sounded like nothing I’d ever heard before. It sounded like it was gonna affect every record that ever came out, including rock music, and I knew nothing about hip-hop. But I just felt it at that moment and I said, ‘This guy will define Interscope.'”

Jimmy admitted he wasn’t a fan of hip-hop at the time, but Dre changed that.

“The bottom end [of hip-hop records] was a mess; I know they were trying to do it on purpose or something. There were 808s, and none of it was making any sense to me. Dre used all that stuff, but he made it sound like Pink Floyd was doing it. And I was like, ‘Okay, this is something special.’ It was different from everything else.”

It wasn’t just Dre’s sonic ability that impressed Jimmy, though. The executive said he saw similarities between the Compton producer and The Rolling Stones.

“I heard [The Chronic], and then I started to understand who these guys were and what they were doing and how much they reminded me of The Rolling Stones. Because the Rolling Stones, when I was a kid, they’d scare you, but they’d bring you in with their music. Their music was so cool that they’d lure you in but what they were doing was their form of anarchy in those days, you know. Snoop and Dre reminded me of Mick [Jagger] and Keith [Richards].”

Among other topics, Jimmy also criticized how the music industry has handled the digital revolution.

Watch him discuss Dre:

Watch him discuss the industry:

Related: Jimmy Iovine Recounts His Early Days as an Engineer and Producer, Launching Interscope

| Music Industry, Videos
Dr. Dre, Interview, Jimmy Iovine, Pharrell Williams,
Thursday, July 6, 2017

Watch DJ Cable and DJ Complexion Perform with Denon’s MC7000

DJ Cable and DJ Complexion

DJ Cable, a three-time DMC UK Team Champion, and DJ Complexion, the founder of Future Beats Records, have showcased Denon DJ’s MC7000 controller in a new routine.

The performance, which was filmed at The Hyman Archive in London, consists of grime, trap, and UK house tracks.

Cable is a DJcity UK team member and resident on BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Sixty Minutes show. Complexion is a mixer on London’s Westside 89.6 FM.

Watch their routine above.

Tracklist:

1. Sh?m – Slap
2. DJ Rectangle – Well Trained Cuts & Scratches
3. Priceless – They Know – Instrumental
4. Jason Jules – Acetate
5. Milo Mills – Bad Bitches By The Pool

Related: Review: Denon DJ MCX8000 Controller

| Turntablism, Videos
Denon DJ, DJ Cable, DJ Complexion, Routine,
Thursday, July 6, 2017

KidCutUp: Must-Have Items in My DJ Bag

KidCutUp

KidCutUp

If you’re a subscriber to DJcity’s record pool, chances are you’ve seen KidCutUp‘s bootlegs, edits, and remixes. The Wisconsin native’s tracks regularly make it on DJcity’s Top 50 chart and have been supported by everyone from Diplo and DJ Khaled to Vice and Z-Trip. Now based in Los Angeles, CutUp currently holds it down at The Dime and Harlowe Bar on Mondays and Thursdays, respectively. He also gigs a lot in the Midwest. Last weekend, he opened up for Pink at Milwaukee’s Summerfest in front of a 25,000-strong crowd.

Check out his must-have travel items below.

1/8″ to RCA Cable

“You never know when you’ll have to plug in your phone for a laptop switchover or because of a sound issue. And if a venue has all the wrong gear, I can DJ a set off my phone if necessary. I never want to be unable to rock!”

Backstage Pass Lanyard

“Sometimes you get a laminated pass that’s just loose. Other times you need to look official without explaining to every security guy that you are official. Having a stack of passes around your neck can help.”

Small LED Light

“I carry a small light with a hook and magnet on it to attach to it things or position it in the booth. Being able to see the knobs and faders on the mixer is essential especially if the lights in the booth are moving around as much as they are on the dance floor.”

Backup Hard Drive or Flash Drive

“If my laptop goes down, I can plug in my backup drive into any available computer and make the show happen. If you don’t play the show, you don’t get the money. Don’t let that happen to you!”

Trident Spearmint Gum

“Stay fresh.”

Items

Follow KidCutUp on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Twitter.

Related: Kid Conrad: Must-Have Items in My DJ Bag

| DJ Culture
KidCutUp, Must-Have Items in My DJ Bag,
Thursday, July 6, 2017

Watch Rsonist Explain How He Produced The Diplomats’ ‘Dipset Anthem’

Rsonist

Rsonist, a member of the production duo The Heatmakerz, has explained how he produced The Diplomats’ 2003 hit “Dipset Anthem” in a new episode of Genius’ Deconstructed. The video marks the first time Genius has featured a song older than a decade in the series.

“Dipset Anthem,” which peaked at No. 64 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, served as the lead single off The Diplomats’ debut album, Diplomatic Immunity.

In the video, Rsonist recalls how he got into producing and was gifted $20,000 worth of equipment. The producer then breaks down how he used the Akai MPC2000 to chop up the different elements of the song. He admits he almost threw away the beat but stuck with it because he liked the track’s only sample.

The Heatmakerz are a multi-platinum production duo made up of members Rsonist and Thrilla. The New York-based group rose to fame in the early 2000s after producing for Lil Wayne, Ghostface Killah, and The Diplomats.

Watch the video above.

Related: Watch TM88 Explain How He Produced Lil Uzi Vert’s ‘XO TOUR Llif3’

| Music Tech, Videos
Music Production, Rsonist, The Diplomats,
Thursday, July 6, 2017

Pioneer DJ Announces Rekordbox Audio Interface

Interface 2

Interface 2
Pioneer DJ Interface 2 (Photo source: Pioneer DJ

Pioneer DJ has announced the Interface 2, the missing piece of the Rekordbox DJ puzzle.

Until now, the company’s Rekordbox DJ software and DVS plugin only worked with some of its mixers and controllers. Older Pioneer models and those from other manufacturers were not supported.

However, the Interface 2 enables DJs with any setup to use Rekordbox DJ in a DVS system with control vinyl (a pair is included with the interface), CDs, and USB drives.

As its name implies, the Interface 2 has two stereo channels, which limits it to two decks. Many DJs will find that to be enough, although the product’s name has already sparked speculation about future models with more channels.

The Interface 2 is due to be released in early July with a price tag of $299. It appears to be a great value, considering it includes a license for Rekordbox DJ and the DVS plugin.

Watch Pioneer’s promo video below and stay tuned for a review on DJcityTV’s Tips and Tricks.

Key features:

– Club-standard sound quality
– Compact, robust aluminium chassis
– LEDs to indicate signal flow and problems with signal/connection
– Includes Rekordbox DJ and DVS licenses, plus two timecoded control vinyl records
– Mains or USB power options
– Works as a stand-alone audio interface
– Large signal GND terminal
– Supports DVS via control vinyl and turntables or multi players and custom WAV file

Related: Does Rekordbox DJ Live Up to the Hype?

| Music Tech, Videos
Pioneer DJ, rekordbox,
Thursday, July 6, 2017

DJcity UK’s Most Downloaded Tracks of June 2017

uk20_201706_600

Below is a list of the most-downloaded tracks on DJcity UK during June 2017. This list contains many deep, future, and UK house tracks that may not be on other DJcity charts. To receive these updates via email, click here.

 
Related: DJcity UK Top 20 – May 2017

| Charts
DJcity UK Top 20,

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