A synth legend passes away. Take one more trip through Output. Technics levels up. Berlin Community Radio says goodbye.
Alan Pearlman dies. Synth pioneer Alan R. Pearlman died on January 6th, 2018. Pearlman founded ARP Instruments, and his impact on electronic music and sound is rivalled by few. He was the principle engineer of the ARP 2500 and 2600 modular synthesizers, which appeared in films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Logan’s Run, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars, giving R2-D2 a voice. The 2500 was also used and loved by musicians and bands like David Bowie, Jean Michel Jarre, The Who and Stevie Wonder. Before founding ARP in 1969, Pearlman built amplifiers for NASA, and served in the military. He was 93-years-old. Read more here.
RA closes the comments. In a move that had dance music social media buzzing, Resident Advisor closed its comment section over what the site called “a tone of disrespect” that at times devolved into “full-blown intolerance,” including sexism, racism and homophobia. “Our comments are no longer serving our community in the way we’d intended,” they said. Many artists lauded the move, especially those who were often the target of such abuse, while some fans cried foul. RA’s move follows outlets like Vice, NPR, Reuters, Bloomberg and Popular Science. Will other outlets follow suit? Time will tell. Read more.
Relive Output. Following the closure of Brooklyn club Output on January 1st, The New York Times has published a reader-submitted retrospective, featuring fan memories from inside the club. Told with photos, quotes, and even sound bytes from various parties, readers recount nights spent dancing to DJs like Laurent Garnier, Seth Troxler, and John Digweed (who played the club’s closing set). A few fans even went on to marry people they met while partying there. Output will surely be missed. Read it here.
New industry standard. Long considered the industry standard in DJ turntables, Technics have announced an update to the brand’s most iconic direct drive deck with the SL-1210 MK7, the first in nine years. Updated features include a coreless direct drive motor that won’t require replacement of parts and achieves more accurate rotation and powerful torque, and new DJ play functions like reverse playback. The new deck is rumored to drop in May, costing £899/€1000 in the UK and Europe, and $1200 in the US, where it will be the exact same turntable, but dubbed the SL-1200 MK7. Read more here.
Reloop gets ELITE. Reloop have announced a new 2-channel mixer for Serato DJ Pro with ELITE, which features 16 RGB pads for up to 12 performance modes, two independent effect units, two OLED displays, a dedicated loop section, 24-bit sound quality, customisable fader curves, two USB ports, two headphone jacks and much more. Price starts at £1100, and ELITE will be available this March. Check out more here.
Goodbye Berlin Community Radio. After almost six years of broadcasting, Berlin Community Radio will send its farewell broadcast on February 5th. The station cites “losing all funding” this year as its reason for shuttering, saying its monetary deficits have been substantial “for a while,” and that “it’s time to say goodbye.” Over the years, BCR hosted DJs like Call Super, Laurel Halo, rRoxymore and Palms Trax in over 100 shows. It will be missed. Read the station’s full statement here.
Marcus Mixx needs help. Known for his unabashedly raw Chicago house records (that are usually hard to find; many are considered collector’s items), Chicago’s Marcus Shannon, AKA Marcus Mixx, is asking for donations to help move out of the shelter he currently lives in. Its restrictive hours and lack of space to store the equipment he needs for work make finding and keeping employment difficult. He’s asking for donations to help find housing, saying that because he’s “not a felon or drug user,” he’s unqualified for free/low-rent housing. “It hurts like hell to be an individual who has fallen to this point, because, I used to be someone that could & would help others that are like I am now,” he wrote. Mixx is asking for $3,000. If you’d like to donate, click here. We wish Marcus well
Support Sydney pill testing. The advocates behind Sydney’s anti-lockout laws, Keep Sydney Open, have organized a rally in support of pill testing to take place on January 19th outside Sydney Town Hall. Testing has become a hot-button issue in Australia following drug-related deaths at festivals there, and the traditionally hardline government now says it will “consider” pill testing if presented enough evidence that it helps saves lives. To join the rally, check out the Facebook event here.