Sorry for the temporary downtime over the last 24 hours or so. Should all be cleared up now.

In other news, my latest album, Mass Media Constant, is now available on iTunes! It has been getting some serious attention over at the Audio Portal on Newgrounds.com, with “Necromancy” topping the all-time music charts and receiving over 1,500 reviews and 22,000 streams. “Bushido Blade” is quickly rising the ranks as well, being rated “Best of the Week” and topping the drum and bass charts.

Remember, you can grab two tracks for free at Protagonist Records, the label releasing the album. There’s plenty more great music from other artists there too!

My new drum n’ bass hybrid album is now available on Protagonist! It’s $7.99 (plus tip, should you choose) for a pristine digital download of MP3/FLAC. Can’t get much better than that; don’t forget to check out the streaming previews as well as the two full length streams available on the Protagonist homepage.

Enjoy - feel free to post your thoughts on the album here!

After its completion about half a year ago, my new drum and bass album “Mass Media Constant” is slated for release over at Protagonist Records on February 10th! I originally started this as a project for licensing - film, TV, video games and other such media (hence the name), but decided to turn it into a full EP because I was having so much fun. The final result is far more meaty than my previous EP release, The World Circuit, and I’m very excited about it.

You can check out some track previews right on the Protagonist Records site, which is also where you’ll be able to order it in digital format for just $6.99 (lossless)! Protagonist itself is an electronica specialty label founded by sgx, an awesome electronic musician and friend of mine, which has a roster filled with more awesome musicians and friends.

Anyway, my influences for Mass Media Constant range from LTJ Bukem and Photek to Wagon Christ, BT, Pendulum and The Sims, and no two tracks sound alike. When listening to this, imagine walking through a super-stylized version of Times Square at midnight on a Saturday, looking at all the billboards, hearing music coming from bars and restaurants, and watching cars and buses fly by. That’s what I had in mind when writing it - hope you enjoy!

Last May, I mentioned that I got a two-song breakbeat EP released through an electronic music record label - Progressive Grooves. I also hinted at a bigger release slated for the Summer, and now, it’s available.

Breathing You In is an 8-track EP centered around the titular song, which features the vocals and vocal melodies of Jillian Goldin. Also included is “Antigravity”, also featuring Jill, and a remix of that. Here’s the full tracklist:

* Breathing You In (Original Mix)
* Breathing You In (Original Instrumental Mix)
* Breathing You In (Mikas Positronic Remix)
* Breathing You In (Mikas Positronic Instrumental Mix)
* Breathing You In (Indecent Noise & Andre Glensk Remix)
* Antigravity (Indecent Noise Balearic Remix)
* Antigravity (Indecent Noise Balearic Instrumental Mix)
* Antigravity (Original Mix)

The remixes are all excellent, and in my opinion, the highlight of the EP. Mikas’ Positronic Remix is progressive trance, a bit more minimal and pulled back, but very cool. The Indecent Noise/Andre Glensk mix, which Global Trance featured in one of his DJ sets recently, is also done in a trance style, but it’s much heavier and more anthemic. Both are great in their own right. The Antigravity Balearic mix is an interesting, downtempo trance take on the original track, which was more New Age to begin with. If you’re into darker, atmospheric tunes, you’ll definitely like it.

The Breathing You In EP is available from just about all major digital retailers…

WHERE TO BUY

Here are some links to just a handful of my favorite stores which are carrying this new album.

* Progressive Grooves Homepage (previews, links to all the stores)
* Beatport
* iTunes - Note that the track names don’t show which mix is which for some reason, which was a flub on Apple’s end, but at $7.99 for the iTunes Plus (no DRM) version, it’s still a great deal.
* Juno Download (MP3)
* DJTunes
* Amazon MP3

—

As of this posting, BYI is #23 on the JunoDownload “Trance” charts for the week and it looks like it’s gonna hit the top 10! Progressive Grooves (the label) is going to be promoting this one heavily, which is definitely an honor. If you like it, drop them (or me) a line, post here, tell your friends, tell a DJ… I’d really appreciate it

Last year I sent a demo to the Progressive Grooves, a progressive trance, breaks, and house record label. They’ve got 37 releases to date and some awesome digital distribution on every major music website. We signed a non-exclusive contract and now my first release through them is out - the single, System. The release actually has two tracks, the full-length version of “System” as well as a remaster of “Ladder to the Sky” from Antigravity (definitely sounds better than the original!)

You can pick up the release of System on any online music retailer, from Amazon MP3, to eMusic, iTunes, Juno Download, DJDownload, BeatsDigital, etc. I personally recommend Beatport, since the MP3s are very high quality and have no DRM. However, Juno is good too - I’ve purchased from both and they’ve got a great download system. The full release is priced from $2-4 depending on where you buy it (the higher quality versions cost a bit more) or you can pick up either of the tracks without the other.

Here are a few direct links:

Download from Beatport
Download from iTunes
Download from JunoDownload
Download from Amazon MP3

I look forward to doing another release through Progressive Grooves within the next few months. Until then, check out System and let me know what you think!

If you’re a fan of mine, by now you’ve no doubt heard of Jillian Goldin: vocalist, composer, producer, and now, solo artist! Today marks the release of her debut solo album, “Origins”…

Blending exotic instrumentation with passionate and ethereal vocals, Jillian takes you on a journey through the earth’s awakening, and invites you to celebrate in its mysteries.

Jill describes her style as New Age/World a la Loreena McKennitt, also influenced by artists like Enya and Sting. However, I don’t even think this description does Origins justice - it’s truly breathtaking, and highly unique compared to virtually all other New Age and World music out there. In fact, though the album was just released today, the first track, “Hajime”, has already garnered critical acclaim, being featured as one of the “Tracks of the Year” at the popular Mystic Soundscapes podcast, and winning the grand prize at OurStage out of over 15,000 songs.

If you liked “Antigravity” (the song, that is) or “Deliverance of the Heart”, you’ll love Origins - check out previews on Jill’s website to listen for yourself.

So where does one get their hands on this release?

* The physical copy ($12.99) is available from Jill’s own website.
* The DRM-free, high quality MP3 copy (also $12.99, but no ship) is available at CD Baby.

You can also expect to see it on other major digital distributors. I personally recommend the physical copy, so you get to see the gorgeous artwork which the artist herself created and designed.

Now, you might call me a little biased because Jill is my girlfriend, and I helped with the mixing/mastering of the album, plus a bit of production and writing. But don’t just take my word for it - check out the tunes for yourself. Suffice it to say, even if you don’t normally like New Age music, you won’t be disappointed.

I received lots of awesome submissions for my remix contest (see previous post) and believe me, it was very difficult to pick the winners! However, after some careful thought, I’ve decided. They are…

* Big Giant Circles (Jimmy Hinson) from the USA, remixing Mindbender
* Ellywu2 (Carpet Monster) from the UK, remixing Warhead

Congratulations to both of them! However there were so many great tracks that I felt it necessary to pick some honorable mentions as well.

* AnotherSoundscape (Sweden) - Mindbender
* Phrakture (Canada) - Mindbender
* Sidel (Russia) - Warhead
* Skrypnyk (Canada) - Warhead

You can check out the winning entries right here.

Thanks to everyone that entered - remember, you’re free to share your tracks and continue using the remix components as long as I’m credited.

You may have already heard, as word of this contest is spreading from forum posts and my newsletter mailing, but here’s the lowdown for anyone that missed it; I’m holding a remix contest for two tracks off Antigravity, “Mindbender” and “Warhead”. Remixes containing all the audio elements are available to the public, and the best two remixes sent to me (admin at zirconstudios dot com) by Feb 1, 2008 will be featured on my next album, and the winning producer(s) will get a cut of the sales. You can pick up the packs and original songs here:

Warhead (original ver)
Warhead Remix Pack
Mindbender (original ver)
Mindbender Remix Pack

You can use as much or as little of the audio content from the packs as you want. You can change the style, tempo, key signature, rhythms, melodies, chords, add your own material, etc… provided that the end result still sounds like a remix of either of these two songs! If a layperson can’t make out any real connection between your mix and the original, then you’ve probably gone a bit too far, but you still have a lot of creative leeway.

Please note that ANYONE can use the remix packs and create their own tracks to release to the public, even outside the contest. As long as there’s no commercial interest involved (w/o my explicit permission) and I’m credited as the original artist, you are welcome to distribute your own mixes and arrangements as you please.

In addition, I also have over $500 in prizes available to winning producer(s)! They include the awesome Zebra 2 soft synth, by u-he, as well as my mastering tool of choice T-Racks (boxed plugin edition)! The latter is produced by IK Multimedia and distributed by eSoundz, two excellent companies. I wouldn’t have these tools available if I didn’t absolutely love ‘em so even if you don’t win the contest, check out the plugs regardless.

All the latest information and further details are available here: OCReMix contest thread. The contest is also posted at:

KVRAudio
Nu Skool Breaks
Reeemix
Laptop Rockers

Have fun, and happy remixing!

Yo! If you check the video game remixes section you’ll find that three tracks I was involved in for the Final Fantasy 7 ReMix project are available for download now. They are: “Deliverance of the Heart”, “Lunatic Moon”, and “Nomura Limit”. They’re available at OCR too, but in case you like getting all your zircon MP3s in one place, I figured I’d put ‘em up here too.

I’d also like to announce the addition of a new EP to my studio album page. Titled “The World Circuit”, it’s an 8-song, 20-minute adventure through a range of electronic and ethnic styles. Within the next few days you will be able to hear previews and pick up an MP3 version at CD Baby - it is also available in my shop as a digital WAV download. I don’t have any plans to print it up at this time. If you’re looking for a CD full of progressive breaks this might not be your thing, but if you’re at all interested in world music, soundtrack music, or interesting combinations of melody, harmony, and rare instruments, check it out.

The 24 hour $5 sale of Antigravity I ran on August 1st was so popular that I’ve decided to do something similar. This time, you can pick up Antigravity AND two other CDs for a mere $15 total! Initially, fellow electronic artist sgx offered up two CDs to the deal, but they sold so fast that he only has one participating now. Taking advantage of the deal is simple. Just add these CDs to your cart:

Antigravity
Better Than Sliced Beats (the sgx remix album)

Then choose one more from the following list:

CD Baby Special Sale

Once you have ‘em all in your cart, the price will drop to $5 a CD. Really an incredible deal, and a great way to try out some new artists without hurting your wallet too much.

Additionally, I’ve also instituted a referral program for anyone who gets three people to purchase *any* of my albums through this website OR CD Baby. Buyers can note who referred them on both CD Baby as they check out, or by emailing me after making the Paypal purchase. If you refer three people, you’ll get a digital download of any one of my albums for free. You can apply this towards the future release of my upcoming ethnic/electronic side project, as well.

Once you’ve referred three people that actually make the purchase, just email me and provide me with their info so I can double-check, along with the CD that you want. I’ll get you the link ASAP.