The EP kicks off with “Kingdom”, a thumping, downtempo amalgamation of techno and hip-hop, with plenty of heart and soul. Arpeggiated melodic themes run throughout as pounding beats and grime-heavy basslines provide support. Lush atmospherics and mysterious male vocals carry you through a brutal opening movement until the breakdown, where the pace switches up, and you’re taken on a deep, ominous, yet optimistic melodic journey.

Following on is the title track, “Real Age”, a funky, light-hearted romp through house and techno; this track is all about rhythm and bass. Summertime vibes transport you back to the playground, filling your soul with childish innocence. Cheeky, surreal vocal samples in the breakdowns lead us into no-nonsense, ultra-groovy drops, with warm and squelchy LFO basslines, heavy on the triplets. Guaranteed smiling faces, all over the dancefloor.

Next up, a stomping, bass-heavy progressive house and techno track with plenty of bounce… “Choices” gives the dancefloor something to rave about. Chunky progressive basslines alternate between a verse and chorus motif, punctuated with bubbling, underwater blips and bells. Punchy stabs grow to emphatic crescendos, supported by mysterious female vocals. Choice… there are too many choices in society… today’s society.

Finally, progressive breaks and techno collide in “In Flux”, a deep, melodic grower. Lush, evolving pads are supported by an infectious techno-breaks drum-line. Simple, melodic basslines play call-and response between punchy subs and aggressive growling overtones, while keeping the energy and vibe constant, brooding and understated.

Available now on Beatport, Juno, iTunes and Amazon.

With the release set for March 13, I prepped up press releases and submitted WAV/MP3 masters to 8D Promo who are plugging my upcoming EP, Real Age, and have already garnered plenty of positive feedback from DJs and hosts in Canada, the US, Scotland, and elsewhere. Last week I interviewed for the March issue of Beatroute, and I just played my debut gig in Victoria, supporting video-gaming, banging-technoing, arm-flailing live PA rockstar/legend that is Longwalkshortdock. Shouts to Dimitri from Atomique Productions for putting on a fantastic show, and to Miami Nights and G.I. Blunt for warming things up.

I just wanted to take an aside to spew profuse thank-yous at my friend! Dave (Longwalk) for giving me such an amazing opportunity to play at a premiere club, with fully-pro promotion and organisation, well-teched sound and an incredibly supportive and enthusiastic crowd. When I removed my ‘phones at the end of my set I was honestly taken aback at the level of applause and appreciation I received. I feel lucky to have been able to tap into his fanbase… so, thanks Dave, and thanks Victoria! I hope to see you again in a few months

Here are some excellent photos courtesy of Victoria music photographer Colby Jay:

I wrote this on the ferry back from Vic… tired and bleary-eyed, but content and elated, with beautiful Colleen and Lala for company… so, life’s good Incidentally, I was listening to this on the way back, and so should you…  it’s Sinesthetix’s new mix, and his submission to perform at Basscoast. This set honestly sounds so fresh, so new and so forward-thinking… my understanding of what “bass-music” is is telling me that this is what the drumnbass end of that genre should sound like, and the guy definitely deserves a slot.

To round off my eventful second month of 2013, I’ll be moving in to new digs in Kitsilano next weekend, and I’ll finally be liberating the bedroom from my studio equipment and setting up in a studio room… such luxury!

But recently I’ve had producers ask me questions directly, through my Facebook page. Instead of answering privately, I’ve decided to use these questions as a source for new tutorial content, and make them public so anyone in a similar situation can benefit. If you have a question or problem in production, either with using a particular piece of equipment or software, or with other production or workflow concerns in general, hit me up on emails, via Twitter or my Facebook band page  - you may even get a response from another user, engaging the community in discussion… and if it’s an issue which would benefit from a video tutorial, I’ll make one!

Here’s a video response to a question I received from Nando Cesar, asking about MIDI integration between Maschine and Logic Pro:

Watch this video on YouTube.

My biggest gripe was with the faders. Apart from being kind of cheap and flimsy, the low-profile, concave design was completely inappropriate for quick up and down swipes of the faders, which is something I do often. I could see myself missing or losing my grip on them in a heated live scenario. Ideally, I’d have bought a set of those tasty looking Chroma Caps from DJ Tech Tools, but the problem is that the actual faders of the SL are too far recessed beneath the facade of the controller, and the stubs don’t protrude far enough for standard fader caps. I needed fader caps with long stems, and I couldn’t find anything online.

Time for a crude hack

0) ASSEMBLE THY MATERIALS:

Everything you need for a quick hack.

For this exercise, we will be using (8) fader caps from a Novation Zero SLMkII, (1) rusty old saw, (1) bamboo slat salvaged from a cheap old chopping block, (1) pack “J-B Weld” liquid concrete epoxy (the stronger the better), (1) sheet medium sandpaper, (1) box-cutter retractable knife, (1) can blue spray paint, (1) pen/pencil.

1) HAND CUT YOUR FADER STUBS…

One down, seven to go.

…with the finesse and precision of a 12th century artisan. Or the cack-handedness of a 21st century douchebag, whatever. Sand the edges down and make a nice smooth, curvy surface. Note the notches I cut using the box-cutter – this was to hug the shape of those concave faders, and to give something for the epoxy to get stuck into to make a stronger bond.

2) ONCE YOU’VE PREPPED EIGHT OF THE LITTLE BASTARDS…

Gooey.

…it’s time to apply a healthy glob of epoxy onto the fader caps and plop them on. The notch keeps them centred and the displaced epoxy pools around the stubs – sure to make a solid bond once dry. I used a sheet of cardboard, raised it with some more bamboo slats I had lying around, and cut notches into it to allow the faders to sit horizontally upright without toppling over.

3) LEAVE TO DRY. DRINK BEER ETC, PASS OUT.

In the morning, when the epoxy is completely dried and hardened, sand off any excess goo and use your box-cutter to brutally slice off any undesirable tumours, like some sort of crazed surgeon.

4) SNEAK INTO A NEARBY PARKADE…

Bluey.

…place your fader-caps-in-cardboard on the concrete floor and spray liberally, leaving an artistic, rectangle-shaped stencil on the floor. Try not to get paint on hands. Sneak out unseen.

5) LEAVE OUT TO DRY…

…preferably not in an indoor enclosed space where you or any living creatures might sit and breathe.

6) PUT BACK ON NOVATION SL…

Novation Zero SLMkII with big, dumb blue faders.

…and marvel at your own handiwork.

There will be a sequel, as those drum pads are a total disgrace and need replacing before they can be used in any capacity whatsoever. Watch this space.

Things kicked off well, ringing in the new year wearing an early prototype of technosuit 2.0, followed swiftly by my first EP, released on Steamtown Records.

Throughout the year, a new job and a new apartment shook things up a bit but gave me the opportunity to nerd out, wiring and programming the technosuit’s brain and lights, and making deeper connections with the Vancouver “hacker” movement in the process. Two summer gigs, Trancemission 15 and Sequential Circus 11, gave me the opportunity to test run the suit in a live scenario, and were very valuable experiences. New equipment has been acquired: a MOTU Audio Express and Novation Zero SL MkII, making a more compact and lightweight live setup, in anticipation for gigs further afield in the future…. in between all this, I managed to squeeze out a few tracks and a few instructional videos, and I continued to build a coherent online and social media presence.

Early 2013 will see a new EP, and a new, more wearable technosuit. Beyond that, more gigs, more releases and a new website is in the works, as well as collaborations with VJs, other producers and other crews. It feels great to be so organised and directed… I’m really looking forward to seeing what I can achieve in the coming year!

Here’s  a little taster from the upcoming EP, “Real Age”:

As the show approaches, and I start to wonder what music I have that could at all be construed as being disco, or at least disco-influenced, it struck me that I actually know very little about disco in the first place. All I can come up with is the Bee Gees and I KNOW there are some less obvious, less played-out choices out there… One Facebook comment later and I’m inundated with suggestions and requests: From names I’ve heard of such as Donna Summer and Boney M, to names I definitely haven’t, like Black Masses, Sunburst and Giorgio Moroder. And then modern reinterpretations of the genre like this funky little number from Plej. Clearly, there is a lot of good disco-inspired music out there.

Watch this video on YouTube.

My music doesn’t sound anything like this. But that’s ok. It’s still a techno party, after all. That said, lifting a cheeky hook or riff out of some of these lesser-known classics and combining them with some 21st century production might yield some interesting results… come down on the 15th to find out

Soon after the “technosuit” made its debut, I was asked to perform at this year’s Maker Music Faire. For those unfamiliar with the term, the “Maker” (aka Hacker) movement and its disciples utilise electronics and engineering expertise to make interesting, original, and useful “things” – 3D printers, robotics, sensors, lighting solutions, lasers, you name it. Videographer Kevin Sarasom took this amazing picture while the technosuit was in development. Come along on November 16th to see it in action:

“Hackspaces” all over the continent (and beyond) are nurturing the Maker movement by providing an environment where people’s knowledge and equipment are shared. Throughout the technosuit’s development, I visited Vancouver’s hacker space (VHS) a couple of times and was fortunate enough to get help from a number of their experts, who were very encouraging and enthusiastic about my project. My thanks go again to them.

The Maker Music Faire will feature Vancouver artists and musicians who have made something very new and unusual – I am particularly interested to see Fredrick Brummer’s music project “Legs”, featuring a system of drums with built-in speakers which vibrate materials placed on the skins to create a cymatic effect. Looks particularly cool with liquids:

Watch this video on YouTube.

Check out some of Legs’ music: