Dr. Dre, HP Make Beautiful Music

SoundCtrl October 14, 2009

While his Detox album has been forever in the works, beatsmith Dr. Dre is at least keeping busy at the forefront of music and tech. Dre along with Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine recently unveiled the new ENVY 15 Beats limited edition notebook PC.

According to Billboard, “the HP ENVY 15 Beats is the latest rollout by Beats Electronics LLC, co-founded by Iovine and Dr. Dre in 2006. Featuring a piano black high-gloss finish and the Beats Audio design found in the “Beats by Dr. Dre” headphones line, the HP ENVY 15 Beats will also come bundled with the Dr. Dre headphones and state-of-the-art mixing software from Native Instruments’ Traktor LE. Retailing for $2,299, the HP ENVY 15 Beats will be sold at Best Buy, major retailers and through HP direct.” Bedroom producers have to start somewhere after all!

Skype, Kazaa Creators Turn on the Rdio

SoundCtrl October 14, 2009

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Scandinavian wunderkinds Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, the duo behind P2P pioneer Kazaa and voice communication tool Skype, are returning to their roots with a new subscription music service dubbed Rdio. The New York Times reports that the “secretive startup” is based in LA and San Fran, has a CEO in tow and will offer seamless access to music from both PCs and cellphones. For more on how the tech pioneers are reaching back into the music space, read more here.

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Midem Turns Spotlight on Digital Music Startups

SoundCtrl October 13, 2009

Sound Ctrl fave Hypebot reports that music industry trade fair/community Midem has teamed with Music Ally to launch a digital music/tech showcase dubbed MidemNet Lab . Startups can submit their stuff to the MidemNet Lab site and judges will determine the top 15 companies, who will then be presenting at Cannes in January.

Gary Vaynerchuk Crushes It!

SoundCtrl October 13, 2009

Want to cash in on your passion? Then if you haven’t already, check out entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk’s book Crush It, which is no doubt a part of his 1o-book deal with Harper Collins. Congrats to @garyvee! Sound Ctrl digs it; you should too!

When Cyberpunk and Shoegaze Collide

SoundCtrl October 12, 2009

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Crusty samplers, 8-bit gadgets and other doodads were essential elements in one of the most overlooked records of the mid-90s: Difference Engine’s Breadmaker. Now Wired chats with the band and unearths this ’94 gem, which is now seeing the light of day again in digitally remastered form.

“A friend suggested the William Gibson and Bruce Sterling book title for our band name, and we immediately took to it, since it encompassed our sound, which is a blend of human and machine,” Difference Engine vocalist and bassist Margaret Ayre told Wired.com in an e-mail interview, explaining the band’s steampunk roots. “Our old Emax was kind of like Babbage’s device: old and finicky, but it sounded great!” Think Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine with a sci-fi bent, and you’ll see how music and (old-school) technology can mesh like PB&J.