louisgray.com: live

The British techno duo Underworld has always danced to their own beat. One of my favorite bands for a decade now, the group has performed in the best pair of concerts I've ever seen in my life, released the concert DVD that pushed me to by my first DVD player (which I still have), and continues to push the cutting edge on musical style and distribution.

The group, now a duo after losing famed DJ Darren Emerson, has often leaned toward longer tracks - in the 10-plus minute variety, rather than easy-bake radio hits that venture from three to five minutes, as the vast majority of pop artists do. But even these lengths seemed unwieldy to the oddly creative group, who has now found a home, at underworldlive.com, to issue exclusive tracks, which can range anywhere from 20 minutes to more than half an hour. The tracks, not bound by any Digital Rights Management (DRM) software, as Apple's iTunes and other offerings do, cost 5 British pounds apiece, are only available to registered users of their site, and download, encoded in Zip format, to a full track, as well as thirty-plus pages of the band's artwork.

I told you they were creative...

In 2005, the band first took the leap to direct from the Web sales, with its RiverRun project, issuing the singles "Pizza for Eggs" and "Lovely Broken Thing". Earlier this year, they continued, with "I'm a Big Sister, and I'm a Girl, and I'm a Princess and this is my Horse." (Don't ask) For customers like myself, who purchased all three, fans get a bonus download of "The Misterons Mix", only available to those who invested in triplicate.

Though best known for their Trainspotting-fueled classic "Born Slippy", Underworld has pioneered some of the most pure, electric sounds in the genre. It should be interesting to see how lucrative they find this eclectic move, with a bare minimum of publicity. It is especially interesting to see their avoidance of forced music lockdowns. On their site, they write, "We are not using any copy protection or drm as we prefer to start from the point of trusting our customers. If the system is abused, we will have to review how we provide content."

This is yet another amazing testimony to the Web - giving artists direct access to the fans, avoiding the middleman. The next time Underworld comes to your town, go see them. Until then, make sure you visit underworldlive.com. You might like what you find.

Listening to ''Pizza For Eggs'', by Underworld (Play Count: 6)

As previously noted, the Apple iTunes store is by far my #1 source for new music over the last three-plus years. Though the store initially launched with a very limited number of artists I found interesting, Apple has continued to add new artists, albums and songs every week, and it's getting harder and harder to find songs I'd like but the iTunes store doesn't have - even for those who listen to music on the fringe, as I do. However, as the store database becomes more cluttered with millions and millions of songs, I'm noticing that inconsistent variations between artists or music genres makes obtaining new music that much more confusing.

For example - one of the world's best electronic DJ's is DJ TiÎsto, from Holland. His last name being what it is (TiÎsto) means that if you search for Tiesto, you find one set of music, if you search for DJ Tiesto, you find another set, and lastly, spelling DJ TiÎsto exactly as so gets you a third grouping.

Even worse, when multiple artists choose to join forces, a listing is created that highlights the pair, rather than displaying the work in the listing for each, individually. That seems silly. Again, TiÎsto is a great example. Earlier this month, the DJ collaborated with Maxi Jazz, the lead singer for Faithless, on a great track, "Dance 4 Life". But you won't find it under DJ Tiesto or Faithless. I was lucky to stumble upon it at all.

Apple isn't perfect, but in order to best serve its loyal customers, in my opinion the company needs to put as much attention into the back-end database for the iTunes Store as they do in the way the application looks to ensure highest satisfaction.

Listening to ''The Tube'', by DJ TiÎsto (Play Count: 3)

As popular as it is or once was to trash Microsoft and all things related to the Redmond software monolith, Apple has recently received its share of potshots from people eager to see the company's leadership in online music sales and MP3 players erode. A recent doomsday-like article out of the BBC says that the iPod has lost its cool, now that they are as ubiquitous as MySpace pages, "Digg This" buttons and Google AdSense. The article goes even further saying that the average iTunes user is avoiding the iTunes store, and that the average iPod user has only purchased a few dozen songs.

This is derived from the overly simplistic math that with 1 billion-plus songs sold on the iTunes store, and 60 million iPods floating about returns a iTunes/iPod ratio of about 20.

Now, while I may be on the lunatic fringe, my own iTunes spending habits have been fairly regular, ever since the store opened in early 2003 (around the time I got married). In fact, the major impacts on any lulls in purchasing can usually be tied to:

* New music or lack thereof from tracked artists
* Willingness to spend money (especially when funds are tight)
* Available time to look at new artists or music

My iTunes library reports that I currently have 3,495 songs, of which I purchased 1,179 songs from the iTunes store, a 34% rate. The overwhelming majority of other tracks were ripped from CDs I already owned, or from DJs who make their music available online for download.

From April 28, 2003 to June 30, 2003, I purchased:  114 songs
From July 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003, I purchased: 69 songs
From January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2004, I purchased: 136 songs
From July 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004, I purchased: 285 songs
From January 1, 2005 to June 30, 2005, I purchased: 129 songs
From July 1, 2005 to December 31, 2005, I purchased: 181 songs
From January 1, 2006 to June 30, 2006, I purchased: 236 songs

And since July 1 of this year, I've purchased an additional 29 songs. Okay, maybe I'm nuts. But if you look at my buying history, you see consistent purchases since the introduction of the store, and I know I'm not alone. Even if I may be in the higher echelon of iTunes customers, it would take a million people just like me to bring the store to a billion tracks purchased.

It's a lot of fun to target the leader - and expect Apple will be brought down by music-playing cell phones, by Microsoft or Sony, or even Google, but nobody has yet found an integrated inexpensive, simple way to enjoy your music the way that Apple has. And honestly, it's not a Mac vs. PC thing. It's simply a better way to do things altogether. That's why nobody else is taking away Apple's throne.

Listening to ''Reach Out (Technikal Remix)'', by Elemental (Play Count: 6)

You've probably noticed I spend quite a bit of time while on the computer listening to iTunes. A friend of mine, Andrew Zamler-Carhart, a software developer behind all the great Mac OS X software at KavaSoft, released an application that helps Web developers and bloggers highlight their own iTunes libraries on the site, called iTunes Catalog.

Recently, Andrew issued an update to Kavasoft's iTunes Catalog program, and my own library was updated this evening - as you can see at http://www.louisgray.com/music/.

If you like iTunes and have a blog or a Web site, you can download iTunes Catalog from here.

Some highlights: iTunes Catalog even lets you jump directly to playlists, artists and songs, just like you can with regular, plain-old iTunes.

(Examples: Top 200 Songs Played , Recently Purchased Songs , Top 100 Most Recently Played Songs)

In the 1980s, the Pet Shop Boys forged their unique sound on the radio waves and dance floor with "Always on My Mind", "Left to My Own Devices", "West End Girls" and other hits. But after their 1991 Discography greatest hits album, all went silent for the duo, as time tends to take its toll on bands of all flavors.

Imagine my surprise today when I saw that iTunes was featuring a brand new album by the Pet Shop Boys, called Fundamental. The CD, or that which I've heard so far, hearkens back to the original sounds and tunes that made the band famous in the first place. Anybody who fell in love with the sounds of the Pet Shop Boys, New Order, and Information Society, not to mention a host of others in this period, will at least want to give a cursory glance to the latest offering from the band.

And isn't it great knowing I don't have to go to Tower Records or Amazon to get this music? iTunes always has it, and it's just a download away. Thank God for Apple.

Listening to ''Psychological'', by Pet Shop Boys (Play Count: 1)

If you are an avid electronic music fan, then there is no question you are familiar with The Crystal Method, the duo behind hits including "Born Too Slow", "Busy Child", and "Trip Like I Do". Their 1997 album, Vegas, put them on the map in a big way, and 2004's "Legion of Boom" kept the beats pumping.

As previously noted on the site, my wife and I attended a concert in San Francisco featuring The Crystal Method and Paul Oakenfold, and though the two of us weren't the standard hard core, thrashing fans common at their concerts, we came away very impressed, even more than we had been with Oakenfold's set, which followed. In the time since then, we continue to hear The Crystal Method's efforts, on the show CSI, on commercials, and elsewhere.

But most recently, The Crystal Method was recruited to provide Nike a 45-minute continuous mix for iTunes, intended as background music for a fleet of runners (wearing Nike apparel, allegedly), and they delivered. The piece, titled "Drive: Nike+ Original Run" aims to give energy to exercising and "goal-oriented activity that goes along with working out," according to the digital booklet which accompanies the download.

In fact, the 45-minute piece varies in intensity along the lines of an anticipated workout, building gradually, offering the runner time to "warm up and find a steady rhythm", before accelerating through peak, and eventually cooling. This is an interesting salvo from the Nike and Apple partnership, one that should find its way to iTunes libraries everywhere, even if your idea of exercising, like mine, involves moving the computer mouse or lugging a laptop.

Listening to ''Drive: Nike+ Original Run", by The Crystal Method (Play Count: 1)

Rather than keeping all my tunes to myself, where only I can enjoy them, I've posted an iMix featuring twelve of the tracks I've been listening to of late to Apple's iTunes Music Store. Featuring music from Daft Punk, the Chemical Brothers, Depeche Mode, Blank & Jones, M83 and others, each of the tracks is unique and plays well - either for working out, for working with it in the background, or driving in the car.

You can access the iMix, and download it, or individual tracks, here.

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=165245625

Listening to ''Technologic'', by Daft Punk (Play Count: 7)

Long considered one of the world's best DJs, Paul Oakenfold hasn't gotten the most rave of reviews for his solo album efforts, best exemplified by 2002's "Bunkka", which brought us the hits "Ready Steady Go" and "Starry Eyed Surprise". And while enjoyable, the one time I saw him in concert in San Francisco, I wasn't exactly blown away. Tag-teamed with Crystal Method, I actually enjoyed their opening act more than Oakenfold's repetitive spinning and visuals.

With that said, last month iTunes alerted me to a new album by Oakenfold titled "A Lively Mind." Being a loyal trance junkie, it rapidly found its place in my Purchased Music list, and has been a staple in my music rotation of late. The tracks "Feed Your Mind" and "No Compromise" are some of the better tracks, adding good background energy to any task I'm pursuing on the laptop (by far my #1 music source).

If you're not familiar enough with Oakenfold's work, try out "A Lively Mind" from iTunes, and then travel over to Amazon to get his back tracks. There's plenty there.

Listening to ''No Compromise (Featuring Spitfire)'', by Paul Oakenfold featuring Spitfire (Play Count: 5)

I'm impulsive when it comes to purchasing new music from iTunes, which no doubt makes Apple very happy. Inherent features of the iTunes Music Store, including other best selling songs by artists, and what others who purchased the song you're viewing also bought are very tempting tools to expand what may have been a $.99 or $9.99 purchase into something larger than that. And if you've had a chance to take a peek at my iTunes Library of late, you'll see I've already got thousands of songs to listen to - which if I sat down to consume in one gulp would take more than two and a half weeks of uninterrupted absorption. That means that some very good songs no doubt don't receive their fare share of attention, and it also suggests I don't need to purchase more songs, but instead listen to those I already have.

With that in mind, I looked into finding which songs I had purchased from the iTunes Music Store that hadn't been listened to more than say, 3 times, which would indicate a price of 33 cents per play or higher. I created a Smart Playlist consisting of songs in my "Purchased" playlist, and added another parameter that their "Play Count" was 3 or less. According to my real-time results, that consists of 53 items, and 6.4 hours total of entertainment to go - including one mix for 1 hour, 21 minutes.

So now, we're looking to fix my abhorrent spending habits, and we're becoming acclimated to those songs that so far have had a "Bad ROI".

Listening to ''Rush (Vinyl Version)'', by Purple Haze (Play Count: 1)

If you've got the right music in the background, almost any chore can take on a whole new feel, and it doesn't seem like a drag. There are some artists in my iTunes library, that when their music is playing, you can't help but be having a good time. I'm not one for listening to the blues, or slow, dragged out adult contemporary and folk music. I'm not interested in tapping slowly and shaking my head side to side, but instead prefer music you can beat out a good rhythm for, one that features intelligent ups and downs with multiple layers recognizable in the music, music that evolves from beginning to end, and in the best cases, leads you almost unknowingly to the next track.

I play music wherever I can get the opportunity. It's always on at home, in the car, and I've even snuck in an Apple iPod Shuffle to the office for when I really want to focus. I'll even leave the earbuds in when taking calls if I'm confident it won't get in the way. When I have the earbuds in, and there's no distraction between me and the monitor, that's when my best writing takes place, the most quickly. While some people can't do homework or read with music on, I can't exist in silence, for my mind gets too restless. That's where techno comes in. Some think good electronic music is intended just for the club scene, but I've got rhythmic bass from my car at 7:30 in the morning as much as I do at 10:30 at night.

Techno is the natural evolution of music. As I've famously said, Mozart came and died so that you could listen to techno. The best artists: Blank & Jones, Paul Van Dyk, DJ Tiesto, ATB, and those lesser known, like M83 or Royksopp, have real talents and offer my life a pulsing soundtrack that adds enjoyment to every note.

Listening to ''Desire (Short Cut)'', by Blank & Jones (Play Count: 4)

I may have mentioned KavaSoft on this site before, but the one-person company just released an update to their iTunes Catalog software which dramatically improves their online cataloging features - making it appear just as you were viewing your iTunes library, and it browses your personal music as if you were at the iTunes music store.

If you have a Web site, or just want to poke around with one of the very best independent software applications for the Mac I've ever seen, check it out. And it handles large libraries just fine, as you can tell with my 3,400+ song, 18 days, 28.5 Gig demo.

http://www.louisgray.com/music/

When you're a music junkie like me, there comes a time in your life when you simply can't get to all your music as much as the tunes deserve. Right now, I have 17 days worth of music - a full 28.16 GB worth, according to iTunes, which means that even if I devoted 8 hours a day to listening, it would be more than seven weeks before I got through every song at least once. Problem.

So, utilizing one of Apple's tools, Smart Playlists, a while back, I designed a playlist called "The Neglected", which, appropriately enough, contains songs that haven't been listened to all the way through for the last 12 months, and populates based on iTunes' metadata information. When I first created the list, there were several days worth of songs that hadn't gotten attention for a full year, and after much dedication and focus, I'm pleased to say I've whittled the to-do list down to about an hour. Following a handful of Orbital tracks, we'll be down to zero - only to see all those songs I last listened to on March 28, 2005 be added to the pile tomorrow.

Listening to ''Lost'', by Orbital (Play Count: 7)

Last.fm has an interesting service, which tracks what you listen to, and posts your stats to their site. Now, you can display what you listen to on your blog, as I have done, above. Now, should you choose to do so, you can get an idea as to what's running through my laptop speakers any time.

It's no secret that my musical tastes lean more toward electronic and techno music than mainstream top 40 nonsense or even what's deemed alternative these days on the radio. Unfortunately for me, that means the radio doesn't have any kind of solution if I'm looking to hear the latest songs from Underworld, DJ Tiesto, Blank and Jones, ATB or Dave Clarke.

iTunes is only now starting to archive the best of electronic music out there, making it available for download. In the last few months, I've managed to get early access to some incredible albums on iTunes, including "Far Away Trains Passing By" by Ulrich Schnauss, and "Shivers" by DJ Armin Van Buuren, to name a few. If you're not familiar, click on the links and visit iTunes to preview a few songs. I don't think you'll be disappointed. But it's honestly not enough. Whereas in years past, we used to have a few hours on the radio dial with Subsonic on Saturday nights with San Francisco-based Live 105, even that show has been canceled for more standard offerings.

"Our goal for 2006 is a more unified station," claimed the station's program director. A serious cop-out, abandoning those listeners, like myself, who had followed the show religiously for the better part of a decade.

But all is not lost. The Internet has opened new exposure to new artists. MusicMobs offers you the ability to match up artists to those you already like, while Last.FM chronicles your musical list and shows you other artists or people who share your interests. And some artists have opened up the vault to their music library so you can sample hour-long or more tracks and live sessions. The best of which who I have enjoyed is an artist named DJ Irish. I have nearly 2 and a half days worth of his remixes, from Hard Trance to Assorted Trance and live sets at clubs where he has performed. Best of all, it's free. He posts a new set, and e-mails those on his list to let you go get it.

You can find his sets here: DJ Irish and DJ Nyman Music Archive. I hope you'll enjoy it. For more insight into what I'm listening to, check the MusicMobs and Last.FM links above.