Search dance music

Notes: Use this cable to connect your Bluebox to a data source and a power source at the same time. This will allow you to stream audio over USB. The cable has a USB B male connection on one end and two USB B female connections on the other end: red for power and black for data.

Stream Audio Over USB with Bluebox

If you bought a Bluebox for desktop before September 2023, this handy adapter will make it easier to connect your device to a computer. New firmware allows you to send audio from the bluebox to the computer and back.

The adapter splits the power from the USB signal to help avoid noise from your computer. It also enables you to power the device separately in case your computer or hub is not suitable for the demanding power requirements of the Bluebox.

Connect the male end to the USB Power port on your Bluebox. Then connect your bluebox USB B power cable to the red female jack, and a USB B data cable to the black female jack and you are ready to stream audio.

Specs

Length: 3.25", 8.25 cm

Weight: 1.2 oz, 34 grams
Dimensions: 6.5 × 2.5 × 0.75 in

Review: New York punks Love Child first burst onto the early 90s scene in the same aeonic breath as Pavement, Sebadoh and Beat Happening. But despite the ignition and hype, their debut seven-inch and subsequent releases have remained long out of print until now. Never Meant to Be: 1988-1993 pulls from these releases and some unreleased radio sessions, unearthing a trove of lost gems by the quadrangle of Will Baum, Alan Licht, Rebecca Odes and Brendad O'Malley. The former obscurity is undeserved and the reissue deserved, as the climaxes on this record - from the garbly top-reg guitar solo on 'Know Its Alright' to the tape-warblings of 'Sofa' (through and despite which we can still make out its humourous lyrics) - are full of forceful punk rapace.

Review: The Beatles' EP From Us To You #3 captures a 1964 BBC session that encapsulates the band's early charm and infectious energy. Featuring a whopping ten tracks, it was recorded in the BBC's Paris Studios in Regent Street, London and fact fans will note that 'Honey Don't which was later included on the album Beatles For Sale and sung by Ringo, here features John on the vocals. Elsewhere the EP captures the band's irresistible melodies and tight harmonies with three of the tunes originally penned by the band's favourite rockabilly star Carl Perkins. Each song is a testament to The Beatles' enduring influence on popular music and overall serves as a timeless reminder of the band's unmatched creativity which continues to this day with new AI-produced singles that the much talked about one earlier in the year.

Review: Los Angeles-based ASHRR are back with a new cut which comes from their forthcoming Sunshine Low album which they have re-interpreted as their ASHRR Soundsystem alter ego, while System Olympia also steps up with a remix on this fine new package from 20/20 Vision. In the hands of the latter, 'What's Been Turning You' is a remix with plenty of hi-fidelity cosmic details over mid-tempo deep nu-disco drums. The version from ASHRR is a chugging and Italo-tinged classic with loose-limbed and jumbled drum funk and plenty of bright, shiny arps. A great collection then.

Review: Random Factor's 'On The Air' EP is a hugely sought-after classic by those who know. It came on Ralph Lawson's ever-reliable 20/20 Vision and now, as it turns 25 years old, he has decided it is the right time to get it remastered and reissued. 'On The Air' is first up on this fine EP from Carl Finlow and it has serene synths that bring to mind Detroit techno soul over pulsing bass and slick drums. 'Lockdown' has a raw vocoder vocal over punchy drums and twitchy synth stabs and 'Undercurrent' is another weapon that has more than withstood the test of time as it bumps along on funky drums and is overlaid with more playful synth patterns. 'Disconnect' is a crunchy and 8-bit closer with pixelated synths and screwy acid lines. Superb.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


The second release on 3 Mats features a cast of emergent artists dealing in the vibrant seam where electro synthesis and techno focus collide. If you rate labels like Partisan and EYA you'll be into this record, without a doubt. Frankfurt producer Philipp Boss opens up the record with 'Die Schone', a collaboration with Gianluca, while Gabriel Belabbas creates a rolling warm-up delight of electro breaks with an iconic sample on 'Dance With The Speaker'. Muelsa's 'The Future Is A Trap' is a raw, boxy machine workout and Nico Lampariello finishes the record off with an acid laced workout for the darker side of the dance.

Review: Any serious dancehall head will know that an original copy of this is seriously rare. It originates back in the late 80s and early 90s NYC scene van Cooly aka Koolindian aka Super Cat's cousin Andrew Maragh. It first Cameron his label Mad Indian Records but is now reissued by the excellent Death Is Not The End sub-label 333. 'Freedom' was written while the talented vocalist was in prison and details what he saw as the unfairness of the judicial system back then. Philip Smart is the man who laid down the rhythm that so ably carries the vocals. On the flip is a vision but it's the original that you need in your life.

Review: The dynamic duo Octave One starts off 2024 with a new EP that features new versions of two of their own classics and a brand new song. 'Price We Pay' has two remixes featured here, with the both being massive main stage crowd pleasers. 'Mirror Image' is a slick downtempo track that shows the pair's creativity for making great dance music. Last, the new version of 'A Better Tomorrow' is updated to be more futuristic and spacey. Messages From The Mothership Volume 1 are a great sign of things to come as Octave One explores more of their long and impressive discography.

Review: Old muckers Mr G and Duncan Forbes drop their fourth collaborative project 'Cosmic One'. It comes in the form of four creative flips of one stroboscopic deep house banger, with the two taking the source material and reworking it into a further three prime-time club missiles. 'Cosmic Three' is our pick of the bunch, with syncopated claps opening up the track, and allowing the bubbling chords and shuffling b-line room to shine through the gaps in the texture. Bound to light up any self-respecting dancefloor, this one.

Review: A two-EP bundle by the band now reissued via 4AD, Dry Cleaning's 'Boundary Road Snacks & Drinks' and 'Sweet Princess' were first released as promo EP CDs, first sold at standout early gigs, such as their nascent May 2018 debut live show at the Shacklewell Arms in London. 'Sweet Princess' came first and laid claim to a simple but shrewd crock of DIY, post-punk jump-ups, in which a mood of bemused postirony abounds by way of relentless four-string accelerations and which are undergirded by gallowsy stories told of childhood pets dying, indirects at Meghan Markle and recollections of suffering the mockery of others. 'Boundary Road' followed as the tribute to the road near which bassist Lewis Maynard grew up; both records complement each other well on this new pairing, looking back on a well-ridden comeup.

Review: This brilliantly entitled Boundary Road Snacks & Drinks & Sweet Princess EP from 2019 marked another innovative release from 4AD courtesy of Dry Cleaning. It is a tantalising blend of sonic delight with Florence Shaw the fine vocalist of the post-punk quartet leading the way with tales about the absurdity of modern life. With its evocative title hinting at nostalgic indulgence and whimsical allure, listeners are treated to musical journey brimming with creativity and innovation as the band confront loneliness and desire through lists and nonsequiturs with commnets on things as random as duvet covers, an abandoned fridge, hot people and a banana. This is a vinyl reiusse though it also arrives on cassette and CD.

Review: Adrianne Lenker's run of mesmerising wyrd folk work continues apace with her latest album on 4AD. There's always been a fragile, old-world quality to the American singer-songwriter's work, whether solo or in Big Thief, but the process is foregrounded on bright future thanks to the emphasis the label put on the album's all-analogue recording and production process. It's an approach which absolutely chimes with the charming delicacy of the songs contained within, guided by Lenker's distinctive countrified twang. What makes Lenker's music novel in the long and winding tradition of country and folk is the subtle surrealism you can hear scattered amongst the tradition - just listen to the guitar treatment on 'Fool' for all the proof you need.

Review: This is the first official vinyl release of the previously CD only collection of Pixies live performances on the BBC. Fans of the band know what a mythical live band the Pixies are. And what better way to experience that emotion then these recordings collected from their earlier years of the late 80s and early 90s? Included are many of the early hits like 'Monkey Gone To Heaven', 'Wave of Mutilation' and 'Allison', mainly from BBC studio sessions and the occasional live recording. 4AD have done an amazing job with this release spreading it across three pieces of vinyl too.

Review: Composer, sound designer, musician, artist. Vienna-based Ulrich Troyer has a number of strings to his bow, all of which have played into a world-building process deeply rooted in dub and sound system culture. Releases on the likes of Deep Midi Musik are a good reference point for newcomers. Here, though, we're in less structured and formalised places, with two pieces - well, one and a bit - of abstraction waiting for you to get lost in. 'Track 1' certainly comes with the kind of low reverberations and effects that call to mind huge speaker stacks in smoke-filled places. But it's also kind of deconstructed journey, it harmonises distorted beats and rhythms with beautiful melodic motifs in a way that's as innovative and beguiling as it is instantly pleasing. Flip it to find something we won't even bother trying to define, a celebration of the remnants of that opening arrangement, perhaps.

Notes: Really smart integration of macro controls for Eurorack, based on the original design by Emblematic Systems. Assign settings to eight CV outputs then morph with the crossfader or record movements to manage presets or set up complex real-time modulation. Can also operate as Catalyst Sequencer.

Supplier's Notes:
The Catalyst Controller is a macro controller with eight precision CV outputs and a responsive crossfader to morph between scenes. A scene is a snapshot of up to eight CV outputs, like a modular preset. Traverse a "pathway" composed of multiple scenes using the crossfader or an external CV signal, or immediately jump using the scene buttons. Record CV and slider movements, and play recordings back via a button or external trigger.

Each output has sub-millivolt precision and a maximum range of -5V to +10V. Channels have an adjustable morphing curve, can be quantized to common scales, restricted to a particular voltage range, or set to output gates.

Whether used as a CV preset manager, seamless transition generator, chord sequencer, CV recorder, or experimental CV playground, the Catalyst Controller puts control of your modular at your fingertips.

The Catalyst Controller can also turn into a Catalyst Sequencer! Hold down a special button combination to change between controller and sequencer modes. If you end up liking the Sequencer more, you can even remove the double-sided faceplate, flip it over, and re-install with the Sequencer artwork visible.

Based on the original Catalyst module from Emblematic Systems.

Specifications:

Smooth, responsive crossfade morphs between scenes
Eight output channels, each can be CV or Gate
Arrange scenes into pathways of up to 64 scenes
Smooth, responsive crossfader morphs from scene to scene along the pathway
Set slew/lag to limit how fast scenes can change
Adjustable Morph time per output
Control crossfading with an external CV
Record and playback up to 20 seconds of CV and crossfader motion
CV outputs can be set to -5V to +10V maximum, or limited to +/-5V, +5V, +3V, or +1V
CV outputs can be unquantized (sub-1mV resolution), or Quantized to common scales
Randomization of channel values/gates
Copy/paste
Based on the original Catalyst from Emblematic Systems

Pairs with: 4ms Catalyst Sequencer

Notes: The Catalyst Sequencer combines a traditional clocked step-sequencer with an unconventional phase-based sequencer to produce a new paradigm in sequencing. Eight precision CV sequencer channels can be simultaneously driven by a clock, a phase CV, or scrubbed manually with the crossfader.

Each of the eight channels has its own sequence length, quantizer, transposition, clock divider, randomization, voltage range (max -5V to +10V), and selectable CV (precise 16-bit resolution) or Gate mode.

Phase-based sequencing is an advanced form of sequencing where each step is selected by CV. The Catalyst Sequencer has a smooth, responsive crossfader that scrubs the sequence, playing it forward or backwards to track your motions. Patching in a CV signal will do the same: a ramp-up CV plays the sequence forwards, a ramp-down plays it backwards, a triangle plays it ping-pong, and complex waveforms generate new interesting rhythmic and melodic patterns.

The Catalyst Sequencer can also turn into a Catalyst Controller! Hold down a special button combination to change between sequencer and macro controller modes. If you end up liking the Controller more, you can even remove the double-sided faceplate, flip it over, and re-install with the Controller artwork visible.

Based on the original Catalyst module from Emblematic Systems.

Pairs with: 4ms Catalyst Controller

Review: Re-pressed on vinyl for the first time in 15 years, La Foret hears a full reissue via 5 Rue Christine. As conceptual as Xiu Xiu's fusion of post-punk, gamelan, synth pop, folk, and noise might seem, the group's music never feels overly cerebral or detached. On the contrary, it's usually brimming over with often contradictory emotions: love, hate, sex, violence, fear, and humor cling together so tightly in Jamie Stewart's songs that they can't be separated. Harsh and beautiful words and sounds remain intertwined on La Foret, which ranks among Xiu Xiu's subtlest - and scariest - albums.