In Portugal there is a Discotexas

March 28, 2010 | Filed Under music 
Tags: bandido$, constellation, cpt. luvlace, digitalfoxglove, discorockets, discotexas, double damage, flip, forbidden cuts vol. 1, gun n' rose, holdin' on, justin faust, moullinex, portugal, rockets, tambourines fuck yes, valsa in NJ, xinobi

image: via flickr

I guess blogging about labels is more interesting to me these days, and for good reason. The good people behind them.

Our homeboys in Portugal just recently one HELL of a compilation EP (Forbidden Cuts Vol .1) and just yesterday dropped Justin Faust’s latest jam ‘Holdin’ On’. The label name is Discotexas and they’ve been doing it right. Moullinex, Xinobi, Rockets, Cpt. Luvlace, Double Damage, Bandido$, Flip, and Gun N’ Rose are the leading talent right now and it’s only bound to get better. (more proof? see here, here, here, aaand here)

There 3 major factors that come into play when successfully promoting and distributing albums.

1. Album Artwork – this is so much more important than you think. Who wants to buy a record with ugly  or poorly designed sleeve art? I have so many records that I’m almost ashamed to pull out because their sleeves are so ugly. This isn’t to say that the music inside sucks, because it totally doesn’t, but it’s the very first impression someone gets when flipping through a crate or even when browsing iTunes without having had any prior bias. (case in point) You might say, “Chris, there’s more to an album than the artwork.”  Well you know what? I’m shallow and design OCD (sup @erinautomatic). get over it. At least it’s better than being sloppy.

2. OK, this is kind of understood but the music better be fucking amazing. To this day, I don’t understand how records get released with such horrible composition/proofing/mastering.

3. Distribution model. Distribution model. Distribution model. Utterly important. Nobody is going to buy your record if it doesn’t make any sense. I am not going to name names, but some labels have been recently putting out vinyl again WITHOUT offering a free digital download.

NOBODY WANTS TO BUY THE FUCKING SAME RELEASE TWICE.

INCLUDE (high quality) DIGITAL COPIES WITH ALL VINYL PURCHASES. Everyone loves vinyl (yeah you do). But not everyone has an analog -> digital interface to rip it themselves. Fuck CDs. Don’t get me wrong I would take vinyl for listening purposes any day but actually prefer playing CDJs based on mechanics and convenience. You can burn cds for that purpose as easy as anything and not give a fuck about them. Stop wasting money and plastic on CD albums please?

Here’s a selection of my fav releases old and new by Discotexas.

THE THEME!!! If anyone reading this was a #radiotuftsmania regular they’d know I sometimes used this track as my sign off. Such a feel-good vibe. Tambourines, what did I tell you?

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Moullinex & Xinobi – Discotexas Theme (Digitalfoxglove Remix)

A beautiful track by Rockets (formerly discorockets), I’ve had the pleasure of hearing his style evolve over the past couple years and it has matured into the refined and masterful product you see here. The demos he sent me almost 2 years ago showed a general structure, but this product is just…. wow. Can you just hear the amazing? –but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Here’s to fat basslines and 2010!

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Rockets – Constellation [off the Constellation EP... out later this year?  sssshhhhh]

Moullinex in with that disco shimmer!! Has anyone heard a Moullinex remix that wasn’t good?  case in point.

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Justin Faust – Holdin’ On (Moullinex Remix) — [off Discotexas' latest release, listen to the whole album here]
BUY: Beatport, Juno Download, Amazon

So much vibing!!! That keyboard!! The chorus with the vocal ooh’s kills me. Use this as your exmaple mastering drums and layering percussion elements.

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Xinobi – Valsa in NJ — [off Forbidden Cuts Vol. 1, listen to the whole album here]
BUY: Beatport, Juno, Itunes, Amazon (us) (uk) (fr) (de)

Lastly, a super chilled-out remix by Moullinex. This time, it’s of Who Made Who’s ‘I Lost My Voice’. The vocals sound eerily like Øye (not a bad thing) but pay very close attention to the fucking perfect bass and hand percussion. yeeww!!

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Who Made Who – I Lost My Voice (Moullinex Remix)

PS: You can pre-order the Forbidden Cuts Vol. 1 here. (Can’t wait to get mine!!)

update: The Forbidden Cuts Vol. 1 has arrived and it sounds GLORIOUS http://twitpic.com/1al1×4

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