The Death of Guitar Hero and DJ Hero- What happened??

Imaged Sourced from http://gamerant.com

Most people by now have either strummed a plastic peripheral guitar, or scratched on a turntable like controller. Everyone loves bringing out instrument like controllers to entertain a group of guests at a party. But for now we are going to have to stick to what we have, as I'm sure most of you are aware, there isn't going to be any more 'Hero' games being produced.....for now.

Guitar Hero first hit our shelves back in 2005, when rhythm and dance games weren't really big in Western Countries. In Japan however, games such as Beatmania (video below) were a huge success. Probably due to the difficulty of the game, and the non-commercial western tracks it features, is why it never did too well outside of Japan.

Guitar Hero simplified the idea of Beatmania, gave the game more commercially known rock tracks and bundled the game with a plastic controller shaped like a guitar. It became an instant hit and spawned many sequels and spin off's within the next 5 years of its original release.

As much as I thought Guitar Hero was a fantastic game, I was never a huge fan of the Rock genre. I always longed for a good music game based more around the urban genre. To my delight, and many fans across the globe, in 2009, Activision (Publishers of Guitar Hero) released DJ Hero, a game very similar to the mechanics of Guitar Hero, but instead features a Turntable styled controller, with a rotating platter and 3 main buttons. This was the game for fans of Dance, Rap and RnB. It became one of the highest grossing new products in North America that year.

All up, there have been 14 'Hero' games released since the launch of Guitar Hero in 2005. Most likely the reason behind the death of the 'Hero' franchise is due to Activision 'milking' the series, focusing too much on getting new product on shelves rather then focusing on creating new and interesting game play. PaRapper The Rapper creator Masaya Matsurra stated games need to go beyond the idea of challenging the player to mimic the playing of licensed music.

Activision is currently holding off any future development of the 'Hero' series due to weak sales, recognising that the music game genre was not profitable as it once was. 

Though the music game genre still lives, with titles such as Just Dance, Dance Central and Rocksmith showing great results worldwide. Unfortunatly, the urban genre seems to be left out...again...I guess the best we're going to get is Black Eyed Peas: The Experience.....

R.I.P Steve Jobs

This week we have lost one of our greatest thinkers and entrepreneurs in todays day and age of technology.

Steven Paul Jobs, co-founder of Apple, one of the worlds biggest and most successful companies. He is the man we all associated with big Apple product launches, whilst wearing his trademark turtleneck sweater, jeans and joggers. Jobs played a huge part within the computer, music and animation industries.

Most of us will have at least 1 product in our households which has been created or influenced by Steve Jobs. From iPod's to iPhone's, Apple computers, or even Pixar movies, this was all done by Steve Jobs. I personally have about 5 Apple products within reach of the desk I sit at right now.

Steve Jobs was someone who as able to take a very boring product, and turn it into the most sexiest, sought after device across the globe. Computers, Laptops, MP3 players, Mobile Phones, Tablets are just a few products which Apple have made the world crazy for.

The Music and DJ communities utilise many Apple products today. The majority of club DJ's and producers around the world will be using an Apple MacBook due to its stable operating system and ease of use.  Listeners of digital music worldwide have Steve Jobs to thank for products such as iTunes, and the iPod, revolutionising the way we listen to music.

As Apple announce their latest product, the iPhone 4S, what will Apple revolutionise next? With Steve Jobs having a huge influence on the current staff and employee's at Apple, we can only imagine.

Kient Clothing

Hip hop clothing has become a popular fashion trend embraced by teenagers and young adults. The versatile trend can be worn for casual and formal occasions. Unfortunately many popular hip hop brands, such as Rocawear and Baby Phat, only have stores in America, so their clothing ranges are somewhat limited in Australia.

Kient Clothing is an online store based in Perth. The owner Raiz Thawizardofoz, is interested in both hip hop culture and American sports, so he has brought these two interests together in Kient Clothing. He has been using Facebook and word of mouth to communicate with customers which proves to be quite successful as many people log onto Facebook, at least once a day. They provide various products which can be purchased by commenting the photo with the word "SOLD", which is both easy for customer and Kient Clothing.

Kient Clothing provides its customers with items such as, t-shirts, hoodies, sport jerseys and Mitchell & Ness snapbacks. They cater to both men and women, and many of these items are limited in Australia, so if you're into hip hop clothing, check out Kient Clothing.

RIP Aaliyah: One In A Million

The year was 2001 when the R&B world stood still to hear the tragic loss of one of it most iconic and influential artists, Aaliyah. Fans worldwide mourned her untimely death as she lost her life just as her career was expected to solidify her as one of the urban greats of all time.

The talented singer was signed at the age of 12 and went on to record three chart-topping albums, "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number", "One In A Million" and "Aaliyah". She also released two compilation albums and twenty six singles.

When the world heard of Aaliyah Haughton's tragic death in a horrific plane accident at the tender age of 22, loyal fans were shocked and left in disbelief. Before her passing, she starred in successful films "Romeo Must Die" and "The Queen Of The Damned". She was the trend setter to her fans and her lyrics spoke to millions. Ten years on, her music has proven timeless and still inspires her many fans.

(Photo Credit)

As a child, I remember listening to her tracks and she is one of the artists that made my love for R&B music even greater. I had trouble coming to terms with her death at the time because her death was so untimely. She was in the prime of her career, and in my mind, was re-defining R&B music.


Take a moment to remember the life of the talented and beautiful star who was taken too soon. Listen to her music and remember how she impacted the music industry forever.

To Upgrade or Not To Upgrade? The DJ's guide to Mac OSX Lion

Apple have recently released their new operating system, titled 'Mac OSX Lion'. It is only a $30 upgrade and available via the Apple App Store.

Now a lot of DJ's have been asking the question wether or not is it worth upgrading their systems to the new OS. Programs such as Scratch Live, Ableton Live, Adobe Audition are used quite heavily by DJ's and Producers world wide, and the same question keeps being asked. "Will Lion mess up my program?"

Below is a small guide, highlighting the Pro's and Con's of upgrading your system to Mac OSX Lion. It will be kept updated when developers release patches for their hardware/software

Features
One of the coolest features included within Lion which can be very useful for DJs, is the 'Airdrop' feature. This allows multiple computers running Lion on the same network to easily drag and drop files to another user. Sharing MP3's between DJ's in the same vicinity has never been easier.

Serato Scratch Live
I have currently upgraded my MacBook Pro to OSX Lion and have had no problems using Serato SL1 or Scratch Live (Version 2.2.0)

Rane does not recommend upgrading to Lion for the time being until a patch is released. Rane have identified some know issue's such as;

- Rane hardware core audtio drivers do not install
- Haning/GUI not updating after computer goes to sleep
- Possible crashing when using the Relocate Lost Files function

Adobe Audition
Adobe have officially stated that the Adobe Creative Suit 5 and CS5.5 suite editions will run reliably on OSX Lion.

Ableton Live
Ableton is officially compatible with Mac OSX Lion.  Just make sure you are upgraded to the latest version.

"As of version 8.2.5, Ableton Live is officially compatible with OS X Lion." Dennis DeSantis- Ableton Staff

Audacity
No problems at all, runs perfectly

If there is a program you would like me to test out on Mac OSX Lion, feel free to comment below.

Games To Look Forward To In 2011

Here are some of the biggest video games hitting our shelves in 2011. Unfortunately there are so many I couldn't fit them all in, but these are the best of the best!

October 25th- Battlefield 3 (X360, PS3, PC)
Critics say this will be the game to knock Call Of Duty of its perch as the top dog in shooter. The developers are using a brand new graphics engine for this game, and from the gameplay I've seen. The realism is amazing. This is a game i recommend checking out on launch!

October 25th- Dance Central 2 (X360)
The highest selling Kinect Dance game returns! This time around you will be grooving with artists such as Montell Jordan, Akon, Nicki Minaj, Daddy Yankee and many more. The biggest addition to this game is to be able to have two player simultaneous gameplay. Time to bust out your moves B-boys!

November 8th- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (X360, PS3, PC, WII, DS)
This is the big one. Come November 8th, 99% of the people you know will be playing, or have already played this game.

Set directly after the event of Modern Warfare 2, where the Russian Federation continues to invade the United States of America. But now they are also moving forces into Europe, including England, France and Germany. So expect a lot of Russian but kicking and some awesome multiplayer modes in this upcoming blockbuster.

November 25th- WWE '12 (PS3, WII, X360)
After spending hours after hours with WWE All Stars earlier this year, who would've thought that THQ would bless us with another WWE game within the year! The latest addition to the series sees a return of the 'WWE Universe' mode, featuring new and more unpredictable events based on player decisions. WWE '12 is packed full of new features and a must grab for any wrestling fan!

R&B Superstar - The Ladies Edition feat. Marques Houston

As part of a ‘Made In the 90’s’ sideshow, R&B singer, rapper and actor Marques Houston played at Metro City, Northbridge for R&B Superstar. Coming to us straight from Los Angeles, California, his first ever Australian show was alongside DJ Rampage.

Unfortunately though, the long wait for the club show saw the crowd becoming tired and irritated. People that were actively dancing throughout the night had gone to find a seat or were just standing around, restlessly. This left a sense of aggression in the air which kept the bouncers busy. The atmosphere was noticeably dimmer and it was evident that the star of the show had missed the prime time for a great performance.

Finally, at just gone 1am the DJ announced that everyone had to make some noise for Marques Houston. There was an abysmal cheer, and the DJ announced, “You gonna have to do better than that!” It was a good effort for an audience that had been waiting three or four hours.

Dressed in a black jacket, jeans and a red cap, Marques Houston came to the stage singing “Pop That Booty”. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties which involved a backing CD that continued to skip, Marques performed the song twice before inviting ladies from the crowd onto the stage, whilst his DJ attempted to fix the problem. He also gave them the chance to have their own moment and dance, as he’d only been on stage for five minutes. His fans wanted to hear him sing - not watch the girls they were just standing next to.

The set list continued with “Favorite Girl”, which drew a big cheer from the crowd. At one point there was loud feedback from the microphone and this ineptly happened several times again. The next song was “Pullin’ On Her Hair”. Vocally, Marques Houston is undeniably a great singer. It was unfortunate that he didn’t really demonstrate this with any of the songs he performed, nor did he show off any of his dancing.

The next song was “Swag Sex” (from his new album Mattress Music) however he did not finish the entire number. After announcing he wanted everyone’s attention before he “got outta here”, he sang “Clubbin’”. As if we didn’t get the memo that the show was already over, the jacket he previously had taken off was put back on. Bizarrely, he only pulled up one of the sleeves leaving the rest of the jacket just hanging from his right arm and he performed his last song in literally, an awkward fashion. As a former member of Immature/IMX, with five solo albums not to mention feature films and TV shows under his belt, this was very disappointing.

In total, Marques Houston played approximately four and a half songs and his entire set lasted about 25 minutes, leaving many attendees disappointed that many of his classic tunes were never performed. With the technical difficulties, an accapella performance of his slower tunes like "Sex With You" and "Closer" would have at least left the crowd more satisfied.

At the end of the show Marques took some time to pose for photos with fans. He was friendly and welcoming to say the least. True fans probably won’t be discouraged by this mediocre performance, however if Marques Houston doesn’t pick up his game for the rest of the tour and fix the technical issues that proved hazardous on Friday night, he’ll have Australia wishing he just stayed in the 90s.

Watch The Throne

Two kings of hip-hop, Kanye West and Jay Z have consolidated their position as music royalty in their latest masterpiece they are calling Watch The Throne.

Anyone who recently went to the U2 gig with Jay Z last December may have heard rumors that Kayne West was travelling alongside Jay in order to record this album. These rumors were totally accurate, and in order to accommodate both of their schedules Kanye and Jay recorded in Australia, as well as Europe and the United States. A mini-documentary about the making of the album with behind-the scenes can be found online here.

Guest performers on the album include Frank Ocean and Beyonce.

Pre-order the deluxe digital edition on iTunes. Watch The Throne is released in-stores 12 August 2011.

Photo: Rap Dose

UPCOMING PERTH EVENTS 2011

The QUEEN is COMING

Where: Burswood Dome

When: Tuesday 18 October

The one and only Janet Jackson will be hitting Australian shores this October. Pre-sale tickets have already sold out so be sure to grab tickets when they go on sale.

Although originally planned to be a 35-city tour selected by her fans, overwhelming demands have extended the tour with Australian shows. Janet Jackson says that she plans to perform in venues that provide intimate settings, and be “up close and personal” with her fans. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a Jackson perform in the flesh, so undoubtedly will be an unforgettable experience.

Tickets are available from www.janetjackson.com and www.ticketek.com.au

Source: Janet Jackson

WINTERBEATZ

Where: Challenge Stadium

When: Wednesday 17 August

The artists for this years Winterbeatz need no introduction. Major US acts 50 Cent, Lil Kim, Mario and Fabolous are headlining the urban tour all over Australia. Fiddy is also bringing along G-Unit members Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks. Come and party like it's yo' birthday!

Head over to www.winterbeatz.com.au to secure your tickets because they won’t last long!

ONE TWELVE & HORACE BROWN

Where: Metro City

When: Friday 5 August

R&B Superstar and On Point Promotions have pulled some incredible performers for the next two weeks at Metro City, Northbridge. The “Made in the 90s” show on features R&B group 112 and singer Horace Brown. The Grammy-award winning quartet 112 had major success with songs such as “Peaches & Cream” and “Only You”. They won a Grammy for their work with Puff Daddy and Faith Evans on the hit “I’ll Be Missing You”. Singer Horace Brown is known for his notorious song “Taste of Your Love”. His self-titled album also featured Puff Daddy and Faith Evans. Special offer tickets are currently available, only $40 for BOTH shows, both 112/Horace Brown next week AND Marques Houston this Friday. Pick them up at www.moshtix.com.au.

Photo: RNBHaven

MARQUES HOUSTON

Where: Metro City

When: Friday 29 July

Marques Houston has recently released his fifth studio album, Mattress Music. His most popular songs from his extensive career include “Circle”, “Sex Wit You” and “Naked”. As a former member of the R&B band Immature/Imx, he has since been a successful singer, rapper and actor. Those not familiar with his music will recognise him as the lead in the 2004 dance film You Got Served and as the iconic “Roger” from Nickelodeon’s Sister Sister. Tickets are $25 from Moshtix (or see above for special double ticket offer.) For more information go to www.metrocity.com.au or www.onpointpromotions.com.au

Source: Metro City

Photo: Fresh-Grind

Review: Brian McKnight and Dwele

On June 23, 2011, R&B legend and musical extraordinaire, Brian McKnight, performed at The Astor Theatre in Mount Lawley, just outside the city of Perth, to a small intimate crowd.

DJ Skooby, known as the People’s DJ and four-time running “Perth’s Urban/R&B DJ”, was the headline DJ for this event. As the seats filled up, DJ Skooby played smooth tunes and slow jams leading up to the performances of Brian McKnight and Dwele.

Before Brian’s thrilling performance, Dwele took the stage with his DJ and backup singers. He sang songs both old and new from his album, “W.ants W.orld W.omen”, including his new single, “What’s Not To Love”. While he was on stage, he was both entertaining and humorous, as between songs he interacted with his audience with anecdotes and jokes. Not only did he perform on stage, but he also made his way around the crowd. He chose songs to sing directed to the female fans, such as “Cheatin” and “Let Your Hair Down”. He gave a wonderful performance, whilst not stealing the show from Brian. As he left the stage, he left the crowd excitedly waiting on Brian’s entrance.

Brian McKnight, an artist who has been performing for nearly 20 years and has sold millions of records, gave a jaw-dropping performance, which left loyal fans in awe. He entered the stage solo, and played each song without a band or DJ, as he played the piano, guitar and electric piano. He gave an interactive performance as he took the audience through phases of his life, from a young boy to adulthood, and the music he learnt to play on various instruments. Although he showed his beautiful vocals with each song, he also showed another side to him, as he entertained and charmed the dedicated fans. He sang some of his most popular songs, such as, “Anytime”, “One Last Cry”, “Back At One” and “All Night Long”. He showcased his musical skills, which made each performance even more magical.

Both artists gave intimate and entertaining performances, which would never be forgotten by the audience that attended the concert. Brian McKnight’s “Just Me” and Dwele’s “W.ants W.orld W.omen” are available now.