Monthly Archives: February 2009

Can Mother Sky

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can-sountracks-japanese-import

The image above is the Japanese import of a remastered version of the Can classic album Soundtracks. This one has the absolutely amazing Mother Sky. The live version on the video below is fun, but it can’t really capture how excellent it is on the record. Hypnotic, psychedelic and a huge influence on other groups who would come after. And in case you are a newcomer, it’s amusing to note that that band The Mooney Suzuki is a direct reference/homage to members of Can. You could do a lot worse as an introduction to Krautrock…Behold.

DJ Essentials Tools and Tricks of the Trade

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Becoming a DJ isn’t easy, but fortunately for newcomers there are a lot of books available that can help you learn exactly what it takes to be a professional DJ. You can learn everything from the art of remixing to buying the right gear thanks to the books on sale right this very second. I was VERY AMUSED to see what was on just such a list recently..apparently buying the right gear and spinning those tracks to please the crowds ain’t enough. I found a collection of books on DJ culture while doing a search on Amazon.com. What does Amazon reccomend for those seeking tomes on how to become a paid DJ professional? Behold:


the-moble-dj-handbook-get-paid-to-party

The DJ Sales and Marketing Handbook starts off the list. So far, so good, right? Learn how to set up and get paid to party! That’s what author Stacy Zemon wants you to do. Why the hell not? Now granted, being a club DJ is alot different than being a MOBILE DJ, but a lot of people find the party DJ route easier to get into and they transition to clubs later. Not a bad career path if you ask me…

remixing-how-to-guide

The Complete Guide To Remixing is probably a good bet, as long as you’re buying DJ how to books. After all, what good’s a DJ who can’t remix on the fly?

Then, there’s THIS little entry in the Amazon list of books, which surprised me on one hand, but on the other, I thought “Well damn, I guess I have some book ordering to do.” Apparently, the Amazon people understand DJ culture better than you might think:

how-to-grow-exceptional-cannabis

And yes, How To Grow Exceptional Cannabis is STILL FOR SALE. Hurry, now.

Battlestar Galactica Bloopers

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battlestar-galactic-sountrack-album

Any film or video clips from the deliciously cornball 1970s floating around the net is of at least passing interest–after all, 70s merchandising madness insured that EVERYTHING had a soundtrack album for sale. Even Battlestar Galactica saw one released. Composed by none other than Stu Phillips, this was actually remastered and re-released just in case you need to relive the days where everybody was desperately trying to cash in on the Star Wars craze.

Can’t decide whether you really, really need to own this soundtrack or not? Click the YouTube vid below to get pushed off the fence one way or another. This is a goofy collection of bloopers and other gaffes from the original 70s bad hair series by Glen A. Larson…amusing, goofy, pure cotton candy for the brain. You’re welcome,


How Vinyl Records Are Made

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record-labels

This picture, courtesy of a great article about how albums are physically made clears up one of the great mysteries of creating LPs, 12-inch singles and other records.

For YEARS I have always wondered how albums get those labels pressed on the album with absolutely no warping or other physical problems–even years after the pressing, the labels stay put in most cases. Now I know why.

My original theory was that it was some kind of super glue that held the record label in place, but it turns out that good pressing plants BAKE their labels before applying them to the record album. Baking the labels removes excess moisture that would cause warping or other problems. No water, no goofy labels.

Ingenious!