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Boreta’s new single “Back to Life,” created with the ethically-trained AI vocal model Ai.mogen, isn’t trying to hide its foundations in any way. But at the same time, it’s not synthetic for the sake of novelty and instead leans heavily into transparency, intentionality, and is built around emotion. The track was released in May 2025 as the final single from his solo album, Hear the Listener, which landed in early June of the same year. As a founding member of The Glitch Mob and one-half of the ambient duo Superposition, Boreta has spent the better part of two decades using Native Instruments tools to shape unpredictable, human-feeling music out of software. We caught up with him to talk about modularity, artistic control, and how...

This week on @RoadPodcast, the crew sits down with @DJTrauma to reflect on his journey from New York to Atlanta and beyond. At (00:55), Trauma recalls growing up in Manhattan and how his DJ name came from a friend’s little brother. By (04:30), he’s reminiscing about partying in the Meatpacking District and what it meant to be “outside.” He explains what it means to be a “vibe DJ” (07:15). He compares the craft of DJing to stand-up comedy (10:35). Trauma then shares how a free event unexpectedly led him to working with @DaveChappelle (12:52), and a relationship that grew into legendary gigs like First Avenue in Minneapolis and Radio City Music Hall in NYC (15:56). The conversation dives into Trauma’s reputation as “Chappelle’s DJ”...

If you’re interested in learning music production and want to start using Native Instruments tools, but aren’t quite sure where to start, read on. In this blog, you’ll learn the key differences between Kontakt, Komplete, and Komplete Kontrol and how each product can enrich your music production workflow. Let’s break down each one of these tools within the NI ecosystem so you can decide which ones belong in your music production toolkit. Jump to these sections: What are Kontakt, Komplete, and Komplete Kontrol? Kontakt Kontakt vs. Kontakt Player What is NKS? Komplete Dive in for free with Komplete Start Komplete Kontrol Go further with NI Expansions New to Native Instruments? Get our free bundle of premium instruments, sounds...

If you want to start your music production journey, NI 360 music production subscriptions are a great way to access all the professional sounds you need to create tracks in any genre without committing to expensive purchases. NI 360 subscriptions have three tiers: Essentials, Plus and Pro. Each of these offers a comprehensive, ever-evolving toolkit of music production tools from industry-standard music software developers Native Instruments, iZotope, and Brainworx, making NI 360 ideal for budget-friendly music production. Even better, you can get a free trial to make sure the service is right for you, making it the ideal way to try out music production for beginners with minimal commitment. Make music for free now In this tutorial...

If you’re new to music-making and are looking for free music software, Komplete Start is a great place to begin. All you need is a DAW, and Native Instruments Komplete Start will provide you with all the beats, loops, instrument sounds, and effects necessary for you to create awesome music. In this guide, we’ll show you how to make music for free with NI Komplete Start software, including the new Massive X Player and Kontakt’s new Leap, Chords, and Patterns Tools. This tutorial will focus on creating an emotional ambient jungle track, which is an ideal way to show off Massive X Player’s immaculate synth tones and Kontakt’s wide variety of drum beats and instrument presets. Jump to these sections: Is Komplete Start completely free...

Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) DOG HOUSE Drake, Julia Wolf & Yeat Light Me Up Kungs & PNAU Motion PLUTO, Sexyy Red & NaNaski SOMEBODY LOVES ME – MarkCutz Dancehall Remix * PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake El Pescador – DJ Mag & Luis R Afro House Remix * Totó La Momposina Lost In The Feeling MistaJam & Nu-La Tears – Colin Jay Remix * Sabrina Carpenter LET’S GO – BlissFX Alors On Danse vs Zombie Nation Remix * Jaden Bojsen & Sami Brielle Diamonds – DJ Sanders Remix Rihanna Welcome to the Bay Fijiana DJcity’s weekly picks are selected by Sir Marcus. To receive them via email, click here. The post 🆕 This Week’s Must-Play Tracks For DJs appeared...

Uruguayan-Catalan producer Fernando Lagreca has built a name across Europe’s underground for his melodic approach to techno and left-field club tracks. With the upcoming release of Cosmic Tide alongside Pedro Mercado on Chrom Recordings, he blends arpeggiated synths, atmospheric basslines, and modular textures into something functional yet emotionally resonant. The title track’s foundation, which is a processed analog bass and layered Massive X arpeggio, offers a clear snapshot of Lagreca’s process: balancing tone, emotion, and studio pragmatism. We caught up with him to celebrate the release of his EP, which dropped on August 8th, to discuss working efficiently with familiar tools, building a personal sound library, and the...

It’s a familiar music production trope for beatmakers, and we’ve all been there. But if you’ve been starting beats the same way for weeks, it’s time you tried out some new ideas. Get out of a creative block fast using NI 360, a unique music production subscription that offers hundreds of sampled instruments, powerful synths, creative effects, loops, and samples. In this blog, we’ll explore five new beat making ideas using tools from NI 360 that will inspire you to create better beats and enjoy the beat making process more. Jump to these sections: How can an NI 360 subscription give me new approaches for beat making? Use the sequencer in Play Series instruments to spark new ideas Create atmosphere with Play Series instruments Use...

This week on @RoadPodcast, the crew sits down with @WalshyFire — DJ, producer, and member of @MajorLazer — to talk Dancehall, Soca, and the art of building culture. At 01:34, Walshy recalls meeting @DJMoma and why Soca faced resistance in the ’80s–’90s. By 05:10, he’s breaking down the pushback against Soca and Afro Beats, and Soca’s joyful contrast to other genres. He dives into NYC’s gang culture and block party memories (07:10), including a near brawl at a LOX performance diffused by dancers (10:12). The crew swaps stories on “banned” songs in late ’90s NYC and venue violence, with jokes about the Queens vs. Brooklyn rivalry (11:33). Walshy shares his path from Clark University and a jazz radio station to NYC and Beat Street Records...

Marion Di Napoli’s approach to music production is grounded in feeling. As a classically trained pianist turned electronic producer, she’s spent the past few years developing a sound that blends emotive progressions with raw, rhythmic energy. Her latest release, Fade Away, out now on Charlotte de Witte’s label, showcases that progression in an old, vocal-driven track that merges club instincts with a deeper connectivity. At the heart of her workflow is the Maschine Mikro. For Marion, it’s not about chasing precision or locking into a rigid template. It’s about having a tool that lets her stay close to the moment, responding physically to what she’s hearing. That hands-on dynamic plays a huge role in how her tracks come together...

French electronic act Thaylo just launched his Drown In Your Eyes EP on September 4th through PLAYY. Records, and a few days in, it’s already picking up steam in the melodic house space. From Grenoble, he’s clocked over 5.8 million Spotify plays and built creds with drops on Purified, Colorize, and Kontor. His style leans on piano foundations with solid rhythms and melody hooks that have pulled in backing from big names like Martin Garrix, Nora En Pure, and Solomun. Tracks such as ‘Let Me Be’ and ‘Save Your Tears’ scored features from When We Dip and House Music With Love, hitting Beatport’s Top 100 Progressive House and Deezer’s Top 100 in Indonesia. He’s also graced Spotify lists including Chill Tracks, Melancholia, Afterhours, Open...

From the world of viral type beats to the inner circle of GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum producers, Dez Wright has carved a unique path in modern music. As a producer for artists like Drake, Travis Scott, and Kanye West, Dez has a knack for creating a sound that is both authentic and fresh. This signature style is at the heart of his new software instrument company, Dezert Audio, and its inaugural release, the Freq-2 plugin. We sat down with Dez to discuss his journey, the inspiration behind Freq-2, and how he blends vintage character with modern production. And for a limited time, get Freq-2 on sale now in our Big Partner Sale. Get Freq-2 now You’ve built an incredible career, from your early days making type beats to producing for...

Five years after the launch of the CDJ-3000, its successor, the CDJ-3000X has arrived. It brings with it a few changes – USB C ports, a better display, and it’s branded as an AlphaTheta, not Pioneer DJ product. But, as the name implies, it’s more of an iteration of the previous model, rather than something completely new, which could well divide opinions. Mojaxx gives it a full, in-depth review on the new episode of Beatsource Tech. Check out Mojaxx’s review of the CDJ-3000X from AlphaTheta on DJcity TV. The post AlphaTheta CDJ-3000X Review – Cloud Focused appeared first on DJcity News - Music and news for DJs and producers.

Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) Justin Bieber – BAD HONEY Don Toliver – Tiramisu Lady Gaga – The Dead Dance 310babii (ft. DDG) – cash flow DJames (ft. Shoday) – The Best Thing Nicky Jam – Me Voy Pa’l Party – Alex Selas Club Edit * Daft Punk – One More Time – Valmer Remix Odd Mob, OMNOM & HYPERBEAM – System Henry Fong – No Letting Go Corona – Rhythm Of The Night – THODE Remix DJcity’s weekly picks are selected by Sir Marcus. To receive them via email, click here. The post 📣 New Tunes From Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Odd Mob, James, Don Toliver, + MORE! appeared first on DJcity News - Music and news for DJs and producers.

Cornel Wilczek has built his career on exploring sound in unconventional ways. From scoring A24’s horror hit Talk To Me to his latest work on Michael Shanks’ Together, he has consistently pushed the boundaries of what a modern film score can be. Guitar Rig has been one of his core tools since 2014, serving as both a modular effects hub and a platform for experimentation. In this interview, Cornel shares how Guitar Rig became central to his workflow, why understanding effects at a technical level matters, and how he blends traditional scoring with experimental processing to create emotionally charged, sonically distinct scores. Jump to these sections: How Cornel uses Guitar Rig beyond guitars Why technical knowledge accelerates...

In some ways, recording your DJ sets has never been easier, especially if you perform with software. But if you play streaming tracks, do vinyl sets, or play on CDJs with USBs, things can be a bit more challenging. On the new episode of Beatsource Tech, Mojaxx takes a look at the Recorder + Streamer from Howler Audio, which not only works as a recorder in all those situations and more, but also serves as an audio interface for your live streaming sessions, too. Learn more about the Howler Audio Recorder + Streamer: https://howler-audio.com/ Check out Mojaxx’s review of the Recorder + Streamer from Howler Audio on DJcity TV. The post The Best Way To Record Your DJ Sets? Howler Audio Recorder + Streamer Review appeared first on DJcity...

It’s the house sensation sweeping the world alongside Afrobeats, but what is amapiano music? The genre’s lower tempos, groovy percussion ensembles, and signature basslines make amapiano a great fit for the dancefloor and more chilled settings alike. Since its inception in South Africa a few years ago, amapiano music quickly grew into a nationwide and then global phenomenon, with artists like Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa pushing it into the mainstream. In this guide to the laid-back musical style, we’ll examine what amapiano means, where it comes from, and look at what instruments are used to make it. Jump to these sections: What is amapiano music? Making an amapiano track 1. Creating a drum beat 2. Composing chords 3. Making a...

Good music is the outcome of a fluid process. When you’re in the flow, you need the right sounds at your fingertips – and the minimum of distractions. That’s the thinking behind Native Kontrol Standard, the technology that gives you seamless access to a huge library of sounds via your favorite hardware. NKS isn’t just designed to speed up your creativity: it can also broaden your sonic horizons, thanks to the hundreds of brands and thousands of third-party VSTs that are NKS compatible. In this article, we’ll explore 11 NKS instruments that could expand your sound palette and freshen up your music-making. From lifelike drum libraries to pro-level scoring tools and bizarre sound engines, all of these instruments have something special –...

Adelaide’s Avalon Kane doesn’t separate emotion from technique – instead, she uses tools that help her bypass one and surface the other. Her new single, “The Only One Who Knows Me Is Me,” launches the Dissension LP, the second half of a conceptual double album that began with 2024’s ambient and introspective Solace. Where that album was weightless and meditative, Dissension is raw and scorched, with industrial percussion, vocal manipulation, and grinding synth textures that rarely let up. Kane’s approach to songwriting on this project shifted with the tools. She turned to Playbox: an experimental instrument for Kontakt built around randomized chord generation and layered sample triggering and not to write typical melodic techno or...

Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) Sabrina Carpenter – Tears Major Lazer, Diplo, Busy Signal & Kybba – GANGSTA DJ Khaled, Vybz Kartel, Buju Banton & Mavado – You Remind Me James Brown & Laidback Luke – I Got Soul (Super Bad) SIDEPIECE – Electric Bongo Chief Keef & Mustard – Shake Dat – MarkCutz Hype Edit * Kool & The Gang – Celebration – Rogerson Remix * LMFAO (ft. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock) – Party Rock Anthem – Rob DVS I Don’t Trust A Soul Edit * blackbear – hot girl bummer – BARTS Remix Cher – Believe – Deux Twins Remix DJcity’s weekly picks are selected by Sir Marcus. To receive them via email, click here. The post 🚨 NEW MUSIC...