Heads up for iUsers (iPhone iPad iPod), here's a sweet freebie I just heard about available only for the next couple days.  This premium program titled "DJ Player" by iMect usually costs $44.99, but it will be free now until Dec 4th so grab it while you can!  So don't miss out on this window, it might come in handy for another alternative tool or something fun to play around with if you're jonesing to mix on the go.  There are midi programming capabilities and pro effect features including solid filters, so the potential looks promising depending on what you might want to do with it.  

Don't worry folks, I won't be quitting my Vinyl cold turkey just yet in hot pursuit of becoming the next rising iSuperstar anytime soon.  Personally I couldn't imagine performing a full live iDJ set from my iPhone exclusively.  Laptop DJ'ing, even with Serato, feels another step disconnected versus connecting to the crowd with "the real thing" (using real pressed DJ Records as analog instruments).  I'm not knocking digital DJ'ing by any means, I've seen performances done with midi controllerism that have been more than inspiring enough to spark a genuine interest in Ableton Live.  I am a firm believer that learning from and eventually embracing new technology can become a powerful tool to integrate into one's already established skill sets.  If you aren't learning, you aren't growing.  In the end it all comes down to what you play and how you play it, not what medium you play it from.  

Here's the official program's site:  http://imect.com/djplayer/
I heard about this great offer originally from here:  http://www.djtechtools.com/2012/11/30/dj-player-temporarily-a-free-download-red-bull-bpm-finished/
And here's a helpful review of the software:  http://www.djtechtools.com/2012/11/07/review-dj-player-5-1-ios-app/
Sounds good to me!

Here's the word from Red Bull BPM: http://redbullbpm.com/dj/news/red-bull-and-stereomusik-systems-will-end-development-all-red-bull-bpm-applications

And the link to iTunes where you can find the (currently free) DJ Player by iMect Ltd.: 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dj-player/id339810085?mt=8

I put a couple of youTube links below as well, so you get a better feel for what the program actually looks like and does.  Hope this helps some people out.  Enjoy!

In case you didn't get enough food for the Soul this Thanksgiving, this Jive Turkey DJ would like to dish up a plate of hot sizzling bird for you.  Hailing from a strange place somewhere between Dubstep, Chillstep, and melodically uplifting Bassy Brokenbeats, Sizzlebird quickly became one of my newest favorite producers for 2012.  The song that first turned me on was "Light at Sunrise".  When I heard it I was immediately hooked on the sound.  It played enough times on repeat in my playlist where I had to find out more about this artist and what other releases were available.  I quickly found Sizzlebird on Soundcloud, and wow, this producer is a busy bird!   Huge list of releases, and lo-and-behold, many freebies to download - Hurray!  Checking his website, I learned that SizzleBird, aka Ot Moruno Bird, was born in Barcelona and is a resident of the UK.  A very talented musical individual in my opinion, I had to share his music with my friends since its worth giving a go if you like good music.   "Healer feat Mariah Dawn" is a nice song on the mellow side.  In fact I enjoyed all of the free music on Soundcloud.

Unfortunately one of my favorite songs there,  "SizzleBird & CoMa - Where Do We Go" was only available as a 128 bit mp3 on Sizzlebird's page, unacceptable for Dub Bass lovers on a loud amplified soundsystem.  Fortunately with a little research I found it on "The CoMa Collection" available on Bandcamp for free (or pay what you like if feeling so inclined), in whatever format you choose.  I chose FLAC for all the obvious reasons, but if you prefer 320 mp3 that option is just as convenient albeit lossy.  CoMa's soundcloud has a 320 mp3 also if you only want the single, however I recommend the whole collection.  On a side note, CoMa is a vocalist & producer who is part dreamer, part fae child.  A self proclaimed "Fae child", now that made me giggle a little!

I figured I'd check out CoMa's Facebook page, looks like about an hour ago this was posted for a free download: "Synthetic Epiphany and CoMa - Sleep, The Division".  Sweet vocal chill step labelled under the subgenre Dreamstep.  Snag a fresh download while you can.  More downloads are up on CoMa's soundcloud too.

Digging around on Sizzlebird.com I also found a freebie download for "Compressors and Sparks", a more uptempo Drum and Bass 6-track release that's pretty rocking.  I'm sure there's more gems hiding out there by SizzleBird.  To be honest I've only been exploring this artist over these past few months so if you find any more must hear tracks hiding away or of this style by some unknown producer I'd love to hear about them.  Please comment or send me any tracks via email.

Have a go, theres a lot of music to explore here!  Don't say Jack doesn't love you, because I will continue to keep sharing all the best new and free music from quality artists that I'm able to find.


Links:
http://soundcloud.com/sizzlebird
http://soundcloud.com/dirtyoysterpearl
http://sizzlebird.com/  
https://rapidshare.com/files/3036317530/Compressors_and_Sparks.rar%C2%AD
http://coma-noise.bandcamp.com/album/the-coma-collection-free-tracks

Who doesn't like free stuff?  I love freebies, and even better I love to be able to pick and choose (Freedom of Choice).  This was too great of an offer not to share with my friends:  Scott products is offering free $5 mp3 credit at Amazon.com for signing up and answering a quick question or two, the whole process took me less than a minute.  Its legit, this works!  I just got my $5, gonna pick out a few new extra tunes for myself which is awesome.  I'm not sure how long this offer will be available so I'd suggest signing up sooner than later.  Once you get your credit locked in (they sent me an email with the code to redeem at Amazon), I believe the credit is good until Jan 31st 2013.  Hope this helps out some people since its a wicked freebie.  Pick out something good for yourself, you deserve it!

https://www.scottbrand.com/offer/amazon

Just sharing the free love with my friends, fans, and followers.  Jah Bless!

Its finally time to start a Blog, as this is the best way to keep in touch with my friends, fans, and fellow music lovers.  Also the most convenient, efficient way to keep everyone updated with all the amazing music that continues to cross my path.  

First let me start off with a confession.  I feel guilty of committing a great sin...  I've been selfish because I haven't made enough proper time to share all the great music I continue to keep finding.  Music is what drives me, its my spark and passion in life, and its my duty to help make others aware of this spark of inspiration that many people hold close so dearly to their hearts.  Keeping this sound to myself without sharing it almost feels like a crime against Nature.  It was a lonely internal battle waged within myself and with no winners possible in sight.  

When you share the Music you Love, everyone wins!  Since I haven't been as active in the DJ Circuit as I was a few years ago, its been harder to get my music out there and easier to get lost in the digital cloud.  Ah, those were the days... I really appreciated having multiple platforms to share all the wonderful music I heard with my friends, from playing lounge with mashups, underground dance to club remixes and more to a variety of different faces on a weekly, sometimes nightly basis.  It even got hectic juggling multiple gigs a few times, but all that play and craziness only added to the fun!  

Although the music lives on in my heart, unless seeds are planted to spread it there is some great music that may eventually disappear like the dodo bird.  I'd rather not let that happen with the music that moves me.  That's one of the reasons I'm so passionate about preserving original vinyl since a lot of that music will never become digitally preserved unless people like us do it ourselves with our own two hands and the original out of print copies of physical DJ records.  Otherwise this music which is a part of our history and musical evolution will become unavailable forever.  Can you only imagine what kind of music we'd be listening to if no one ever had access to the vinyl to first sample the "Amen Break" from The Winstons, "Amen, Brother".  (This is a great informational video about one of the simplest yet most often used loops in history, definitely worth checking out if you aren't familiar.)  http://youtu.be/5SaFTm2bcac

I suppose I couldn't bear the burden of NOT being a DJ, I love the music too much not to share whats in my heart.  Good music needs to heard to be felt.  The vibrations exchanged through music are life changing and linger with the Spirit.  Music is the soundtrack to our lives, its an integral part of our being's very essence.

A personal pet peeve is hearing music that catches my ear but not being able to access it.  So whenever possible I'm going to promote the best quality free downloadable music I feel is worthy of a listen and perhaps a home in your personal music library playlists.  I'm also going to eventually start posting DJ Podcasts and Mixes soon (which should be protected under "Fair Use" since it will be for Promotional Use Only).  I also may mention different artists and releases worthy of attention, but I will not be providing original downloads of other artists copyrighted material so please support the artists you enjoy the most however you find most appropriate.  I can't stress the importance of supporting live shows and how important it is to your favorite artists!!!  Also equally important, I always suggest buying the Vinyl or CD when possible for a few important reasons.  You are directly (or at least indirectly) supporting your favorite artists work this way.  You own an actual copy of the music in its intended fullest sounding state, not a compressed, inherently lossy mp3 replicant.  By owning these pieces of history you are also helping keep analog alive through these physically playable original versions of the music.  Not to mention how playing rare vintage Vinyl is becoming a Lost Art form of expression.  Playing records on 2 analog turntables and a simple mixer until the early hours of the  morning can become a transcendental experience in the right settings. Its truly soul felt satisfaction in one of the simplest forms imaginable.

I will admit Serato is a great revelation in the modern analog-to-digital world of miracles we live in.  And I absolutely love being able to produce my own studio mashups and remixes and play them in a semi-anolog digital vinyl format like I'm able today.  But it doesn't replace original vinyl, and you are always limited by your library.  With the digital flood and ease to share free music anyone can produce, the saturation can lead to a decline in quality of production values at times.  Where as 10 year ago if you really believed in your song you'd put it out on a record even if it wasn't going to go big it was a genuine commitment on the producers part to get their music out there if they weren't signed on with a larger label.  A lot of this amazing music is timeless and done purely out of passion, yet it will become lost in time and forgotten unless we keep the Underground alive...  one Record at a Time.  

If your music happens to be featured here and you would like it removed, please contact me and I'll do my best to respect those wishes promptly.  Any music mentioned is done out of full respect to the artist and is only intended to help promote their music to new potential fan bases.  

My sites have always been free and will always stay free.  I love giving people music, its a priceless gift being shared for free (or at least the cost of burning a CD, that's why sharing free online music can be pretty cool!).  Donations are always welcomed as good karma and will never be required.  I feel music nourishes the spirit just as food nourishes the body.  Think of it like tipping the staff at a restaurant.  Except music artists (particularly Underground) don't always get paid hourly for their creative expression, rather they do it out of Inspiration, Passion and Love for the Art, while  hoping the money will follow.  My old site was being funded out of pocket for years.  I'm currently in process of changing hosts both due to increasing costs combined with decreased web traffic.  

Self promoting easily becomes a full time job if your not to careful, and after much contemplation and deep meditation I've realized I'm best pursuing my passion towards the music than allowing myself to become "consumed by the machine" so to speak.  Ideally I'd have no external distractions in life, no phone or even internet, living surrounded by nature yet tucked away in a full music studio, preferrably with a small fridge stocked up on food, cold beer, and medibles (for my bad back I swear!).  I would spend most of my time losing track of time, while learning music production techniques in Ableton and other production programs.  Alas, reality doesn't always work out quite how you dream, so I will make the best of the lot I've been given in this life while striving to manifest my visions.  With the advent of the digital cloud and increased social media traffic, there is a whole new world of technology and technological distractions to reconsider, integrate, and eventually embrace.  I hardly use my facebook currently (as little as possible to be honest), let alone made a habit of spending time blogging out blogs or tweeting out tweets.  But we'll see... this is the time to start in a new direction and keep an open mind to Tech, both in our lives and our music.  

___________________________


Lets start the music blog with some nice Atmospheric Drum & Bass from the Russian netlabel Mastik.  The whole netlabel catalog is currently available for a free download, its rather worth a listen as its all pretty good quality stuff I've heard so far.  Eleven releases to peruse is something to chew into, for a start anyways!  
http://mastik.org/releases
This is a quote for their latest release Mastik011, check out the download on their site while its still free.
"Artist: Beyond Frequency  Cat#: mstk011 Date: 17 Oct 2012  Release Notes:   The debut album of the person hiding under the pseudonym Beyond Frequency out on mastik netlabel.  Beyond Frequency with his album approached to the classic sound of artcore of 90s. The magnificent collection of six tracks will immerse you in memories of the past splendor of atmospheric drum and bass, and certainly not leave you indifferent.  Listen, download and share to your friends. It's a great work that will stay in your soul for a long time!"

Personally, my favorite song was "Butterfly" on this release.  
http://soundcloud.com/mastiknetlabel/03-beyond-frequency-butterfly 
The sound here really brings me back to the old classic Drum & Bass sounds I used to love and still do.  Perhaps I'm just feeling nostalgic, as the whole album flows smooth that song particularly stood out to me.  I haven't had a chance to fully explore all the other 10 releases yet fully enough to review all of them.  

At a quick listen, [mstk008] New Life EP by Fishy, has a few gems hidden away with Fishy - "Sunlight Mist" and Fishy - "Moving Through Dreams (Psyolopher remix)".  
http://soundcloud.com/mastiknetlabel/04-fishy-sunlight-mist
http://soundcloud.com/psyolopher/fishy-moving-through-dreams

Also I will mention the ironically titled song on mstk002, "Lazy Bastard" by Kondencuotas Pienas (Lithuanian producer Mantvydas Baranauskas). http://youtu.be/CA2U2N-tZgY  Its pretty chill, and currently chilling on Youtube with 240 views & 7 likes since it was posted Dec 2008 I'm guessing it didn't quite blow up on the circuits (lol).  However, it did connect me with a link me to his website which I found interesting.  

http://www.kondencuotaspienas.lt/
There I found: "Kondencuotas Pienas - Elegantish Elephantish (feat. Angie)" -  You might like this if you dig super sexy lounge music.  I think its worth a listen and download.  This song slipped through the cracks if you ask me, its a real nice soothing to the soul track I hope you also enjoy it.  http://youtu.be/XrS3FYRiAP4   Mantvydas's website is nice enough to have free downloads of this track and more of his other releases, check it out if you're feeling adventurous. This song was released on one of my favorite downtempo labels from Germany, "Lemongrassmusic".  

http://www.lemongrassmusic.de/
This quality label worth is mentioning with quite a few releases and some great productions of classy Chillout Downtempo Lounge and Trip Hop sounds.  I'd like to turn you on to a song I think you'll like by producer Lemongrass (Roland Voss) - "Riddle (feat. Jane Maximova)".  http://youtu.be/u1hju_OrVJk  
Haunting and beautiful vocals I hope you enjoy this sound as much as I do.  This is from the album "Papillion" (french for Butterfly), on Lemongrassmusic 2012. 


___________________________


Well that's somewhat of a random start with whats been running through my speakers today.  I'm hoping it was a diverse mix of fresh and international tunes you might enjoy that you may not have had a chance for listening exposure otherwise.  I'll post more updates and music when I can.  I actually have a ton of stuff to do in the non-digital realm, all the while trying to envision the bigger picture without totally blowing my own mind in the process.  

Thanks for tuning into my blog.  I promise some more uptempo and dance music soon, this wasn't quite the first blog I expected when I initially began writing however I'm pleased with the music mentioned.  Maybe I should have done a podcast?  I could even see these songs being sampled, mashed up into remixes or a megamix pretty easily!  If only there were 36 hours in a day there'd still probably never be enough time for it all, but I digress.  

Regardless of where this blog (or my music career) goes, its best to start somewhere and build a foundation to grow on.  I try not to be limited by genre in my search for substance.  I've found keeping an open mind to musical diversity is both as challenging as it can be rewarding.  I must confess I love Trip Hop and Lounge as much as I love Underground Dance Electronica (from House to Breakbeats to Progressive, Techno, Electro, Glitch-Hop Dubstep to Psy to Jungle, Old School Nu-Skool and pretty much everything else in between mashed up).  My confession is I'm a "Lounge Lover" as much as a "Dance Music Enthusiast"...  I guess that just makes me a music whore but I couldn't be satisfied any other way.  Phew, it sure feels good to get that off my chest!  Until next time friends!

DJ Jack Tripper, "Turntable-Evangelist"