Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone (Deadmau5 remix)

Faithless - God is a DJ (Deadmau5 Remix)

Deadmau5 - Live at Coachella

Is there anything better than a live show with some great music? I have a friend who saw Deadmau5 live and after the show a guy came up to her and asked her if she had a staring problem. She had no idea who he was or what he was talking about until he jogged her memory by stating "I was wearing a giant mouse head. Ring a bell?" I guess that's the price of anonymity: if you become famous while hiding your face, who is really famous? You, or the mask?

Black Eyed Peas: Is This the Beginning of the End?

I'm going to make this short and sweet. Should you buy the Black Eyed Peas' new album, The Beginning? Let me me put it this way: If you love auto-tune and the dramatic swing towards a blatant electro-pop sound Will.I.Am and The Black Eyed Peas seem to be heading, then by all means purchase the album. Just to give you a taste of what your in for, the first track off the album interpolates (I've Had The) Time of My Life from the movie Dirty Dancing and, in my opinion, heads downhill from there.

Will.I.Am has explained that he used to attend raves while he was in high school and that is why his music has gravitated towards a more technotronic sound but, at this point, it's hard to believe that Will.I.Am ever used to produce for Eazy-E's Ruthless Records. While the majority of the album seems to fall short in an attempt to seemingly reach a broader audience, the one shining spot on the album is track number eight: Don't Stop the Party, which is ironic seeing as it is the only track on the album that doesn't. Buy it if you must, but I recommend you pass over this album in favor of Deadmau5's 4x4=12 if you're looking for a good electronic music fix.

Bass Thumpin' Thursdays

It's been a minute since the last BTT and were jumping right back into the mix with a few videos that have been heating up the internet. The first song is relatively unknown. Discovered on Youtube, Mr. Jiix has some pretty cool tracks. Here's a new one titled Get Up. If you like the track, Get Up and check out some more songs.

Get Up - Mr Jiix & Rodolphe L. Feat TomTox

The next artist is no stranger to BTT, and though her previous tracks Hot and Amazing are both adjectives one would use to describe Inna, her new track 10 minutes is really f-ing catchy. Don't worry though. The video is only 3:20.

Inna - 10 Minutes

DeadMou5 has been blowing up the last couple of years and even landed the gig of house DJ at the 2010 VMAs. Check out one of his lesser known tracks, Slip and be sure to keep your eye on DeadMau5, he's going to be huge

DeadMau5 - Slip

Last is a fabulous video by Fabolous. Light's Out only just premiered, but has garnered an impressive number of views and landed fab a guess spot exploring Brooklyn and hosting a video countdown on FUSE. check it out and Holla Back in the comments section

Fabolous - Light's out

Sidechain Compression Is What Makes the World Go 'Round

For my first post on this blog, I'd like to discuss my obsession with sidechain compression. Its the sound that puts the bounce in my step while walking around the City bearing headphones. Its the musical technique DJs employ to move the floor like a choreographed ocean wave. Its the uncredited cousin of house music's "umm cha umm cha umm cha."

"What exactly is tonotopik talking about", you ask?

Technically, sidechain compression is a production technique. It uses a compressor (device that reduces the volume of an input when it reaches above a set threshold amount) to dynamically effect the output based on the sidechain input. The sidechain input is most usually a bass drum signal. So, whenever the bass drum hits, the compressor reduces the volume of the track being compressed, and as the bass drum releases, the compressor raises the attack level of the track. Usually, the compressor is set to a long attack and short release, never letting the level get to the decay point. The result is the fading in and quick release of the track being compressed.

Non-technically, listen to the following clip (The Bloody Beetroots - Dimmakmmunication) and you'll get it. Pay attention to the organ-like synth at the beginning, and then listen to how it changes when the bass drum enters around 0:44. For a more drastic example, pay attention after "Hey DJ" around 1:35.

By the way, it is my dream to DJ a club and drop this track, watching the crowd go nuts after "Hey DJ."

Another one of my favorites is Autoerotique's remix of Lykke Li- Little Bit. Many different tracks of the song are sidechained, including the bass and a little bit (pun intended) of the vocals. Autoerotique also puts most of the instruments on the syncopated off beats, making it impossible for an engrossed listener to sit still.

Another great track is Purple Haze - Bliksem (Purple Haze is the alterego of Sander van Doorn, master of dark and heavy house music).

And, last, no post on sidechain compression could be complete without the modern classic Deadmau5 - Ghosts N Stuff.