New dance, club, hip hop and experimental music on NECODO. Download MP3, WAV and FLAC. This issue: Blank Artists Interview and Deep House Releases

Q: What's the NECODO crew been digging on recently?

A: Our mind's gone Blank! Blank... Artists!

In this issue, we catch up with one of our favorite young producers, Mr. Josh Dahlberg: DJ and co-head of Blank Artists. Josh discusses how he got into electronic music, what he uses to produce and his take on Detroit techno. Over in the store, we have lots of hot new releases: Gant Garrard, whose "Hot Mama" is a must listen with Sweet Pauline on vocals; Punisher and David Powers with "Enter The Hej" - 4 deep tracks of techno beauty; Milos Pavlovic drops a huge EP that should be a club staple until summer; Terrence Parker with "The Rosa Resolution", featuring MC Al Sharpton; new label Dead Homies bringing some fresh jungle to the table - and tons more!

Josh Dahlberg counts the city as much an influence as his musical education: Kraftwerk, Talking Heads, The Police, Yaz, Trent Abbe, and Gil Scott-Heron. After getting into music at an early age, he rarely did much else besides sports and hanging with friend and future label partner, Josh Cummings. Dahlberg founded Blank Artists while in college in Northern Michigan. He earned his status in Detroit after working with Underground Resistance/Submerge at their famous base camp on Grand Ave. He is proud that XLR8R has called him "a refiner of the Detroit sound...well on the way to making an impact on dance music"...

Q: What's the NECODO crew been digging on recently?

A: Our mind's gone Blank! Blank... Artists!

In this issue, we catch up with one of our favorite young producers, Mr. Josh Dahlberg: DJ and co-head of Blank Artists. Josh discusses how he got into electronic music, what he uses to produce and his take on Detroit techno. Over in the store, we have lots of hot new releases: Gant Garrard, whose "Hot Mama" is a must listen with Sweet Pauline on vocals; Punisher and David Powers with "Enter The Hej" - 4 deep tracks of techno beauty; Milos Pavlovic drops a huge EP that should be a club staple until summer; Terrence Parker with "The Rosa Resolution", featuring MC Al Sharpton; new label Dead Homies bringing some fresh jungle to the table - and tons more!

Josh Dahlberg counts the city as much an influence as his musical education: Kraftwerk, Talking Heads, The Police, Yaz, Trent Abbe, and Gil Scott-Heron. After getting into music at an early age, he rarely did much else besides sports and hanging with friend and future label partner, Josh Cummings. Dahlberg founded Blank Artists while in college in Northern Michigan. He earned his status in Detroit after working with Underground Resistance/Submerge at their famous base camp on Grand Ave. He is proud that XLR8R has called him "a refiner of the Detroit sound...well on the way to making an impact on dance music". But don't take their word for it - hear it yourself! Be on the lookout for his upcoming release "AM Brain" April 1st.

NECODO: How did you get into electronic music?

Josh: I was first exposed to dance music my freshman year of high school by a friend. I developed an interest and by the time I was 16 I was DJing and writing/recording songs with a drum machine and sampler. Since then, it's been a passion that has kept burning. I started Blank Artists as a way to facilitate creative endeavors and exhibit the collaborative efforts of artists that draw from a diverse realm of influences.

NECODO: What are your influences?

Josh: Early on, "Geology: A Subjective History of Planet E, Vol. 1." provided a gateway into Detroit and what techno and house meant in the context of the city's cultural landscape. Absolutely love that CD. Lately, I have been listening to a bunch of post-punk, new wave, and early electro records - stuff like Giorgio Moroder, Ultravox, and Siouxie and the Banshees.

NECODO: How do you write and what do you use? Software and Hardware?

Josh:I use a combination of Cubase, Reason, and Ableton for multi-track recording and sequencing. I really depend on Cubase though, especially when I get closer to mixing the song down. For hardware, I like getting keyboards from second hand shops, recording them to my computer, and layering effects on them digitally.

NECODO: What's your take on the digitization of music and to the fading out of physical music - tape, c.d. and vinyl?

Josh: I don’t think anything beats having a physical copy of a record or CD. I feel that people are compelled to shop online and move to technologies such as Serato and Traktor for convenience and versatility. However, I am confident in the fact that as long as turntables are in the clubs and in people's basements, vinyl will have a market.

NECODO: What's your take on Traktor?

Josh: Programs like Traktor are great. There's no doubt that they make DJing more convenient and allow for more versatility. I have adopted the technology as a way to beef up the amount of different music I can play in a single DJ set.

NECODO: What are the visual and sonic differences of vinyl only DJs compared to DJs that use laptops and CDs?

Josh: For me, it's more about the DJ and what he or she can do and less about what format is being used. Ultimately it's all about how the different mediums for music can supplement one and other.

NECODO: What's the importance and relevance of Detroit and in particular, Detroit Techno?

Josh: Historically, Detroit has been blessed with an abundance of musical talent living inside its boundaries. That's why the city was and still is important. Blank Artists draws inspiration from Detroit Techno - but we aren't a Detroit Techno label, nor do we aim to be. We focus on bringing all sorts of different electronic music to the table. That being said, Detroit Techno is still very alive inside Detroit and around the world, proving how relevant it still is.

NECODO: What other label discographies have you graced with your presence?

Josh: I have also released music on People Mover, the Ferrispark Sub-label Gravid Digital, as well as D Records, which is run by Paxahau.

Thanks for your time, Josh! We expect more great things to happen as the year progresses.