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Hi, Doctor Nick! - Moving to a New City for Music and How to Enter a New Scene

The 2013 edition of Red Bull Music Academy may be over, but there are still plenty of resources out there for those looking to glean some knowledge about the music industry. Here at XLR8R, we've got Nick Hook. Our resident advice columnist and all-knowing street shaman is here year-round, popping in every Thursday morning to share his wisdom about music, gear, production, travel, DJing, touring, romance, and whatever else our readers need assistance with. The good doctor is just an email away, so hit him up at doctornick@xlr8r.com and let the learning commence. Read more » 

XLR8R in Conversation with Martyn at MUTEK 2013

Last week, XLR8R was invited to attend the annual MUTEK festival in Montreal. During our four days in attendance, we witnessed plenty of memorable moments—13 of which were spelled out in detail in our festival review—but our participation actually went beyond merely checking out the various shows and parties. XLR8R was also invited to host a couple of public conversations with MUTEK artists, one of whom was Martyn. We've excerpted a portion of the discussion here, specifically the part where the Dutch-born, DC-based producer (and 3024 label boss) told us about his new audio-visual show. Read more » 

Bubblin' Up: D33J

Famous freak Harmony Korine once said that he doesn't try to find meaning in his strange films, but instead abides by the law of the gut, producing weirdo art propelled by impulse. It's a similar philosophy that guides 22-year-old producer D33J (a.k.a. Djavan Santos). While attending an LA screening of Trash Humpers, an odd film that seemed to either confuse or disgust most viewers and critics, D33J was struck by comments made by the director during the Q&A session when Korine called out an audience member who was particularly frustrated by his film. "Harmony was totally fucking with this guy who was trying to analyze his movies, and I really liked that," D33J says with admiration. "I really feel that vibe [when] you don't necessarily know what you're doing, or go into it with a certain intention." Read more » 

XLR8R's Top 20 Downloads of May

It would appear that May was the month remixes took over the XLR8R Downloads feed, but with producers like Nosaj Thing (pictured above), Lapalux, Synkro, Soul Clap, Bodhi, and more all offering up fresh reworks, we probably should have seen that coming. Rounding out last month's top tier of free tunes were also a handful of efforts from some usual suspects—Slugabed, DFRNT, and fLako among them—and a sprinkling of new names in Keepsakes, Jorge Takei, and ManooZ. The complete list of the top 20 downloads from XLR8R last month can be found after the jump. Read more » 

13 Things We Won't Forget About MUTEK 2013

Simply put, MUTEK 2013 was a pleasure to attend. The Montreal festival was in its 14th year, and although we didn't arrive until the second day of the festivities, MUTEK proved once again that it's more or less the standard bearer for how to put together—and execute—and high-quality event. Of course, being in Montreal and taking place during the first days of summer certainly helps, as few places feel more glorious, welcoming, and, yes, downright adorable when the sun is shining, but MUTEK is so much more than that. This year in particular, the line-ups were strong, the hiccups were inconsequential, the sound and visuals were top-notch, the crowds were enthusiastic and intelligent—a rare combination in the modern festival landscape—and the performances were... well, many of them were downright sublime. In short, there was a lot to love about this year's MUTEK, but a few things really put it over the top. Read more » 

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