“Can we solve this problem with MORE freedom instead of less?”

-Penn Jillette

Legal eagles who frequent the Legal page on this site(there may not be many of you) may have noticed a change recently:   The copyright which applied to all content has been changed to a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike license.

This change includes all current and future releases, as well as retroactively for all the previously released EPs, and the random beats series. 

Because of this, you are now free to share or modify the content, as long as you attribute the original work to Karl D, and share your content with the same or similar license.  You don’t even have to ask for consent – but I’d love to hear about it on the contact page!

In fact, I’d been planning this change for a while, but it seemed like an appropriate time given the discussion of copyright online.

I hope you continue to enjoy listening – and enjoy your freedom.

The future of the internet.

randombeats.com is not blacking out for the day, but stands in solidarity with those that do.

PIPA/SOPA is legislation intended to protect copyrights.  Instead, it keeps the rich and powerful…rich and powerful, while damaging the right of citizens to speak freely on the internet.  Besides that, many tech experts agree that the methods that would be used to enforce the legislation could damage the way the Internet works.  Simply put, the legislation is dangerous to an American’s right to free speech as well as our Internet infrastructure.

If passed, the idea of “Fair Use” would essentially be non-existent on the internet.

Most of the content on this site is original – but as designed, SOPA/PIPA would allow randombeats.com(and other sites like it) to be effectively taken down(or “go dark”) at the mere suggestion of copyright infringement.

Read more about the issue here:  http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/01/websites-dark-in-revolt/

Follow the money:  http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3261/money

Like last year’s post, I’m using this space to highlight some of my own influences – which have come in the form of individual tracks as well as mixes from standout DJs on podcasts and promotional mixes around the web.

Please enjoy this selection of mixes and tracks from these hardworking artists, and if possible, support them any way you can.  These lists are in no particular order.

Top 5 Tracks:

1. DJ Fresh – Louder(Doctor P & Flux Pavillion remix) - I’m not normally into the super-heavy dubs like this, but with people making videos like this with this track, how could you not fall in love?  The original mix is a killer as well.  Respect is due to Sian from Kosheen providing the vocals on this one.




2. Run DMT – Baraka’s Theme – Anybody who knows me knows I’m a HUGE Mortal Kombat nut.  So when I found out there was an electronica album coming out inspired by Mortal Kombat(curated by JFK of MSTRKRFT), I was all ears.  “Baraka’s Theme” was my favorite cut from this album, due mostly to the slow, deliberate pace and thunderous sounds.
3. Trent Reznor and Karen O. – Immigrant Song(Led Zeppelin Cover) – This cover has a nice big sound, and definitely made me sit up straight in my chair when I heard it the first time in the trailer for “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo“.  Like many NIN/Trent productions, this sneaks up on you in the most delightful way.
4. Magnetic Man – The Bug  – British readers may note that this technically came out last year, but we here in the States didn’t get the message about this one until the spring of 2011.  I really liked this moody cut from the first and only(so far) dubstep super-group.
5. Katy B – Katy on a Mission – I picked up Katy B’s album late this year, and was very glad I did.  The album was produced mostly by DJ Zinc, which gives the young Katy some serious credibility.  This particular track was produced by Benga and quickly found a place as my favorite from this disc.

Top 5 Mixes:

1. XLR8R Podcast 200 – Richie Hawtin vs. Plastikman – How precisely does one get in a DJ battle with themselves?  And how does one go about remixing a live DJ set?  These seem to be the questions that Richie Hawtin is providing the answer to in the form of this XLR8R podcast.  Apparently, this is “Plastikman remix” of a Hawtin live set(and yes, they are the same guy).  At a minimum, this is a challenging mix that seems to gravitate even more toward the chilled-out spectrum than most of this minimal master’s work.
2. Resident Advisor RA.270 – Tokimonsta – I had been a little familiar with the artist’s body of work, but when I first learned Tokimonsta’s identity, it was much like when Neo met Trinity in the first Matrix film:  I always thought she was a guy.  Rather, she is a very female L.A. based DJ with a demonstrated understanding of hip hop.  Moody underground beats, Toki’s own tracks, and a whirlpool of dubby effects make this mix a very notable contribution to trip-hop this year.
3. Stereo MC’s – Spring Selection Mixtape – I love a mix that won’t commit to one genre or another.  Few DJs can reliably pull this off, but the Stereo MC’s have successfully made a true “mixtape” out of this mix:  Its diverse selection includes hip hop, dubstep, old-school electro, rare groove, post-punk, house, and classic rock…and yet nothing seems out of place.  This is a great mix to start your day with, or provide the perfect soundtrack to a late-night party.
4. Barcode Recordings Filthcast 033 featuring Eye-D and Hidden – Like your drum and bass hard, techy, and fast, a la Dieselboy or Counterstrike?  This mix is for you.  Only Eye-D and Hidden’s own tracks are on display here, and they represent some of the best that hardcore drum and bass has to offer this year.
5. Knife Party – Live at Space in Ibiza - Knife Party is Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen(both of Pendulum fame)’s side project, demonstrating some tech-house and dubstep chops.  This mix showcases many of their own tunes, and their remixes of other big house tunes.  Echoes of Pendulum-esque sounds can be heard throughout many of the selections in this mix.

Not much to say about this one, except it’s another one that almost didn’t get made.  The keyboard stabs came late and helped finish the job.

Karl D – Hiding in Plain Sight

There were several directions I ultimately wanted to go, which led to the inclusion of the Kraftwerkian electro break near the middle.  At one point during production, this variation might have built the entire song, but a little variety gives this track a robust character.

Karl D – So Many Different People

Hard house and hard trance used to be my bread and butter.  Now, compared to the dark trip-hop/breaks/general electronic style that dominates my style overall, this kind of release is somewhat anomalous.
I hope you find this one as exciting as I do.  This hard dance track is by far, the most “modern” one I ever remember producing.

Karl D – Climbing to the Top

Spacey breaks characterize this cinematic track.  Also, the “Shitty Strings” make a reappearance here, to great effect.  Two variations in the main melody maintain a feeling of dread throughout the song.

Karl D – Like, Haunted

Rastafarians, as part of their culture, adhere to a strict diet that includes no meat, and mostly fresh fruit and vegetables.  Having this kind of a diet in Rastafarian culture is referred to as “Ital“.  The primary goal of adhering to these kinds of dietary principles is to  increase the purity of the food they eat.

Although you won’t be seeing dreadlocks on my head anytime soon, the overall Jamaican influence of this track was inspired by my own dietary experiences lately.  The food I eat these days generally does not include processed food, high amounts of fat or sugar, and as few preservatives as possible.  Doing so has certainly benefited my well being overall.  I think that having learned about Rastafarian culture over the years has, to some degree, helped me understand why it is important to care about what you eat.

So, I’m returning the favor with some deep-dub reggae.

Karl D – Rasta Breakfast

My goal was for “SCAR” to be somewhat of a hybrid of acid house, dub, and techno.  Like some of the previous entries, this track’s instrumentation is stripped down to the bare essentials.

Karl D – SCAR

Today’s selection might be a bit unfriendly, depending on your perspective.  life.remixed is taking a rather minimal turn overall.

The beat was constructed using only one instrument(the bass drum).  Then, the sample was reversed, chopped, and repeated until it actually had a pretty diverse sound. That, mixed with some moody atmospherics makes a dissonant concoction with a very ominous presence.

This track reminds me of a similar “beautifully ugly” random beat(4_09).

Karl D – Solid Ground

“Reconstitution” straddles the line between dub and trance(Dub-trance?  Is that even a word?).  Earlier on, there was more focus on the trance elements, like the synth line(which has a rhythm I would consider very important to this track).  The dub influences didn’t come until the later stages of making the track.  I’m happier for it; the dub piano(with just a hint of glitch), along with the echoey drums and the big bassline, really help this track stand out.

Karl D – Reconstitution

Karl D – Collapse

“life.remixed” started several years ago as a general brand for the site(back when you probably weren’t the ardent listener you surely are now).  I’ve found a renewed interest in the ideas around it, and I’ve been developing some general ideas about making an album around the concept.  Much of the material will be based around everyday perceptions and our experience here on Earth.  This project is a back-to-basics approach to electronic music, with an intent on being approachable yet consistent with the “Karl D/randombeats.com Sound”.

It’s fairly uncommon that I release artwork with my albums, mostly because I personally don’t really have much talent in that regard.  However, a few times a year, my graphic design skills prime my creative capacity enough to sit down and crank out something mediocre. This time I had a concept in mind, and the artwork was simple enough that I could do it on my own.  So, as a special preview, here’s the artwork for life.remixed(click for larger size):

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the cover bears some resemblance to Existential Funk.  In some ways, this album is the “true sequel” to it(in a way that recent EP releases are not), and shares some of the same general concepts.

Stay on the lookout over the next several days for the first track from life.remixed. Lots more content will be on the way soon, and will be the focus of this site for the near future.  Please see below for a downloadable alternate cover you can use as your computer’s wallpaper.  See also the original life.remixed image from 2004!

life.remixed wallpaper(randombeats.com version)

original life.remixed image(approx. 2004)

Using a well known sample from Method Man and Redman’s “How High”, this track is similar to some other dubstep work I’ve produced.  I’m finding my style in this area can be significantly more chilled-out than some of my influences, like Skream! or Rusko.

This concludes the “Mumble and Slouch” EP, which can now be downloaded in its entirety in the Downloads section.  I hope to bring you some more great content soon.

Karl D – Faces of Death(Download – Right click and choose Save As)

This EP will be called “Mumble and Slouch”.  Today, I present the title track to you.

Obviously, there’s not much going on here.  The whole idea was for this track to be a little less “in your face”, but there was some room for some interesting elements.

This EP will collect “Dum Spiro Spero“, “Foresight“, “Aeon“, this track, and one yet to be produced.  As soon as it is complete, it will find a home in the Free Downloads section, among the rest of the material available on this site.