Made You Look: Blind DJ Uses Serato

In an up-coming issue of GIANT magazine, Philly’s DJ Touchtone explains how he uses Serato, the popular mixing software, to rock parties even though he is blind.

“We put all the folders together in alphabetical order and I create crates inside Serato,” he tells the mag. “For example, I have a radio crate and a dirty south crate. I hit Tab-R on the keyboard for “radio” or Tab-D for “dirty south” and just scroll up and down inside those crates. That’s the uniqueness of it all. It’s based on memory and me knowing my way around the keyboard and my crates.”

The popular radio and club DJ has been a staple on Philadelphia radio for over a decade and plans to add producing to his repertoire. “I may not have 20/20 vision but I have 20/20 hearing,” he says confidently.
Web heads can tune in to hear him on Philly’s 100.3 The Beat (www.1003thebeatphilly.com) Monday thru Friday from 6 to 10pm with the Goodfellas and by himself on Saturday’s from 6pm to 9pm. However, if you want to hear Tone live, check him in Philly on Tuesday nights at Transit and Friday night at Palmers.

The Away Team will eat your food…

Producer Khrysis and MC Sean Boog, collectively known as The Away Team, dropped their sophomore album, Training Day. The first single and video “Greedy” is already spreading like a dirty rumor across the web, so I got them on the phone to re-introduce themselves to my people and talk a little bit about twisting knobs until they squeal just right.

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5000 Whats???: AKAI’s Latest MPC

Six years after dropping the MPC 4000 and months after the portable MPC 500, AKAI Professional has unleashed a new beast. Featuring a 20-voice, 3-oscillator analog synthesizer with arpeggiator and a new larger (240 x 128 display) the MPC 5000 is the most advanced of the legendary MPC production tools.

In addition, the MPC5000 features a 64-voice drum/phrase sampler with 64MB memory - expandable up to 192MB. The display is twice the size of the MPC2500 and MPC1000 so waveforms appear crystal-clear. Integrated Chop Shop 2.0 now supports stereo chops and Patched Phrases. The MPC5000 is also the first MPC to include Random and Cycle sample playback in addition to velocity Zone Play. A turntable preamp is also included.

The MPC5000’s virtual analog synth eliminates need for external analog synth modules or buggy software based synthesizers. The new 8-track direct to disk recorder lets you produce your whole song in the MPC and then mix it down with the internal sequenced programs and any input thru material. Add the optional CD/DVD drive and you can then burn an audio or data CD or your mix. Over 650MB of premium-quality sounds from Loopmasters are included to get you up and running with pro-quality production in seconds.

For more info visit http://www.akaipro.com

Smirnoff gets “Criminal Minded” with DJ Premier and KRS-One

NEW YORK, In February the makers of Smirnoff vodka launched an exciting new Smirnoff Signature Mix Series, a campaign pairing three acclaimed rappers with contemporary beat- maestros to create new versions of iconic hip-hop songs. Nationally renowned artists Common, Q-Tip, and KRS-One are joining musical forces with Just Blaze, Cool & Dre, and DJ Premier to remix Common’s “The Light,” A Tribe Called Quest’s “Midnight,” and Boogie Down Productions’ seminal “Criminal Minded.”

Each artist/producer pairing represents a Smirnoff mixed drink made by blending one of the best-selling Smirnoff flavored vodka products with a popular mixer. “The Southside,” made with Smirnoff Green Apple flavored vodka and cranberry juice, is the inspiration for Common and Just Blaze’s collaboration. “The Blueberry Abstract,” made with Smirnoff Blueberry flavored vodka and lemonade, is linked to the partnership between Q-Tip and Cool & Dre. “The Cypha,” an exciting blend of Smirnoff Raspberry flavored vodka and pineapple juice, represents the collaboration between KRS-One and DJ Premier.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to revisit one of my signature songs and give it a breath of fresh air,” said KRS-One. “I’m grateful to Smirnoff for providing the opportunity to work with such great talent on such a ground- breaking idea and recreate hip-hop songs.”

Things Fall Together: The Roots preview new album, Rising Down

Last week ?uest Love and Black Thought packed a few lucky reporters into a room at Battery Studios in NYC to hear The Roots new CD, Rising Down.

Talib Kweli, DJ J.Period and Tracey Moore of the Jazzyfatnastees (looking fine as haail) stopped by and seemed as anxious to hear the music as anyone else. An always affable host, ?uest provided “quiff” notes (perves, stand down) for the class to follow along. Anyone familiar with The Roots knows about their famous liner notes (why don’t more groups do that?) so believe the ones for RD will be extensive.

As for the music, I liken it to having ‘88 swagger with ‘08 bling; it’s a diamond rope chain, but not gaudy. Full, imposing, yet polished. The fifteen or so tracks are bookended by throwback audio of the groups days at Geffen and it sets a dark, confrontational tone. Cameos abound with Mos Def, Styles P, Common, Talib, Saigon and several others sparring with Thought and company.

Chrisette Michelle lends her crystalline vocals to the bright and percussive “Rising Up,” my overall favorite. Immediately following it however is my least favorite song, and of course the first official single, “Birthday Girl.” Why don’t I like it? It sounds like “The Seed 2.5″and I while that is probably their biggest single to date in terms of sales, I did…not…like…that…song…at…all…I remember standing in a crowd at either the Knitting Factory or Irving Plaza, arms folded, ice grilling the stage until that song was over…ugh. Anyway, the title track, “Get Busy” (which is a brawl in a bottle, break in case of emergency) and “The Show” more than make up for my lack of open-mindedness.

In short, this feels like Things Fall Apart’s cousin that came out of jail with a Masters Degree; A positive outcome of unnecessary struggles. Make sure to go out and cop Rising Down on April 29th!

Tracklisting:

1. The Pow Wow

2. Rising Down -featuring Mos Def and Styles P

3. Get Busy -featuring Dice Raw and Scratches by DJ Jazzy Jeff

4.@15

5. 75 Bars(Blacks Reconstruction)

6. (Up There)

7. Criminal-f Truck North

8. I Will Not Apologize- featuring Porn and Dice Raw

9. I Can’t Help It-featuring Malik B.

10. Singing Man-featuring Porn and Truck North

11. (Up There…Unwritten)

12. Lost Desire-featuring Talib Kweli

13.The Show-featuring Common

14. Rising Up-featuring WALE and Chrisette Michelle

15. Birthday Girl-featuring Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy

Pete Rock takes over for Eli Manning

“I should have called this New York Giants!” Pete told a crowd recently, and he’s right…

Everyone from NY knows that our relationship with “new york’s finest” (aka the police) is a little sketchy. But questionable titles aside, Pete Rock has finally blessed us with the long awaited follow-up to Soul Survivor 2.

The most dramatic difference between this and its predecessors is the focus on Pete as an MC. While the long list of guests like Jim Jones, Royal Flush, Little Brother, Styles and Sheek keep this squarely in the compilation category, Pete makes sure you know this is HIS project. But listening to a Pete Rock album for Pete Rock lyrics is like watching Spike Lee flicks for his acting cameos–you’re missing the point. Pete could rap like the second coming of Notorious B.I.G. but if the beats don’t rock then the streets won’t cop.

So how are the beats? Over the years Pete has steered away from his signatures (jazzy horns with a hint of reverb and filtered bass lines over pounding drums) in order not to be pigeon-holed, but he’s still a chop master. While I don’t want to set off the snitch alarm (none of the samples are credited on the CD) what he did on “We Roll” is nothing short of genius. His manipulation of a very, very classic piece of 70s soul makes it almost unrecognizable and proves that with a little imagination you can take a pile of sand that everybody’s walked on and make glass.

This is further evidenced on “914″ featuring Styles and Sheek. Putting some stank on the classic Skull Snaps drum break, Pete weaves in several familiar elements into a completely original composition. However, “Best Believe” and “Til I Retire” are examples of the “new” Pete Rock; tightly chopped samples with simpler drums over thicker bass lines. On the other hand, “Questions” and “Bring Ya’ll Back” is more “vintage” Pete Rock, where he lets the sample breath a little more with conservative use of dark and moody horns over dirty drums. The best compromise between his old and new styles is the “The Best Kept Secret” featuring Lords of the Underground. Pete has always been great at sampling piano and here he balances the jazzy keys with thick bass and drums that sound more analog and dusty. For contrast listen to the clean drums, shakers and piano on “That’s What I’m Talking About” featuring Rell that are more ‘07/’08 style.

The nodfactor is in the redzone on “PJs” which flaunts the same “funky worm” bass line sample as Large Professor’s “Mad Scientist.” ( I know that’s not what’s its called but you diggers know what I’m talking about.) But it’s been out for so long that it lacks the same punch as the new material.

The only beat Pete didn’t do was Green Lantern’s “Don’t Be Mad.” While it features some cool turntable tricks, it’s much closer to the mid tempo joint he gave Immortal Technique on “Bin Laden” than the over-the-top sample gymnastics of Ludacris’ “Number One Spot” or Busta’s “In The Ghetto.” Granted, those are two of the most animated MCS in the game and better suited to handle that kind of energy, but I’d contend that Pete’s flow is so straight on that a little more color in the beat couldn’t have hurt.

Regardless of who’s track it is, at the end of the day NY’s Finest more than passes Nodfactor.com’s “no words” test: would we bang the instrumental of this album? ABSOLUTELY. After twenty years in the game Pete Rock is still not only one of New York’s finest producers, but one of the finest, period. The champ is here.

Think I’m wrong? Speak ya clout in the comments section…