There are limited quantities of the Japanese exclusive mix CD, ‘Solid Psyche’ available in the Ninjashop right now. I did this as a freebie for independent stores alongside the domestic CD version of ‘The Search Engine’ for Japan. The tracks are all taken from Ninja, Big Dada, Counter & Brainfeeder releases and Ninja have a limited amount for sale so don’t hang around.

You might also notice a little digital release called ‘The Good Food Guide’ in the link too. This is a 23 track retrospective compilation spanning the DJ Food canon from 1990-2001, sort of a catch up for people jumping on at the new album.

Out today (with artwork by Remi/Rough) is a tidy compilation of highlights from the Ninja Tune forum instigated 64 Bar Challenge entitled ‘Boundaries’. Started by Kovas a few years ago, the concept was to make a piece of music in any style for 64 bars at a predetermined tempo. Numerous producers, both professional and unreleased, took part across the six different challenges and the quality was remarkably high. I was approached to mix the sixth installment and helped forward the best of the bunch to Ninja for a possible release, and here it is!

Released today digitally, with the option of a vinyl pressing after a certain number is reached coming soon via Ninja’s new Beat Delete arm, it’s 20 tracks of largely instrumental electronica by producers from the US, Canada, Russia, Chile, Australia and all over Europe. Congratulations to all involved and respect to Kovas for pulling the whole thing together, here’s a little preview put together by Tom Central from the Keep Up! crew, followed by a mini DJ Moneyshot megamix of various tracks.

Click here to view the embedded video.

DJ Moneyshot – 64 Bar Challenge blendable by 64barmusic

Here’s the view from the top of Greenwich Park outside the Royal Observatory Greenwich where we’ll be launching The Search Engine on Thursday 19th January.

For all those going it’s very important to note: The park is closed after 6 to pedestrians, you can drive in through the Blackheath Gate but not walk or ride bikes, there is free parking outside the Observatory. For those coming on foot you can get a free shuttle bus from St. Mary’s Gate (just up the street from the Cutty Sark) or a free coach from outside the Greenwich train station (15 minutes transfer time).

Everyone who has bought tickets from the Ninjashop should have received an email with full details to be printed out and bought along to exchange for a coloured wristband, each different for each performance time.

You must bring your e-ticket to get into the transport provided, and to enter the venue. Beyond the main show show we have many things lined up, such as DJ’s PC, DK and 2econd Class Citizen in the bar, a cafe serving food and drink, the astronomy galleries, and more. Coaches depart 45 minutes before each show (shuttles buses every 5-10 mins) so make the most of it  and get there early, there will be no late admissions in the Planetarium itself! The event will be held on the south site of the Royal Observatory (entrance shown above left) in the Peter Harrison Planetarium (middle). But please do check the document and get there in good time for your performance. The event is open from 7pm-11pm.

Timings on the night are:
1900        Doors open. Café, bar, galleries and foyer open
1900 – 2230    Telescope viewing on Upper Courtyard

1900 – 2030    DJ set - 2econd Class Citizen
1920        Planetarium doors open
1930-2015    Planetarium show 1

2020        Planetarium doors open
2030 – 2115    Planetarium show 2
2030 – 2145    DJ Set 2 – DK

2120        Planetarium doors open
2130 – 2215    Planetarium show 3
2145 – 2300    DJ set 3: – PC (Narrick Peparcett)

2230        Café and bar close, Telescope viewing ends
2300        Event ends. Last coach departure to Greenwich Station

More exact details on transport arrangements: Shuttle buses
From 18:50, free shuttle buses will be available on a first come first served basis, picking up every 5 – 10 minutes from the park entrance St Mary’s Gate (located at the end of King William Walk, Greenwich Town Centre. Google maps:).

The shuttle buses will transport people to the Royal Observatory and back to St Mary’s Gate throughout the evening, last departure from the Royal Observatory to St Mary’s Gates: 23.00
Coaches
The Museum is providing free coaches to and from Greenwich train station and the venue. The coaches will be positioned in the parking zone just as you exit the station (take Greenwich High Road exit). Coaches are white and marked “City Circle”. Please have your booking confirmation letter ready to be checked before getting onto the coach.
Departures from Greenwich Train Station are scheduled at 18.45, 19.45
and 20.45.
Please note these times are approximate and dependant on traffic; the estimated transfer time between the station and the venue is 15 minutes.

The early bird pre-order offer of £12 for the comic-sized booklet / CD / flexi disc version of the album ends at midnight Friday 13th. Ninja have them in stock now so I expect pre-orderers will receive them before the shops do. The price goes up to £16 after that – check some images of the package here and pre-order here.

Just arrived, fresh from the Amorphous Androgynous (aka Future Sound of London) is a, frankly mind-melting, 17 minute remix of ‘The Illectrik Hoax’, a track from the album, featuring Natural Self on vocals. This has been in the pipeline for a while and they initially started work on a version of ‘GIANT’ but changed direction and so a three part Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble remix of the Hoax has been born. To say that they’ve thrown everything into it is an understatement, after a manic version of the original they proceed to tear it apart and reassemble fragments of it in two new versions.

Not only that but 2econd Class Citizen has also created what can only be described as an ambient acoustic version of the same track, completely different but brilliant in its simplicity. As soon as I heard it I realised it was perfect for the planetarium shows next week and it will get its premiere there. As to when these will be available and on what formats, I’ll get back to you on that but we’re looking at sometime in April.

My forthcoming album is now up for pre-order on iTunes – UK store link / US store link. 12 tracks plus a pdf booklet with it. The Ninja shop has the regular CD, limited book/ flexi disc / CD package, regular mp3 and WAV versions and an exclusive Expanded and Extended version in 24 bit WAV format up for pre-order also.

Just got word from Japan: The new album, complete with two bonus tracks and Solid Psyche Mix CD, is available at Tower Records branches and Qetic Store.

Tower branches that should have it are: Shibuya / Shinjuku / Akihabara / Ikebukuro / Sapporo Pivot / Yokohama More’s / Nagoya Parco / Nagoya Kintetsu Passe / Umeda Osaka Maru building / Namba / Umeda NU Chaya / Kobe / Kyoto / Hiroshima / Fukushima and also online at Tower on a first come first served basis.

The album is out in Japan, as of Dec 3rd actually, the reason for an early release is to do with trying to encourage people to buy domestic products rather than imports (which aren’t as expensive in comparison to over here). It’s formatted for a jewel case and some of the artwork is different as well as the inclusion of two bonus tracks – ‘Beast of Prey’ (an instrumental of ‘Prey’) and ‘All Covered in Darkness pt.2′. The latter track is a new version and this will be the only place to get either of these on a physical release, with ‘Beast of Prey’ unavailable anywhere else.

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The great tradition of ‘bonus tracks for Japan’ is another incentive for people to buy western product in the east and copies usually make their way back west at hugely inflated prices. I checked Tower and HMV in Japan and both had the CD for sale, also someone tipped me off that Google Chrome will translate the pages into any language of your choice if you use that browser. Selected independent stores should have a free ‘Solid Psyche’ mix CD bundled with the album as another incentive to buy which I’ve tinkered with and added to from the mix I did late last year for Solid Steel.