Modyfier, the amazingly good music blog run by Rayna deNiord, is featuring Ruoho Ruotsi this week in its ongoing Process series. The concept of the series is that each week guest DJs/Producers/Artists present a piece of music (a mix or an original composition) and write about their creative processes, approaches & methodologies.

In today's installation, Ruoho Ruotsi gives the run down on his approach and the activity behind “Bèguèna Dub featuring Isaac Haile Selassie”, released last week on the 12" record Isaac Haile Selassie meets ... (see post below).

Here's a permalink to the article.

Conceived of by The Polycubist (Skor Records), de'fchild productions is proud to present “Isaac Haile Selassie meets ...” (DCP009). This 4 tracker 12" EP brings together the English and Amharic language entreaties of Isaac Haile Selassie and the productions talents of Jack Dangers, dubLoner (aka [a]pendics.shuffle), Gys and Ruoho Ruotsi. Each producer's track brings a distinct yet contrasting perspective, musicality and respect for Isaac's spoken word.

The 12" record jacket/cover artwork was made by the good folks at Foolscap Press, Santa Cruz. Using a 100 year-old antique letterpress, they produced jacket sleeves that exude a warm and hand-crafted feel, making one-of-a-kind musical-artistic statement that merges old and new technologies. We hope you enjoy it!!

Information and sounds are available on the release page.

Nuestro amigo, the irreproachable Mike Stern, produces seriously wicked time-lapse paintings. Some time ago, he asked for music from our back catalogue. He chose Deadbeat's Dub of Ruoho Ruotsi's Balai Ballet (DCP002) to create this beautiful video.

An uncompressed (animation codec) version (Quicktime) is also available for your high-rez viewing pleasures.

Check out the rest of his time-lapse videos, featuring music by folks such as Twerk, Daniel Paul, John Tejada, Murcof and others. Enjoy!

Igor O. Vlasov is a superbly talented artist and prodcuer! Last year alone, he sent us no less than 30 new demo tracks!! So we spent some time deeply listening and we picked four of our favourites that we're featuring on his sophomore vinyl EP on de'fchild entitled “Fellow's Traveller”. A 5th track is available exclusively on the digital version of the EP.

The record will be available in all up-to-the-minute record stores starting June 30th. More information and sounds are on the release page.

The promotional blurb:

Coming off a variety of 12" releases in the past few years on Handheld, Forcetracks & de'fchild, Igor Vlasov presents his latest offerings aimed at the dancefloor with nods to the lounge and casa. Keeping true to his house roots and while channeling his alter-ego as S.P.C., Igor demonstrates a remarkable proficiency in a variety of deep, evocative and yet grooving sounds. The outer tracks, Fellow's Traveller & Phoenix are keen on amplifying the dancefloor energy, while the deep, highly-structured textural excursions in Nalim & Horizon-C are suggestive of the penetrating works of Markus Guentner.

One of our exciting new artists, Perla, will be playing this Friday the 13th, at Underground SF! If you're local to San Francisco, come and check him out and Sammy D from [Kontrol]!

de'fchild productions is proud to introduce Aschka and present her debut 12" EP entitled “Rain”, out now in finer record stores everywhere. For more information on the record, check out the release page and images.

The release is also available on all your favourite online outlets like Beatport, iTunes, Dancetracks Digital, KompaktMP3, etc.

Voici the promotional blurb:

Hailing from Toronto, and now residing in Berlin by way of Brussels, Aschka is a rising star on the European music circuit. She makes her US premiere on de'fchild with two deep and melodic excursions entitled Rain and Sensoreality.

This 12" EP is a rare treat, exclusively featuring the artist and remixer talents of Women-In-Techno! Don't miss it!!

Check out these pretty groovy pieces of food hackery as famous album covers!

Announcing a new 12" single by our good friends at Zero G Sounds, Boston, featuring remixes by Ruoho Ruotsi and Switzerland's Agnès.

Zero G Sounds promo blurb:

Distributed exclusively by Intergroove www.intergroove.de
2008 Zero G Sounds www.zer0gsounds.com

Supporting the latest release of Logic Studio is a 3rd party (non-apple) site run by Zoom-In called the Logic Studio Microsite. The site is aimed at musicians and is chock full of in depth video tutorials, lessons, artist profiles and everything else you'd want to know to plumb the tasty depths of this environment and become a production ninja!

Werd!

Following on the heels of the beatport sponsored remix contest where remixers were charged for the track's original parts, in a trend that seems to be increasingly common among established bands, Radiohead is now also charging artists for stems in their latest remix competition.

Having participated (successfully) in my share of remix competitions, I am acutely turned off at the notion of having to spend my hard-earned money on remix “parts”. It is not the price that I object to, but the height of hubris behind playing off the aspirations of adoring remixer-artist-fans for economic gain, under the auspices of a “remix competition”.

For an established artist, remix competitions are an exceptional chance to collaborate with upcoming artists and artist-fans. These contests are also an excellent opportunity to dip one's toes back into the underground and link with future musical movements. Therefore the act of charging remixer-artist-fans to participate is wholly antithetical to the collaborative spirit inherent in the remix.

Furthermore, the rights of the remix always belong to the record-label or artist, not the remixer. So now, remixers pay to participate, but only one will win, only to have his/her intellectual property summarily handed over to the record label in exchange for perhaps the promise of a release, in other cases merely free software titles and music production kit.

Charging artists for stems/parts reeks of exploitation and I'm sorely disappointed to see a forward thinking and influential band like Radiohead stoop to such levels.