When Shiva and Kali consort...

There are those who say it is dead...

digitaldallas — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:59:52 GMT

...but it lives. The change is constant and it's also subtle. The culture is something that must be worked at. Because it's been abused for a great many years. If you look around, you'll see it. If you put your ears to the ground, you'll hear it. If you want change, you must seek it. It will not be handed to you on a silver platter. It will not be contained in a package, ready for mass consumption. By taking the lessons of our past mistakes and applying them to our future, We will be strong again. This is a cultural re-evolution.

New Tribe for you Desert Trancers!!!

digitaldallas — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 07:32:58 GMT

Starting a new collective this way. Please join to get full info on desert gatherings, meetups, etc. http://tribes.tribe.net/nv-604

It was only a matter of time... Infected Mushroom has officially sold out...

digitaldallas — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:29:09 GMT

The next album will include collaborations with Paul Oakenfuck... Click here for the full article. http://i32.tinypic.com/jshqp0.jpg

Get some... music that is...

digitaldallas — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:43:24 GMT

Well aside from pushing my new mixes (direct .mp3 downloads below), I've been working hard on a new full-length album. I've come to find that it's not as easy as many put it out to be. My toughest chore (being the sample whore that I am) was getting clearance on the various movie samples, guitar riffs and whatever other craziness I wanted on that wasn't created by me. I realize that most people these days hope to fly under the radar. To each is own. Heaven's know I've done my share of bootlegging a remix or two. But since I will be selling the product on Juno Records, I wanted to be as legit as possible. With that being said.... If you want a full blown "professional" copy of the CD, you'll have to buy it there. But to be honest, I don't make alot off of it. Same with the download version via Snocap that you can find on MySpace. If you know me from here, and want a CD. You can send me a message and we can PayPal exchange or you can send the cash ($10.00) for the CD to be mailed directly. Now if you can't even wait that long... If you're in the Las Vegas area this weekend, I'm throwing down at the Sounds of the Underground party held at the Fort Cheyenne Events Center here in Sin City. The cover is only $5 and sets include myself and two other dj acts. I'll be headlining with DJ CBAS throwing down progressive trance early on. After my set stick around for Metal Machine. This is DJ Feather and Las Vegas Local Johnny Vibe throwing down tandem sets of Acid Techno and Acid Trance. REALLY GOOD STUFF!!! Oh, and I'll be giving away a few CD's of the upcoming album. But there's a catch... You have to message me here. If you haven't added me yet as a friend, please do. Then show up for the latter part of my set (8:30-10:30). I'll drop a pre-release copy of the CD that will likely contain "some extras" that you won't find on the commercially distributed version. Now if you fail to meet any of the requirements, you lose. Please don't be "that guy", showing up a half hour after my set and ask for a CD (without messaging me). Not to be an asshole, but you won't get a CD. These things cost me money. The least you can do is support. Now enough ranting... and on with life. Things are as good as could be expected. More to come next week. Stay tuned. Namaste-

While cruising the cosmos...

digitaldallas — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:25:26 GMT

Some of you may be wondering where I have been. Others may not have cared. Others may know that this is how I work. For those that don't know, here's the short version... 2007 sucked... Pure and simple. To break it down, it went like this... The year began with financial disparity. The middle of the year riddled me with the loss of loss of important people in my life. The end was rather calm, but allowed me to recoup and hope for the end of it all. By the new year, all I wanted was 2007 to end and the new year begin. And it's now here... I spent most of winter hibernating in the studio. Aside from random gigs here and there, this was where my focus was. I got two fresh mixes and a new style to introduce to you. Over the past few months, I've found a liking to deep house music. My only explanation is that the deep grooves sorta "balanced me out". I'm still well involved with Goa and Psytrance (it's still by far my favorite), but I've found myself grooving to house music lately. Anyway, one of the mixes is very housey and not anything like you've heard me play before. No, I haven't sold out (or maybe I have, but I don't care). I just have been feeling "groovy" lately. You can find these mixes with the rest on this profile or check it out on MySpace. This Spring will prove to be adventurous to say the least. My goal is one desert gathering a month between the months of May-September. I've been cruising Google Earth and found some pretty cool spots. These will be free gatherings. All I ask is that you come with respect and a desire to dance. Also, I will be putting together a bi-weekly event at a local venue. Check my blog for the announcement of whens and wheres. The end of summer will conclude with a trip to Burning Man. I purchased an RV for this trip as my "ruffing it" tent days on the Playa are long over. I actually have no idea where I'll be staying at BRC but my intent is to be there no matter what. I've been absent the past few years and I'm indeed ready to make it this year come hell-or-high-water. By fall, I plan on opening up a DJ and Record Store here in Las Vegas. To be honest, vinyl sales will not likely be the primary source as most people buy online these days. But there are a few people in town that still throw down the wax. I will likely be selling more dj gear than anything. This will prelude what will eventually become a full-fledged recording and multi-media design studio. My goal of the store is to be a "one-stop shop" for musicians and dj's in the area. I hope that 2008 will prevail as a much more production (rather than counter-productive) than last year. I hope to drift by Tribe more often but I'm on MySpace more frequently. So if you're on there and haven't added me, please do!!! You can check me out here: www.myspace.com/twistedduo. You can also check out the Shiva Studios website here: www.shivastudioslv.com. On a final note, my email is now: dallas@shivastudioslv.com. Please feel free to contact me on my email anytime. I check it daily. Namaste- Dallas

Gentrification hits Burning Man... Story @ Eleven...

digitaldallas — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:25:21 GMT

With space at a premium in the place called Black Rock City, nestled deep in the middle of the Northern Nevada Desert, many residents have found that a revitalization and reuse of the land is needed. With a population merging into the thousands and the government waning on expanding the borders of the city, some inventive developers have taken things into their own hands. Here's the story: http://www.current.tv/pods/tvfreeburningman/PD07073 Thought this was cool... Decided to share... Enjoy...

The truth why I didn't go to Burning Man this year...

digitaldallas — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 18:00:46 GMT

It's been a few years since I've been. My first was in 1996, then in 1997, and again in 1999 and 2000. It was miraculous. I found my spirituality on the Playa. I found out "who I was" there. Most of all, I found an outlet for true and uninhibited freedom there. Over the years, though, I've heard good things and bad. Many had the same experiences. Others not so much. Some also found themselves spiritually and creatively. Others just found it to be a good party. One thing that is common though is that I've been hearing alot more negative things than before. When you talked about Burning Man in the past tense, it was almost always a positive thing. Anything negative (like losing a crate of vinyl to playa dust) was chalked up as a learning experience. Today it seems that peoples negative experience were less of an learning curve and more of a bout of negative karma. The list is long on the downsides. Just look at the Burning Man Tribe. Tons of people complaining about one thing or another. Sure, you're going to get the whiners, but to be honest.... Some of what they are complaining about is true. Maybe Burning Man (like many sub-cultures in America) has come to it's apex. Maybe it's popularity and promotion has garnered that in which it truly meant not to be. Maybe the idea and icon of Burning Man has ascended to point where it is has become that in which it was meant to mock. Only we can answer these questions as Burning Man is much like religion. The meaning has become what we see it. Like religion, many just go through the motions in the name of god. While others live and breathe the message every day of their lives. Whether they're at "church" or not. You didn't see me at BRC this year because I was afraid... Yes, I said it. Fear consumed me. I compare it to having a phenomenal acid trip. The kind of trip where you certainly couldn't top it, or equal it, no matter hard you try. You want to be left with that great memory and don't want to even risk tainting it with a bad trip. So you choose not to do it again. This is how I feel about Burning Man. I would hate to have that experience tainted by forces out of my control. .... to be continued... comment if necessary.

I've been neglecting my fellow Tribes...

digitaldallas — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 20:56:15 GMT

My deepest apologies to you all. To be honest, I've been concentrating alot of my efforts on developing a MySpace for Shiva Studios in Las Vegas. For those that don't know (or have trouble with your internal RAM), Shiva Studios is my production studio. In San Diego, I was established as a licensed event promoter and have finally got my licenses here in Vegas to do the same. Although I love the people here on Tribe, MySpace allows me a much greater range of exposure and allows my creativity to be released by allowing media players and design factors. So if any of you meander about on MySpace, please feel free to add Shiva Studios to your friends list. In less than a week from officially going online, Shiva Studios now has nearly 200 adds. Many of which were unsolicited. So here's the address: www.myspace.com/shivastudioslv Namaste-

In LA for a few days... and alot of retrospect.

digitaldallas — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 18:43:45 GMT

Where there is darkness, there is light. Well my friends, I am in Los Angeles for the next few days. So to all my Vegas peoples, that's where I took off to. It seems that my Grandfather has passed on. It came as quite as shock as he is a rather spry spirit and was always full of life. He was also rather young (in his late 60's). While the details I get are uncertain, it was a result of heart failure. He has had previous heart troubles before and had been on a pacemaker for a few years now. For those that know me (even through blogging and whatnot), you know my views on death. We're put on this earth and into these shells we call "bodies" that truly do not outlast our spirits. I view death as a physical release from this bondage and the spirit is then released back into the cosmos. If our karmic energy allows our spirits to return to physical form then so be it. I feel that death should be celebrated and revered as a passing to other (and possibly greater) things. So it's safe to say that I "grieve" in a much different way than the rest of my family. With that said, though. It put alot into perspective. This is my Grandfather that passed. Not an uncle, a brother, or anybody else on parallel branches of the proverbial family tree. This is the direct male generation above my mother. My baldness, I got from him. My drive to excel in everything that I attempt, a trait from him. A dedicated worker who appreciates the value of a job well done, from him. Now putting that into perspective that his body gave out combined with the known fact that my own father's health is failing (at a young age as well), I realize that this life on earth is worth taking advantage of EVERY MINUTE. I mean, it's not as if I lived my life under some umbrella. But more that I'm a bit more grateful for the time that I have left on this planet. On a final note, for those of you I know in LA, I'm in town and would love to get together with some people to make some music, discuss, or whatever. I'm currently staying in Pasadena and in all honesty, without a ride of my own. Nonetheless, anybody who's down hit me up here. Namaste- Twisted D.U.O.

An excerpt of the book I'm writing - Evolution of a Scene.

digitaldallas — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:54:06 GMT

Stages of Raving The Hardcore Raver The hardcore raver is usually in the form of a kandykid, trancehead, or househead. Lured in by the seductive sounds of heavy basslines and squelching acid synthlines, the hardcore raver dedicates every weekend to pursuit of happiness. The music they choose often reflects the blissful newness of their new discovery. Sweeping melodies, catchy lyrical samples, and long buildups add to the semi-permanent euphoric feeling they get when they hit the party. Their drug of choice is still in the experimental stage and usually includes ecstasy and other hallucinogens. The Scenester Raver Dedicating every weekend to partying can take its toll. Months of the rockstar weekend are finally showing the signs of wear on the raver. Gone are the days of going out on Friday night only to return home on Sunday evening (after the day party). As chemical tolerance begins the raver bliss begins to fade. Going out becomes less about the adventure and more about the scene (and being seen). The scenester begins to start noticing lineups, asking themselves, “What dj is going to be there?” They begin being a bit more selective on which parties they go to, paying attention to who is throwing them and who is going to be there. The scenester rarely parties alone anymore, often coming with an entourage of drug dealers, dj’s, and promoters. The effects of ecstasy and hallucinogens have long worn off and they’ve moved on to other drugs like cocaine and booze. The music they choose is often a choice of popularity rather than what is good. The Jaded Raver As the scenester raver evolves, they find themselves becoming personal with the people who make parties happen. This opens a dark door of doom that is in great contrast of what they have witnessed only a couple years ago when they were newbies. The euphoric bliss has long left them with sense of bewilderment. They long for the days of old. As the weight of the real world bears down on their shoulders, they find themselves being “old school” with a attitude of have “been there, done that.” They find themselves out of touch with newbies who are still in their euphoric bliss. The jaded raver condemns the newbies for this innocence and backs it with a sense of knowledge. Armed with a collection of mix cds from their favorite dj’s, an array of chemicals delivered straight to one’s door, and an overwhelming sense of lethargy and apathy; the jaded raver begins to pick and choose which events they attend carefully. They often opt for an outing to the local house party or nightclub where things are “safe-and-sane, leaving the reckless recourse of the rave behind. They have “evolved musically” looking past euphoric bliss and hype. The “Reborn” Raver The reborn raver is one who has pushed past the jadedness they once came from. This revelation often happens after becoming so jaded by the scene that they choose to drop out of it. It is during this recourse, that the reborn raver often finds faith in the music they once loved. While with age, the preferred style of music they choose may have changed, the message the music sends is still clear. Many of the reborn’s friends and acquaintances have long left the scene. Most of which who have gotten themselves lost in the jaded phase and have moved on (or not). The reborn raver uses his sense for nostalgia and remembrance as reverence. The reborn has accepted that times have changed but allows this reverence as his empowerment. Realizing that faces and scenes change he focuses on the aspect that always seems to stay a steady course. It’s the aspect in which the reborn fell in blissful love with many years ago and it drives him today. While bouts of chemical use come into play now and again, it’s no longer the focus of the reborn. He appreciates the opportunity to indulge but realizes that he now has responsibilities to tend to. The music that the reborn chooses is no longer important and is a diverse collection. He realizes that all music plays an integral part in the grad scheme of things.

Superstar DJ's: The ego and self-recognition....

digitaldallas — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 01:52:53 GMT

This rant is simple. Now that I'm involved with running a multi-day weekly, I've been swarmed with dj's who want to play. Yes, communications between the crew on who was playing when was rough at first. But now we've got it worked out. We've learned to work together. But also, I've had to deal with some rather disgruntled dj's. Dj's who are not on any HUGE circuit. They're local guys. They're guys no better than you or I when they throw down. Yet they feel that they're better than others. They feel that because they are playing in MY HOUSE that they're doing me some GREAT FAVOR by blessing MY DECKS with their presence. I remain open to many identities. I've learned to deal with many different egos and personality. But don't come to me like I disrespected you by not giving you the amount of time you wanted. Don't pout like some primadonna because your sound doesn't fit into the timeslot you wanted. Yes, it would be nice to get recognition. It would be nice to feel wanted. But some people forget why we do this. It becomes less about the dancers and more about their own glory, reputation, and style. Which is bullshit. If anybody has rights to brag or get "superstar" treatment, I can humbly say that I've earned it. This is MY HOUSE and you're asking me to play on MY LINEUP. I've accomplished things over the past 15 years that most feel they don't have to anymore. I could flaunt this around. I could post my full bio around everywhere. But that's not me. I don't need to flaunt my "dj resume" around. I get paid to make music, I'm okay with that. But I don't feel that I have to push that shit around. I'm happy to play ANY crowd. I'm grateful to have the support of the people I do. I'm happy to play music that makes people dance. And when people stop dancing to my music, I stop and look within to see what I HAVE TO DO to get them dancing again. This is process that happens in every set, every night. I can easily drop names of bands I've engineered for, artists I've remixed for, or HIGHLY RECOGNIZED PROJECTS that I've been involved with. But I don't. Because it's not about me... it's about the dancers, it's about the music. Namaste-

Has anybody seen my keys to the time machine?

digitaldallas — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:54:19 GMT

It's been forever since I've been here. To make a long story, short, I forgot my logon and password to Tribe. The logon I used was from a long dead email address and recovering my logon was laborious. To make up the promotion space, I've found myself on MySpace. I've got a pretty cool profile going where you can preview my original pieces and really know whats going on with me. If you have a MySpace account please ADD ME (gawd I sound like one of those MySpace whores). Sadly, it's become an invaluable promotion resource. So anyway, stop on by: www.myspace.com/twistedduo With that said, I'm back online with tons of great news. First of all. I've been producing my arse off and spending alot of time behind the digital decks. The result is a handful of new mixes for your listening pleasure. I found a pretty cool resource for hosting my wares that seems to be pretty reliable and with an abundance of space. You can check out all my mixes from 2004 until present in my profile. Simply Right-Click/Save As. They're all recorded in 192kbps mp3 quality and will fit on one CD. My production efforts have allowed me to work "the day job" to a minimal. Some projects are on a "classified" basis. Meaning that it would be a breech of contract (with my client) to whom I do work for. Something about writing about ghosts. Other projects include project work for EA Games (The Sims 2) and ADV Films (post edit work for Air Gear coming to DVD). Next is my permanent (or as permanent as can be) relocation. Still in Vegas, but back in my old neighborhood. My mostly Mexican neighbors rock out to Cumbia and Reggaeton in the odd hours so it's safe to assume that the noise situation will be business as usual. All I have to say is that there is something to be said about living in the ghetto. I thought it was cool and all living in a nice place with "normal" neighbors. Wow, was I wrong. Give me the ghetto any day. The sad part, though is that in this whole process, I had to pawn out most of my hardware and instruments. It's gonna take some time to recover from that. I just have to keep remembering that worldly possessions are temporary and can be replaced. Lastly, I've found myself a nice group of underground soldiers who are down for something other than the fodder that the clubs seem to want to push out their asses. Even Drum and Bass is a standard staple issue here in this town. Mad props to these guys for bringing the sound to the mainstream. But well... I'll keep my views to myself on that. Politics being what they are. Nonetheless, I've got a great weekly in a VERY liberal venue going and a tandem monthly. Finally a place where we can listen and dance to trance music in a regular venue without all the plastic bullshit of the megaclubs. For info on that, please hit me up. I was scheduled for a couple traveling gigs last month and this but nobody confirmed with me, so that's life. No hard feelings. I've come to grips with these sorta things. So that about sums it up. My apologies for my absence. I'll truly try my best to hang out more. Namaste-

I won many battles, but I lost the war...

digitaldallas — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 04:53:47 GMT

Hello all, Just wanted to drop a line letting you know that after about 8am tomorrow (2/26/07) I'll be offline for a couple days. I guess we brought the noise too loud so we got the boot. Damn the old man downstairs. Guess he complained one too many times. Not to mention that a the landlord wants us out so that they can charge a higher rent. So anyway, don't get mad at me if you find out I'm on radio silence for a few days. Hopefully, I won't be offline for too long, but you know how these things work. I'll do my best to check here on barrowed bandwidth, but again, I can't promise much. Thanks for you continued support friends.

My humble apolgies...

digitaldallas — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:05:45 GMT

It's been an EXTREMELY hectic first of the year, so I extend my deepest apologies for those who feel they've been left to the wayside in my communication. Between a lapse in internet service and a delayed payment for services rendered from a client, January has not only proved itself to be a humble and trying month, but a busy one as well. I also want to throw in a sincere apology to Triplag, whom I've let down by not being online for thier big online show. I had great things lined up for this broadcast that included my first fully live pa broadcast. I have much respect to these people and they graced me with placing me on thier lineup... and I failed them (and you, the listeners). On a positive note, all this time offline has meant TONS of time speant in the studio. And although I've networked with several people that are helping along the way (including full access to a PROFESSIONAL recording studio with 24 track ProTools editing console), I have yet to find somebody that can market my music globally. I've met with several talent agencies and haven't made my mind on one. Creative process being what it is, I've successfully managed to piss off my neighbors to the point where they've given up on coming up to tell me that "the bass is too loud". Which means, all other interuptions aside, I finally get to crank out choons as much as I feel. Keep an ear open for some new music coming in March and a HUGE announcement of a release in August. Take care, my most humble apologies, and dearest thanks for your continued support. Namaste- Digital D

Psytrance Division... (from a post on the Psytrance DJ's Tribe)...

digitaldallas — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 19:34:16 GMT

So I was cruising around different psytrance haunts online and couldn't believe the despise some have for other psytrance sub-genres. I posted my latest mix on a darkpsy oriented site and got blasted for inlcuding a Skazi remix. Hell, even got called a blashpemour for including the track on the same playlist as Juno Reactor. Keep in mind this is a 80 minute mix designed to be burned to cd. Not a 2.5 hour performance at 3am in the middle of the forest on a three-day festival. It really didn't hurt me that I got criticised. I mean, that happens and you can't please everybody. But as I read other threads, I noticed that there is alot of division when it comes to the music. Full-On enthusiasts blast darkpsy. Darkpsy enthusiasts slam full-on. Then there's sub-genres that I never thought would exist: psytech, psy-breaks, and an array of subs in the "full-on" category. What I don't understand is how people can be so myoptic in thier view to eliminate other styles. Psytrance has always been a genre that have embraced different sounds and even other styles (like drum and bass). This is what makes it such a wonderful style of music to play and perform. To know that you can work beyond the realm of your standard existance to create something truly new. I feel that genre blasting and being closed-minded to ANY form of music is damaging to music as a whole. I also think that need to subclassify and over-generalize music is a waste of time. I feel it pedals the music backwards by it incessant need to be "labeled". Why can't it just be psytrance or goa trance? One can argue that it's the result of the music being more diverse with different influences, but if this is the case how would you explain Simon Posford's involvement or Juno Reactor's production styles? Both with two decades of production under thier belt and the older stuff is just as arrayed as today's new tracks. It's madness to over classify and it creates division. Which overall is not good for the music. Just because a producer or dj puts out a "full-on" performance that surely doesn't mean they aren't capable of doing something darker (or lighter, if needed). In fact, most psytrance dj's and producers I know often cross boundaries all the time. I even know a couple artists who produce drum and bass and even house music as well. It's this madness of division why I often find myself out of place in many psytrance circles. I feel not part of "the elite" because I don't conform. Since when has this music become about conformity? Since when was this music about "having a standard" of sound? This isn't about blasting anybody or any music in particular. It's about the state of the music. It's about the future of the music. It's about the history of the music. Psytrance music has always been in control of the people who make it and perform it. When we start over classifying it, we are doomed to relenquish this by giving control to somebody else. We're doomed to give control to a label or identity that we, the creators, didn't create. Anyway, that's my rant. Thanks for listening. Namaste-

Updated Podcast!!!

digitaldallas — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 19:57:07 GMT

Hello friends, I had to sorta revamp my podcast. To be honest, I haven't quite got it down yet. But as promised, a new mix for your listening pleasure featuring dark and hard psytrance. I originally planned on making this my set for a New Years Eve party I was playing at, but due to technically difficulties, I never got to perform. So I present it to you in the form of the first official Podcast of Portals. The Podcast will be updated every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month and will feature sets of not only dj music but live performances from your truly. The show will consist of psytrance, goa, and psy-chill ambient. Anyway, I hope you all like the show and as always, feed back is always appreciated. Namaste-

Getting Canned Sucks (even if I was gonna quit).

digitaldallas — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 05:39:50 GMT

Dammit if my work didn't beat me to the punch and fire me before I was going to quit!!! I had planned to quit anyway and go back to school full-time again. My wife works and makes good money and now that my boys are teenagers, I kinda like the idea of being an "at-home" dad. This also allowed me to dedicate more time to something that I like alot more than slaving in some cubicle... that being my music. So I get this call at 8pm (I'm like WTF?) saying that they don't "need me anymore". It wasn't really much of a blast to me personally as it was to my ego to think that they beat me to the jump. I'm still sorta in shock even though I was gonna put my notice in tomorrow anyway. Oh well life goes on. Guess I'm one of those with an extended vacation for the holidays. Luckily I have some loot saved up for the occassion. Now if you could excuse me, I have a meeting with the Bobs. Oh and the answer is "NO" you can't have my Swingline.

DJ Meet-and-Greet @ Mandalay Bay - Foundation Room

digitaldallas — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 00:35:45 GMT

Hosted By: Buckley Music, The Vegas Club Connection Sponsored By: Xyience.com (www.xyience.com) When: Monday Dec 18, 2006 at 11:01 PM Where: Foundation Room / Mandalay Bay 3950 Las Vegas Blvd S. Las Vegas, NV 89119 So I'm gonna be at this event shaking hands and meeting other prominent club promoters, artist managers, and so-forth. If you're in Vegas and would like to show up. The club has a cover but the meet-and-greet is a special (separate) event that is invite only. Check the link for info and to get your invite: http://events.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&eventID=142714.7568

"The number you are trying to reach has been changed. Please make a note of it."

digitaldallas — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 01:35:42 GMT

Sorry all for my lack of communication these days as live has presented itself with an assortment of projects, obligations, and otherwise menial tasks. Not that it is all bad. These things just have presented itself to as priorities and subsequently differred the priority of blogging and being an cyber-junkie down a few notches. First and foremost was the move from my smaller one-bedroom apartment to a larger two-bedroom. The second bedroom was to become the lair of all creation as an at-home studio. That is until my two sons announced that they want to come live with me here in Las Vegas. Luckily, I have plenty of space in my room to setup gear and such.... With that, I am proud to say that my oldest son (now 14 years old) is going to be applying to the prestigious Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts for the duration of his high school years. As many of you know, he has been gifted with an ear music and is a stunning Bass Guitar player. Practically self-taught, he now is expressing an interest in learning six-string. Rock on, Son!!! *Doing a metal-thrash head nod now.* Also in my much busy agenda is my decision to quit the work force and make my way back to school to get a "formal" education in music. I will be taking some courses at the community college and be transerring to UNLV to pursue my Master's Degree. This also leaves me open for a great many gigs as I will once again be a "working musician" again. This leads me into some rather great news.... Twisted DUO just signed a production contract for major release of the US release of a Japanese amimation series. Due to contract obligations, I cannot release the series name or releasing studio until the completion of the project. Nor can I tell too many details. What I can tell you is that this will be an anime series and Twisted DUO will be supplying the soundtrack and score for (at least) eight, one-hour shows of an action packed series. Well all, thanks for your time and keep tuning in. I promise to give you more regular updates as the the dust begins to settle. Namaste-

Upcoming Gig - San Diego - Underground Playground - 9/9/06

digitaldallas — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 02:32:57 GMT

09/09/2006 08:00 PM - Underground Playground Kadan's Nightclub, San Diego, 89104,US - FREE!!!!! Get your groove on all night long: Underground Playground, every 2nd & 3rd Saturday @ Kadan! No cover charge, no dress code, no drama. Good vibes, good times, great music! Free promo CD's while supplies last! $3 well drinks, 21+ w/ID, 8pm-2am. Located at Club Kadan. 4696 30th St , 92108, 619-640-2500 Your guides are as follows: Twisted DUO aka Digital Defiant (Psychedelic Trance & Originals) [Shiva Studios, Las Vegas Nevada] CD Release Party! Our special guest for this evening is Digital Defiant, coming out from Las Vegas , Nevada and celebrating a CD release party for his newest creation " Controlled Chaos" which features original work as well as the long anticipated Freeland remix called entitled "Pixelated Free-Land". JQ vs Jack Tripper [Tag Team set!] (Breaks / Prog / Tech / Tribal) JQ & Tripper will be doing a special tag team set (if you remember 'Drum & Breaks' then you know the vibe will be a-rockin'!) We also have returning Playground favorites Steve Kellogg and Abel Valdez to warm the night up properly. Steve Kellogg (Funky House & Anthems) Abel Valdez (Hip Hop / Old School)

The downside of being digital....

digitaldallas — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 03:39:04 GMT

Again, I've been away from Tribe. But not out of wanting. In fact, over the past week, I haven't been online much at all. One week ago today, I was getting set up to burn some cd's as I was going to play a house party here in Vegas. When I tried to access my storage drive, I get an error message that the directory has been corrupted and my computer can't read the drive. Now, I know that many of you rely on your computers for many things. For me, it's where I've stored my livlihood. Nearly 70GB of music was almost lost. A huge library of music that included vinyl rips of many classic tracks and rare tracks that couldn't be replaced. But even worse, was that my original music, remixes, and samples that I use for production resided on this drive. Demo mixes and original music that dates back to the mid-1990s were on the verge of being lost. Luckily, I have a habit of burning my latest music to an .mp3 cd to listen to at work (I have the luxury of having my own office and a fairly easy job.). I also had a handful of recent demos burnt to hand out. With this small stroke of fortune, I was able to play the following night at the small gig. But that still did nothing for the lost music sitting at my computer at home. In a cry for help on another local internet message forum, a computer savy raver kid named Ryan hit me claiming to help. So I create a new AIM id and password (couldn't remember my old one) and he sends me a file that is supposed to recover the files from the corrupted drive. After following his instruction and doing a short scan with the program, the attempt was futile. I still couldn't recover my files. With Ryan stumped and my exasperation at an all-time high. I'm about ready to just format the disk and cut my losses. I still had my most recent music and my latest mixes which was a good start. I would just have to rebuild the immense collection with new music. But I don't quit that easy so I begin to tweak with the program a bit. I start exploring what it can do. In my exploration, I find that I can do an ADVANCED SCAN and decide to try it. After nearly two days of deep scanning and no use of the computer (the program uses alot of the computer's resources), the scan pulls up every file that was on that drive since day one. I will spend the next two days searching though the automatically generated folders numbered 1014 to 11357 sorting and cataloguing the nearly 70GB of music. But alas, everything is as it was and I even got rid of some things I don't need and it's all stored on my new 350GB External Drive. So the moral of this story is simple kids. If you wanna be a digital artist.... BACK UP YOUR SHIT!!!!!!

Wow, it's been awhile since I've Blogged...

digitaldallas — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 18:52:09 GMT

So I'm cruising Tribe as usually do on a regular basis and realized that I haven't Blogged in awhile. Hell, it's been almost a month. I guess I've been really busy lately. As I mentioned before, I got a job working for a Gaming Corporation and that is working out really well. I've got my own office that overlooks the south end of the Las Vegas strip. I manage the database for the commissions department in hospitality accounting. In short, I'm on a computer all day making sure information is correct and fix it if it isn't. Very little phone activity so I can listen to music all day long while I work. The people in the office are really cool (we all took a paid half-day to go bowling together) and they seem to like me. I pretty much set my own hours as the work is continual. For a corporate gig, this isn't that bad. But on other things, I just got finished reading an excellent book. For a book written nearly a century ago, Aldous Huxley's - Brave New World is amazing. Imagine a world systematically and programmed into work and play. Different chaste systems divide society, but there is no angst between the chaste as each individual is conditioned to enjoy where they are at and not desire anything more. Imagine a society where a drug similar to MDMA is issued to the people and endorsed by the government as a tool to maintain harmony. Free-will and creativity have been abolshed but replaced with (seemingly suitable) alternates. The concept of family, marriage, and monogamy have been severed and now deemed to even be pornographic. Yet, open sexuality and communal properity is the norm. There is no religion or faith, other than that of the person whom this society has deemed as the founder of such ideas. But it isn't religion in the sense of blind-faith, but from actual study. Anyway, this is what you have in this book. I highly recommend this book if you're into such reading. For me, it hit me on different levels. It made me take a look some of my own values and question my thinking. Which in my opinion, is what good art should do. Stimulate not only the imagination but the mind as well. Nonetheless, check out the book. Easy to find at your local library or check Amazon.com. On personal stuff, I'm going to San Diego for the weekend of August 4-6 (next weekend). I'll be at Twiggs Coffee House for a show that a friend is putting on. Gonna be some good stuff, indie-rock, poetry, even some house music. Gonna stop by and see some friends I haven't seen in awhile, and of course spend some time with my sons (who's birthdays are the reason I'm coming down). Also, check my Blog for a possible gig in San Diego in September. DJ Jack Tripper, and old friend of mine, has a bi-weekly at Kadan's on every first and third Saturday. Good times with good vibes... Now, go on... I"m sure you're tired of reading my Blog now. I promise to be more dilligent in keep it up....

What's in a name?

digitaldallas — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 21:04:16 GMT

Well, as my reality changes so does my outlook on life. Things are good now and after a sort-of hiatus, I'm ready to get back out there. For those that don't know, I produce and remix under the name Twisted DUO. Reluctantly, I set up an artist page on MySpace.com. I really wish Tribe allowed for music to be uploaded to our pages. But until then, I will use MySpace as a medium to get my music up. For those interested, check out my artist site: http://www.myspace.com/twistedduo. I just finished a dj mix of all my remixes and originals to put up on that site, but overall my page there is lifeless and bland. I'm still re-learning HTML to get my page there to shine. On other things, you may recognize a name change. Dj Defiant is not only a name that is taken by a couple other dj's across the country (do a google search, it's saddening) so I changed to Digital Defiant. Well, I felt that this name represented me in my transition to who I was then and who I am now. Now that I am happy with the direction my life is going it was time for a name change. Much like Madonna is pop music mother of re-inventing her image. I feel that I must do the same. As times change, so does much of life. Especially when your sole purpose in life is to provide entertainment to others. It is in this that I will no longer be called: Digital Defiant. <in the edit> So it figures that the name I choose is not only taken by another, but by several others. Heaven's bless Tribe for thier "promo power" as it pops up third down in a google search. To hell with it, back to Digital Defiant. Oh and Johnny Primitiv, a special thanks for keeping on my about getting you that mix. I guess my reluctance is to be able to give you the tunes when the time is right. Which is very, very soon.

Time to get sorted....

digitaldallas — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 21:12:33 GMT

First and foremost, I thank you all for your interest in my latest epic mix "Lost Communication". Nearly three hours of trance, progressive house, ambient techno, and (of course) psytrance. Since my online situation hasn't changed (until Wednesday), hosting this mix is tough. For those who are really interested in this mix, I will gladly send it to you via snail mail. Just send me your addy for the full length 192kbps .mp3. Now, I'm not one for blantant solicitation but if you would like CD versions, I will gladly send a three cd set to you. This set will be complete with full-color cover-art, tracklisting, and an excerpt from my book-in-process. I will also include the full-length .mp3 mix for your digital players. I'm only asking that you send a $5 money order to cover my costs of making the cds. If you do this, I will include a cd copy of my VERY FIRST DJ MIX!!! Which leads me to the next part of my blog.... So I'm unpacking my shit from my move and I find a box full of fliers and rave paraphenellia from years past. At the bottom of this box which contains stuff gathered over the years, I find my first two original mixtapes from 1996. I immediately went to the thrift store and bought a cassette tape player and rigged it to my computer. Using Sound Forge 8.0, I have successfully remastered my first mixtape called, Mixtape Sessions Vol. 1. I have to say that it was nothing short of inspiring. Old school 'ardkore breaks and techno on the first side. Flowing trance and house on the other. It's hard to believe this was rave back then, music has changed soooo much, but it's a great listen for (if anything) a great history lesson. Anyway, I had fun blasting to the past with it. On a completely side note, I threw together a fresh progressive trance mix that is suprisingly getting local attention. I actually made this mix exclusively for a friend here in Vegas. Scott, is a semi-retired goth/industrial dj who has found a fondness for trance music. I passed on a couple of my psytrance mixes to him, and he loved it. He mentioned that he really liked progressive trance. It's been awhile since I did a progressive trance dj mix, so I decided to record him a mix. Well, he then passed it on to a few others and the response was overwhelming. As soon as I get back online at home, I'll find a way to get this mix online for your downloading pleasure. Before I go, much thanks to the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf across from UNLV for letting me use thier bandwidth for hours on end only for the cost of one large blended chai. Now it's time to get sorted (for you ol' skoolers, you know what's up) and head out to the drum circle at Sunset Park.... Namaste- Dallas

Sprint sux, psytrance rulz, and what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...

digitaldallas — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 23:44:20 GMT

Well, as expected Sprint jacked me around. They jacked around some credits and payments I made causing a temporary loss of internet services and phone. I argued with them but thier solution is that of: pay-now, fix later. The move to Sin City set me back financially and kicking down $300 to fix thier fuck up wasn't happening. I hope in a couple weeks, I'll be back online. The upside to this all is that I have been able to not only work on my music pretty much without the temptation to waste time online, but I've also taken on another project. I've decided to write a book about the evolution of the modern rave. The purpose of the book isn't to be a timeline history of rave culture, but more of an observation of the way the rave scene has evolved over the period of nearly two decades. What also will make this book different from others is that the primary content will not be from a factual or analitical point of view, but that of personal experience. There will be plenty of anectodes of my experiences as well as some comparisons and contrasts of different scenes that I have had the pleasure to observe or be part of. Anyway, I think it would be a good read. I'm nearly half way done with it and hopefully I will find somebody to publish it. So far, the title is called: Evolution of a Scene. On the music end, I completed a three-hour mix that is truly epic. I have to credit Ritchie Hawtin's latest: DE9 - Transistions for the inspiration to do this. If you haven't had a chance to check this out, it's great!!! Similar to Hawtin's cd, I am now working on encoding the mix into 5.1 Surround Sound and in search of VJ to develop an original Video track to be synced up onto a DVD. The cd versions will be a three part cd set and the three hour set in complete for your portable players. If you're interested in getting hold of this mix, please email me. Well, see you again when I get the chance. Much love, DD